St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-11-13
ADJOURNS AND
PRISONERS ARE
SENTENCED.

After a session Of four weeks, the
the criminal jury term of the Dis
trict Court came to an end last
Saturday.
Judge O'Neill, of the St. Mary Dis
trict, who presided over the term in
place of Judge Perrault, who was re-
operating from a prolonged illness,
won the hearts of the local bar.
The term was hampered from
clearing much Of the docket by rea-
son of the fact that the trials were
long-drawn owing to the Importance
of the cases tried, there being sew
eral murder cases, one requiring a
week to try. The Court could not
help this, however. 1t is the inten-
tion of the law that an accused
should be furnished with every legiti-
mate chance of defending himself.
The last trial of the term was that
of Amede Fontenot, charged with
manslaughter. He was acquitted.
Saturday was sentence day, when
the prisoners convicted were sen-
fenced.
Sheriff Marion L. Swords was the
first to face His Honor, and be sen
fenced for assault and battery on the
person of Mr.. Felix Dezauche, the
Item correspondent at this place.
The case is familiar; it is even motto
rious. 1t was during the ''late un-
p~leasantness' here, wien things we're
rather lively over the enforcement of
the prohibition law. Reports Of the
affair ~emanating from here, and
written by Mr. Dezauche, caused the
Item to make many vicious attacks
on the Sheriff, editorially, and one Of
these editorials was posted by Mr..
Dezanche in the show window of the
Jacobs News Co., where he is work.
ing and of which company he is sec
rotary, blue-penciled. At this the
Sheriff took unbrage, and attacked
Mr.. Dezauche on the streets, striking
him on the head with a revolver sf-
ter an exchange of blows. Mr.. De-
zauche after disclaimed any desire to
post" Sheriff Swords, but attributed
the posting of the editorial in the
window to the fact that the news
stand was out of Items, and the peo-
pie were clamoring to read the edi-
torial in question. The incident is
now closed. The Grand Jury indicted
Sheriff Swords, he entered a Plea Of
guilty, and Judge 0'Neill last satur-
day imposed a fine Of SIS against
him.
Arthur David, against whom a bill
of information for selling liquor with
ont a license had been preferred by
the District Attorney, was fined 5000
or 4 months in Jail. Fine paid.
Chas. Mcdaniel, same ofense, same
fine.
Anatole Landry, same ofense, same
fine.
VIM. Gradney, msnslaughter, two
years.
julius P@errault, manslaughter, two
years.
Louis Cooper, horse stealing, two
another count for larceny.
three months.
Onezime Meche, stabbing with in-
tent to kill, four months.
RUFUS Blair, shooting with intent
10 kill. four months.
Clarence Clark, shooting wish IN
'ent to kill, six months.
The above represent the conyic-
lions, as we'll as those who entered
.leas of guilty at the last term.
Every sentence is to the State penf- :
ientiary. Sheriff Swords broughs
hem to Baton Rouge last Thursday.
Leon Pitre, L. B. WybIe, and Chas.
)uekworth plead not guilty 30
Of violating the prohibition
aW. Bond in each case fixed at $500.
The bond Of the Syrians charged
nth infanticide, and in whose case
mistrial occurred last week, was 4
xed as follows: Mary Joseph, S25O:V
bran Joseph $3.50; Chas. Joseph,
$50; Mrs. Chas. Joseph, SIOO. Fify I
$500,