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NEW ORLEANS | Court hearings were a little less structured and formal 150 years ago, but the judge was always in control and rendered judgment not only with the help of established law, but, also, with an apparent understanding of human nature.
In the 1800's, reports on the cases heard by the Recorder's Court appeared in the city's newspapers the following day ("recorder" referred to a position we would call "magistrate" today). During that time, New Orleans had been divided into three municipalities, each with its own city government. The first case below was heard in the court of Joshua Baldwin, of the Second Municipality.
I haven't had a look at today's Times-Picayune, but, on the two occasions below, New Orleans newspaper readers found Politics and Voodoo the topics of discussion!
POLITICAL DISPUTATION - The Daily Picayune, October 13, 1840
Two Dutchmen, Frank Smith and Thomas Reddin, were up before Recorder Baldwin on Sunday morning. They were arrested for disturbing the peace.
"Smith," said the Recorder, "about what did you and Reddin quarrel?"
"Vy, this here presidential helection," said Smith.
"Oh, you differ in politics, do you?" said the Recorder.
"Certainly ve do!" said Smith. "He is a Democrat and I is a Vig (Whig). I'll tell your honor as how it is. Ve both lives in the same yard and venever I passes him, he says there is von of the party wot ain't got no principles; there's a supporter of the man wot's been made brave by certificates and not by his sword; and he goes on in that ere vay, vich no good Vig can stand. The fact is, your honor, if the feller vasn't looking out for an office, I doesn't think he'd be half as patriotic as he is."
"Reddin," said the Recorder, "is your conduct such as Smith describes it?"
"Not a bit of it," said Reddin, "if I vas to be let alone, I'd never do nothing to nobody, but he's heternally talking politics. Ven we're out, he makes a fox on our door with chalk and writes underneath it, 'This here is Sly Reynard, from Kinderhook, vot vos for sometime in the London Zoo, but now is in the Menagerie at Vashington.' Ven I vants to sleep at night, I can't get a vink, he kicks up such a rumpus, singing Harrison songs the whole time and crowing like a reg'lar rooster."
"But can't you both retain your respective political opinions without quarreling?" said the Recorder.
"Vell, then," said Reddin, "your honor must bind him over not to sing Harrison songs between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and not to be frightening my children out of bed by firing off that old rusty musket in celebration of wictories which he haint yet got. And prewent him from making his big dog stand on his hind legs and saying, as he points to him, 'Here is von of Wan Buren's present standing army.'
On the part of Smith, it was provided that Reddin was not to call him a hard cider cask, nor a worshipper of log cabins, anymore. They made mutual promises to act with more forbearance toward one another in future, and to display a greater degree of political charity than they have evinced heretofore, and were discharged.
VOODOO CHARM FAILS TO WORK - The Daily Picayune, July 7, 1887
Yesterday, before acting Recorder Sambola, was tried the case of the state against William Hastings, charged with obtaining $4 in cash and a gold ring and a Meerschaum pipe from Mrs. Louise Tillman, residing at No. 111 Independence Street, under false pretenses. The complainant stated that she gave the articles to Hastings in order to voodoo an enemy of hers, she being a believer in voodooism. The fraud obtained money from her, but the charm failed.
Hastings was then engaged to work upon the enemy and exterminate him. He at times obtained small amounts of money from his dupe until he secured $4. His method was to inform Mrs. Tillman that the "gris-gris," or evil spirit, was doing the required work, but to make a successful job he wanted a gold ring and pipe, and as those articles would pass through her hands, by simply touching the skin of the party to be put out of the way, the latter would die. He got the articles, but as the party still lives, he was arrested.
After hearing the story, the court fined Hastings $25 or 30 days as a suspicious character and Mrs. TIllman $10 or 20 days for trifling with the court, and severely reprimanded her for resorting to such foul means to injure another.
The prisoners were remanded.
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The photos are both from the 1890s. The top one is the Orleans Parish Prison much as it looked in Recorder Baldwin's time (it served as the prison from 1834-1894); and the other is of the old Criminal Courts Building, which wasn't constructed until the 1880s.
Legends abound in New Orleans and the truth is often impossible to track down. But, did you know that one legend places the old prison pictured here as the place the author was referring to when the original version of "The House of the Rising Sun" was composed? We'll probably never know for sure, but it's an interesting theory...
"There is a place in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun,
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy...
And, Lord, I know I'm one...oh, Lord, I know I'm one.'
