Man's Loud Snoring in Court Lands Him in Jail for Contempt

Phoenix, 1894

A RIOTOUS SLUMBER.

Victor Joyeau Snored Himself Into Contempt.

Rochefort, the Mercurial and Murderous Frenchman Held to the Grand Jury for $300.

Victor Joyeau, the Monroe street jeweler, yesterday treated Justice Kincaid's court with a contempt which might have been described as silent but for his unearthly snoring, which disturbed the proceedings as much as a riot would have done. Victor came to court under the impression that it was a lodging house and went to sleep. An officer remonstrated with him and pointed out to him the impossibility of transacting business while he slept. The reverberation of his snores destroyed the equal poise of the scales of justice into which the court was getting ready to throw the case of Eli Rochefort, charged with two varieties of deadly assault.

Victor promised to abate the disturbance and did so for two minutes when he relapsed into somnolence of an aggravated type. This time he was awakened somewhat roughly. The officer spoke bitterly to Monsieur Joyeau of his breach of faith and tired him out of the court room. Victor walked to the end of Wall street and thinking that he had thrown off the shackles of the tyrant Morpheus walked back and resumed his seat nap and uproar. This time be was roused by a cyclonic movement by the officer who conducted him before the court. A $5 fine was administered and Victor was taken to jail wide awake and profane. After his departure and as soon as the atmospheric waves set in motion by Monsieur Joyeau's snores had ceased their action against the window panes and other loose and rattling objects, the Rochefort case proceeded and attention which had been diverted from it by Joyeau's racket was riveted upon it. The evidence in the cases had fortunately all been submitted the day before so that the whole of yesterday could be taken up in the arguments.

The result was technically an even break for Rochefort, that is one charge assault with attempt to commit murder was dismissed and the other, assault with a deadly weapon was sustained. Rochefort was held to the grand jury in the sum of $300. The saintly Paul Laloo as the friend of Rochefort incidentally came in for an artistic skinning.

—The Arizona Republican, Phoenix, April 12, 1894, p. 3.