The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1890-02-21
yUDGE. JURY AND EoHo.


/ In a hate issue We wrote Of the
parish and school treasury, and ex-
pressed our satisfaction that merito-
rions officer had been gindioaled. It
seems that we erred as to the relative
date Of the burning Of Mr.. Hutchins8s
store. Ii our article VIC spoke Of ii
as occurring before the converting Of
court, when II seems that it was after
] the grand jury had been organized,
had made an extensive investigation
of the parish finances, and made re-
port thereon without finding a true
bin against Mr. Hutobius as parish
treasurer. The manner in winch we
had pnt it made it look much uglier
for MIR. Hutchins than it really was.
Our district Judge, with the Lake
Charles Echo in his possession when
the grand jury was brought in to make
a final report, called the attention of
the grand jury and others present to
the publication, saying that whoever
is responsible for the article in the
Echo was giving circulation to a mis-
representation Of facts, calling atteB-
tion to the error of date above alluded
to, and some variation between the
report of the grand jury of 1880 and |
the ECHo's statement of it, achieh does
not amount to error.
Immediately after these comments
the grand jury report was read, con-
tanning this clause
I'VE deem it necessary TO call your
attention to an article published in
the Lake Charles Echo of the Eth in
slant, beaded Parish Treasurer we
lind nothing IN the article itself to be
condemned except an error as to the
date of the adjournment of the grand
jury, and the burning of the building
OF the parish treasurer, containing the
records of his Office. The said article
states that the burning of the parish
books was investigated bv the grand
jury of September, 1889, when, in fact,
the burning did not take place until
after the grand jury bad adjourned.
aud consequently that body could MOI
have Investigated that matter, and the
publication Of such IN article, at this
particular lime, We deem highly i'm
proper, and ii left upon our minds the
impression that 1t had been published
with a view 10 influence our delibera-
lions"
In reference to the remarks OF the
Judge We will merely say, he is not
official historian Of the parish. and
whether the EcHo correctly Or iucor
rectly stated the date of the fire did
not concern him as Judge, and could d
only concern him as an individual /
member Of the community His ex
on the subject were extra
judicial, amounting only to his private q
opinion publicly expressed, and we t.
shall give it no further notice. t
As to the grand jury, we very hum
bly, Say that lad we known it was your i
wish 10 muzzIe the press, why u.av be L
oe seould have muzzled ourselves But :
We had too high an opinion Of the in
of character and love OF 8
ustice which should characterize the
citizen Of CaIcasieu parish, 10 sup
pose that the expression of our opinion
lpon the merits of an officer against .
whom at that moment nothing existed. B,
Oud Or would influence you il the D
.AamlnaLion Of any matter which ri
night be brought before you. e
We discIaim any such idea. Nou ?
rave expressed an opinion. We de- :
rot imagine it was 10 influence US. d
There is DO more reason for you to Il
oppose that We wished to influence C
'ou against a citizen in whom we are "
rot more interested than in any others. f
The fact is, that for fear of infu- 4
'ncing public sentiment ignorantIy, Il
We waited until we saw a disinterested y
police jury, whose special business Ii
MAS, appoint committee of able zen
Iemen to investigate the parish fnan- h
,ef; until that committee with tb, q
leIP Of experts, after an investigation; |
gave Mr.. Hutchjns an acquittaDce; -,
lntiI the school board made thorough
and satisfactory investigation and {
gave a quietus; and when we had 20 c
reason to suppose that smother grand
Jury would investigate these matters
before we expressed pleasure that our :
finances were IN such shape and a
meritorious officer vindicated.
a TIDAL wave caused by the sudden .
meeting of the waters of the Gulf of
Mexico and Mobile Bay, driven by
different currents of wind, in five
flooded Sand Island, and