The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-04-19
JURY REFUSES TO lND|CT him
Congressman George X. Fayrot Is
Set Free.

SCI GIGSs rs
Baton Rouge, La. (Special)-Dem-
ocratic Congressman George K. Fav-
rot was set free, after having been in
jail continuously for. about five
months, under arrest on a charge of
murder and awaiting action of
grand jury. Thursday the second
grand jury refused to indict the
Congressman.
Mr.. Favrot last November shot and
killed DR.. R. H. Aldrich, of Baton
Rouge. The Congressman declared
that the physician had made dis
paraging remarks about Mrs. Fav-
rot. Favrot was at the time OF
the shooting still Judge of the Baton
Rouge court which Thursday set him
free.
He resigned, and was indicted by
a grand jury which had been selected
under his jurisdiction. Because one
of the jurymen who indicted him was
illiterate the finding was quashed.
George X. Favrot was district
judge of the Baton Rouge judicial
district. He had served in that ca
pacity with honor and distinction.
Just one day before he killed DR..
Aldrich he had been elected to the
United States Congress- from the
Sixth Louisiana District, defeating
Col. Samuel M Robertson, father OF
the Louisiana delegation in Congress,
who had served there 20 years.
Judge Favrot stood on the thres-
hold of career as promising as ever
young Southerner faced. Reputa-
ton, honor and distinction had come
to him.
Then Judge Favrot met DR.. Aid
rich in the passageway of the Rey-
mond Building and without word
shot him to death. He surrendered
and next day sent his resignation to
Gov. Newton C. Blanchard as dis
trict Judge. The Governor called
special election, which has resulted
in the selection of Judge H. F. Bru-
not as district judge. He qualified
and assumed the duties February s.
this being the first time there had
been court in the Baton Rogue dis
trict since last October.
At $50 P. M, November z, Judge
Favrot slipped by a party of friends
standing on the street, near the en-
trance to the Raymond Building,
showed the swinging doors open and
disappeared. Before entering he
had stopped and chatted, keeping an
eye on the office of DR.. Aldrich, on
the third floor. One of the party
suggested:
Judge, you look worried"
But he assured them that he was
not, and walked off whistling. In
a few minutes DIR. Aldrich left his
Office, walked down the steps, as the
elevator had stopped running, and
started through the passageway,
which was dark. At that moment
Judge Favrot stepped inside the
swinging doors and the two men
met Three shots were fred, and
Dr., Aldrich fell dead. A revolver
was afterward found inside his
waistcoat, but it had not been used.
Judge Favrot walked out Of the
door of the Raymond Building with
the smoking pistol in hand. Mayor
Bynum, of Baton Rouge; District At.
torney Wax and other friends, who
had been standing across the street
in front of the Louisiana Bank
Building, rushed over to him, ex-
claiming:
Judge, what in the world have
you done?"
1T killed DR.. Aldrich for sufficient
cause"
That was the only reply, and with
that he surrendered himself to q
deputy sheriff and went to jail.
AS to the cause of the tragedy,
only whispered rumors have ever
gained currency.
The "unwritten law" however,
was the backbone of the defense. 1t
was claimed that DR.. Aldrich made
certain remarks about Mrs. Favrot.
which resulted in the Staying of DR..
Aldrich. Favrot's friends said DR..
Aldrich was the author of certain
remarks about Mrs. Favrot which
called for an application of the "un-
written law" and only that would
suffice. The written statement of
Judge Favrot's lawyers, November
9, is the only authentic statement
made since the tragedy. In full it
was:
Judge Geoge X. Favrot, by adj
vice of his counsel, will not make
any detailed statement at this time;
but he authorizes us to say that the
killing of DR.. R. H. Aldrich resulted
from his persistent circulation OF
slanderous reports about Judge Fav-
rot's wife, which were of such a
character as to force Judge Favrot
to act, and that complete justifica-
ton for such action will be shown
at the trial of the case"