The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-02-27
DISTRICT COURT.
First Week OF Jury Term-lndiet-
ments Returned Against Officers
Of Bark of Donaldsonyille and
Peoples Bank.

What is likely to prove one of the
most interesting and important terms
of criminal district court held here
in recent years was convened Mon
day forenoon, with Judge Charles I.
Workman on the bench, Clerk OF
Court r. S. Barman, Sheriff E. G..
Hanson and District Attorney Phll1p
Gilbert at their respective posts, and
a full attendance of other court Off
eials and members of the bar. The
following grand jury was impanelled
to serve for the ensuing six months:
A.. ". Osterberger, Desire Falcon,
Henry r. We'll, J. f. Saxon, Vincent
Gautreau, w. H. Cox, Edward ]. Con.
zaIes, Sidney J. Harp, Lydien Col
let. A. +. Menuet, Charles A. Becnel
and Louis Rome.
Judge Workman appointed Mr.. Os-
terberger to act as foreman of the
jury, and in delivering his charge
to the body called their special at
tentien to the allegations Of mis-
management made in connection with
the failure Of the Bank Of Donald
#sonville Oh Nov. ~, 1913, and the
Peoples Bank Of DonaldsonVille On
July Ia, 1914 The judge stated That
as a usual thing he did not charge
the grand jury to make an InVestl-
cation of matters other than those
provided for by special statutes, put
that he deemed it his duty to di-
rect their attention to the accusa-
tons and charges growing out OF
the failure of the two local banking
inst itutions He instructed them
that it is not essential to prove spa-
cific intent to defraud in order to
establish criminal responsibility, but
that the showing Of mere careless
ness on the part of the officers or
directors Of a banking institution in
the management of its affairs con-
stitutes prina facie evidence OF
criminal intent. The laws regulating
the conduct Of banks are very
strict. and should be rigidly enforced
in order to. secure the greatest mea-
sure of safety for the depositors, de-
clared the judge. After receiving
the charge the inquiSitorial body re-
tired TO begin its deliberations.
District Attorney Philip Gilbert
made tne announcement that Robert
j.. Rivarde, of Hahnville, would be
associated with aim in the prosecu-
ton Of the charges presently pend-
ing against the officers and GER
tain of the directors of the Bank OF
Donaldsonville, and against W. j.
Leblanc, cashier of the Peoples
Bank of Donaldsonville, On informa-
tions filed by the district attorney
some time ago. Attorney Rivarde
has been employed by a committee
representing depositors in both the
defunct institutions, and will be as
ISOLATED with the district attorney
in prosecuting all cases that may
grow out Of the failure of the two
banks.
Motion 10 Quash Venire OAerruled.
A motion to quash the jury venire
was filed Wednesday in the case of
Joseph and Edward Bayham, indict-e
ed for the murder of John Cannon
and his son, Warren Cannon. All OF
the attorneys representing defend
ants in criminal proceedings growing
out Of indictments returned by the
present grand jury Joined in the mo-
ton, which alleged that the jury
commission, in drawing the panel
for the grand jury for the session
Of court beginning Feb. %, were not
furnished by the clerk of court with
d list OF grand jurors and Of those
who have served as regular jurors
since the previous drawing Of the
general Venire, as provided for by
section of Act No. 1875 of 1893. 1t
was also asserted that the jury COM
mission illegally and without warrant
of law struck from the venlre list
the names of nineteen men whose
names should have remained on said
list, and that the grand jury as con-
stituted and drawn by the jury com
mission was not a legal body, ana
that any findings made by it We're
illegal and absolute utilities.
The molten declared that among
the nineteen names SO stricken from
the venire list was the name of j..
#. Saxon, and if said name was legal
ly stricken from the list, which was
denied, it was alleged that the jury
commission acted Illegally and with
out warrant of law in Immediately re-
placing on the venire list the name
Of said J. f. Saxon, who was drawn
as q grand juror and was a member
OF the body which found the indiet-
ment in the case at issue.
The clerk OF court explained that