St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-11-15
Hunters Should Be Fined

Opelousas, La, Nov. IL, 1913.
Editor Clarion:
On the 22nd. day of May, 1918
Mr.. Chas. Thibodeaux reported
to me that a party of deer hun
tiers were hunting on the Bayou
Courtableau in the third and
fourth Police Jury wards, and
asked me, as the sheriff, to go
with him. We left in an auto
next monring and went as far as
we could in it, and then walked
to the camp.
| arrested nine, two from AL
len parish and seven from Evan
geline. Two were from st.
Landry, but they went to Eunice
on the Frisco railroad the day
before and took a deer that had
been killed by the party. Thibo-
deaux took down their names
and / paroled the nine. | made
afidavits against ten of them in
Guiding the two from st. Landry
under Act 127 of 1912, under two
charges: Hunting without license
and hunting in the closed season.
/ made affidavit against one for
hunting in the closed season as
he had a ten dollar license. One
of the party told me that he
would not tell a lie for fifty or a
hundred dollars, which made me
think the more of him. These
affdavits went before the Grand
Jury and that body found true
bills against ten on two counts
and one for hunting out of sea-
son. This was the party that
had the ten dollar license.
Warrants were issued and
could have gotten ten cents per
mile for going and ten cents a
mile for coming on the nine that
lived in the parishes of Allen and
Evangeline, and five cents per
mile to bring them back to st.
Landry; but not wishing to be
hard, | gave the list Of names to
the party that told me the truth
and told him to have them at
Opelousas on the following We'd
nesday. This he did, and the
parties, through counsel, waived
arraignment, and pleaded guilty
to one charge, hunting without
Incense, although as stated, one
had a ten dollar license. The
other charge was dropped by the
District Attorney. The Judge
sentenced them to a fine Of five
dollars each and costs, which is
ten dollars, making fifty-five
dollars for the eleven and ten
dollars cost each, making a total
of one hundred and sixty-five
dollars. This sentence was evil
IDENTIFY imposed under section 81
of Act 2O4 of 1912, which relates
exclusively to violations of the
law relating to game preserves.
We have no game preserves in
st. Landry, and under the said
act a hunter could poach on an
others game preserve in the
open season, and could be fined
from five to one hundred dollars.
This minimum penalty under
Act 1T and under which they
were indicted is twenty-five dol
lars each and costs, hence when
they plead guilty the collective
amount should have been. two
hundred and seventy-fve dollars
fine and one hundred and ten
dollars costs, making three hum
dred and eighty-five dollars.
When the Judge was shown this
he ordered that the parties be
brought before him on Novem-
Der 9Th. The District Attorney
stated that they would be tried
when they had already plead
guilty. One of the accused told
me before the case was called
that he had come to get his
twelve and a half bacon, and /
told him that / had not the least
doubt Of it. Most of the parties
came into court with their .attor-
neys. There was not a witness
that | know of for them. But
Mr.. Thibodeau and myself testi-
fed as to their having dogs and
guns, (shot guns and Winchest-
ers) and of what some of them
stated. that, they were hunting
deer. [ asked the District At
torney to have the city judge
summoned as he would be bound
to testify that those parties had
stated that they would plead
guilty; but the District Attorney
told me that he did not need him.
and | am constrained to believe
that he did not.
~ Dorvv acInd Afr