The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-01-28
VALENTINE WILL HANG.
Jury Brings in Verdict of Guilty After Being Out
All Night-Attorney Lemann Files a
Motion for New Trial.

Hazlip early in the morning Of Sept. -
last and committed mur1erous as
sault upon Mrs. Hazlip, was brought
up for trial before the district court
this week and was found guilty, the
verdict carrying with it the penalty of
death upon the gallows. Attorney
Walter Lemann, who was appointed
by the court to defend Valentine, made
a hard fight to save the prisoner, but
the evidence was too direct and the
crime too foul for the jury TO have pos
sibly brought 10 any other verdict
than the one it did. At yesterday
session of court Mr.. Lemann fled a
motion for a new trial on the ground
that the verdict is contrary to the law
and the evidence, and Judge Leehe
will take the motion under advisement
and hand down a decision next We'd
nesday. It is foregone conclusion
that the motion will be overruled,
leaving Valentine but two chances to
save his neck-an appeal to the SUI
preme court or petition for executive
clemency. In the former case the
Judgment of the lower tribunal is Ger
tain to be sustained and an appeal to
the governor would be worse than
useless. Therefore, barring the inter-
vention of something at present un-
foreseen, the dastardly attack upon
Mrs. Hazlip will be avenged when
her fendish assailant is sent into
eternity through the medium OF the
prison gallows.
The Valentine case was on the docket
for Monday morning and as soon
as the prelimin aries had been gone
through with the empanelling of a jury
was begun. It proved long and
tedious process and up to the time the
regular venire was exhausted but five
jurors had been seeured-Vileor Lam
dry, J. E. Landry, Wright Babin,
Numa Aucoin, and John Rodrigue.
The sheriff was ordered to summon
thirty talesman and court adjourned
until the following morning, the five
jurors that had been accepted being
quartered in the courthouse overnight.
The empanelling of a jury was pro-
ceeded with Tuesday and resulted in
the selection of Nelson Hymel, Simon
Landry, John Martinez, D. F. K. Le-
Blanc, J. f. Taddiken, Robert Braud
and Robert Lanoux, who, with the five
chosen Monday, completed the jury.
The taking Of testimony was begun at
II O'Clock and occupied about four
hours, when District Attorney Gondran
arose to address the jury. Mr.. Gondran
spoke for al hour and was followed by
Walter Lemann, attorney for the de-
tense, who used about forty-ive min
utes in presenting his side Of the
case. At the conclusion OF Mr..
Lemann's argument, Mr.. Gondran
summed-uu for the state and made
a magnificent and eloquent address,
presenting his facts in clear and
logical manner and proving the guilt
of the prisoner at the bar beyond the
shadow OF a reasonable doubt.
Judge Leche delivered an able and
comprehensive charge to the jury and
the body retired to begin their de-
alterations shortly after 8 O'Clock.
About 9:20 o'clock the jury returned
and stated that they were unable TO
reach an agreement, whereupon the
Judge ordered them locked up for the
night and adjourned court until next
morning. Court re-convened at 1890
O'Clock a. m. Wednesday and a few
minutes later the jury fled in and re-
quested to be instructed on whether it
were possible to return an unqualified
verdict of guilty if the intent TO steal,
murder or commit rape had been shown
without the crime having been actually
committed. Judge Leche furnished the
desired information and the jury re-
tired, returning in about ten minutes
with an unqualified verdict Of guilty.
rendered through the foreman, Vlleor
Landry. Upon motion of MIR. Lemann
the jury was polled, after which Judge
Leehe discharged them with few
words of thanks. Valentine was re-
manded to prison to await sentence
and seemed apparently unconcerned
at his fate.
The courtroom was crowded with
people, both white and colored, DUR
ing the progress of the trial and close
interest was manifested IN the pro-
ceedings. The verdict met with
unanimous approval
THE CRIME
for which Valentine will hang was
committed at about 4 O'Clock Thurs
day morning, September Is, 1904. Mir.
Hazlip at that time was employed in
Assumption parish and usually was
not home at night, but Wednesday
evening he decided to return as the
next day would be the seventh anui-
yersary Of his marriage and he wished
to be with his family on that occasion.
Arriving at home late Mr.. Hazlip
found his wife sleeping with her moth
er, Mrs. Augustin Bercegeay, SO he
retired to another room. The morn
ing of the crime Mrs. Bereegeay arose
and went into the kitchen to prepare
coffee, leaving open the door which