The Washington critic., 1885-05-12
THE CASE DISMISSED.
Colonel ne Abna's Charge Against
Comm assfouer Sharks.


The charge Of assault brought by lionel
dc Alma against Commissioner Sparks of
the General Land Office was tried before
Judge Smell to-day. The courtroom was
crowded. Mr.. Sparks came into court ac-
companiod by his counsel, Judge Wiltshire,
Colonel Jackson and Mr., Harrison the AS
sistant Commissioner OF the Land Office
Colonel De Alma came alone.
Colonel De Alma told Judge Suell that he
was a timber agent, and had been in Nevada
for some time carrying out important bust
ness. He went to the Commissioners office
last Saturday to settle some official bust
ness.
The Commissioner said to him. "WhaI
arc you doing here z" The witness said
that he was there on official business, aud
had been granted leave Of absence by the
Commissioner himself. The witness spoke
of the work that he had been engaged in
The Commissioner told him that he was
not of much good, and that his services
were of no value The Commissioner said.
81 cannot attend to your business" 81
told him." continued De Alma that /
would call when he had time. The Com.
missioner said he never had any time
The witness said that he wanted his accouuts
settled. The Commissioner said, CLEAR
out: you have no business here" 81 did
not 20 out" continued Dc Alma "but
was the most astonshed individual in the
United States. The Commissioner then
jumped up. He caught me by the collar
with one hand and attempted to strange
me. With the other hand he pulled but
ton off of my coat. Here
exhibiting button lis the
corpus delictn. Mr.. Harrison, the Assistant
Commissioner, rushed in before / could
strike or do anything. Mr.. Sparks called
for the messenger to put me out. 50 help
me God, I had not said single word that
was boisterous or insulting. / would not be
likely to use boisterous or insulting Ian
guage to my superior officer, whom | was try
ing to induce to fix things up quick, would
I?r
Mr.. Sparks wanted to ask the witness
questions about his employment in other
Departments, in order, as he said, to show
that he was very Troublesome person, and
had been excluded from several Of the De.
partments, but the Court excluded the
questions.
Mr. Harrison, the Assistant Commits
sioner, said that De Alma called last Sat
urday in regard to his accounts, which he
had understood to be suspended. The Com.
missioner spoke to DE Alma about the lat
ters charging $40 day for carriage,
81 day for feeding team, and 50 day
for greasing wagon.
After the Commissioner and DE Alma
had been talking for some time the Com
missioner told him that he did not want
any more to do with him. DE Alma said
that he had been treated like dog. The
Commissioner said that he had not
witness did not see the button
torn of of De Ahnas coat. AS the Colonel
went out he said to the Commissioner
"You have made id fool Of yourself. y
De Alma in his conversation was not de.
mandatory. When the Commissioner took
hold of him De Alma put himself in a
threatening attitude. The Commissioner
did not seize him by the throat. He only
took hold of the lapel of his coat. When
the Commissioner told De Alma to leave
the Office, he told him to do so mildly, bu
firmly. The witness when the scene oc
cured said to De Alma Come, Colonel
you had better go out"
Public Printer Rounds was put on tn
stand to tell of a similar scene that he hat
had in his office with De Alma, but wa
not allowed to testify. Mr.. o. p. Nc
| Names, a land attorney, was in the Com
| missioncr's Office last Saturday. De Ahn
/ came in and sat on the sofa beside him. A
| De Alma sat down he said, 81 am chucl
| full of dynamite. 1t seems to me yer,
! strange that an officer of the Government
| must be kept out of his pay for tire
| months"
The witness described the scene aud said
that the Commissioner spoke mildly tt
| DE Alma, whose manner was boisterous ant
| offensive. De Alma spoke of the employe
| of the office as rascals and bad men gen
| orally. The Commissioner did not tax
| DE Alma by the throat or use violence to
| ward him. Edward Hannigan, a messen
| ger in the Department, said that the Com
| missioner did not take De Alma by til
| throat. The Commissioner himself sa
| that De Alma had bothered him grea
| deal.
| After his telling him to leave the oflic
last Saturday he simply took him by tn
lapel of the coat, at the same time calm
on the gentlemen present TO aid him i
efiectipg De Ahna's departure. He did no
wish to hurt De Alma. 81 would not
said, charm hair Of his head De Aim
was very offensive person and he simpl
wanted to get rid of him.
| De Alma took the stand again and be
gan to mako a speech, saying that th
affair Of Saturday had already been trie
in the press. $50 / am perjured maj
am II" he asked. $50 the Commissions
was gentle, was he? oh, yes; he was tt
midest man of Gods world" The Cou
stopped him. Judge Smell then reviewe
the testimony He said that if Commi
soner Sparks had used violence again
DE Alma, he would have been guilty
a grave beach of peace in a public plac
When people went to public Offices, the
must be governed by the rules in for
there, 1t had been shown that DE Ahr
was troublesome visitor and had actt
boisterousy. 1t had not been shown TIL
Dir. Sparks used any violence. He, ther
fore, dismissed the case.