Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-30

JUBIEs THAT MET IN THE CAPITOL.
The musty minutes of the old Circuit Court
of the District from which The STAR has
published extracts as successive volumes are
examined. show a gradual increase of the busi-
ness of the courts Some of the records are
| rather odd i'll contrast with the records of the
present day. In the first few years of the
| century the grand jurors are naked present
but five or six days during the term, but i'll
1914 ten days service is credited to them at the
June term and in 1919 fifteen days. The
| records for the June term 1914 show but few
trials of criminal cases and sentences Ito be
publickly whipped" are rare. The account
of the clerk contains entries unknown at the
present day. Released by the enemy en-
glishC appears i'll three cases, and the word
| "pardoned" IL appended to four, and mot
guilty tC five. The fact that the British sacked
Washington in August of that wear explains the
e. Try released by the enemy" The Jail at
'nGt time was in Judiciary square in the rear of
The courthouse, about where the watchman's
lodge lis now located.
81 the January term, 1851 the grand Jury sat
ffteeIi days and there were no less than twenty
two criminal o1ses tried, almost double the
number at the preceding term. Whether this
| increase due to a corresponding increase
of pop rlatiOn Or TO the demoralizing effects Of
| the war is not known. Although there were no
| prisoners sentenced to be whipped there were
| several cases in which fines of SI3333L we're
imposed. The next grand jury June, 1915, }
sat seventeen days. There were twenty crimi-
! nal trials end in two cases the sentence was ten
| lashes
ALIoHT SENTENCE FOR MANsLAUaHTEB.
At this term Vim. Fitzgerald, charged with
| murder, was convicted Of manslaughter and
sentenced to fine of $40 and 80 DAYS i'm
prsonment. The, entry whipped and dis
charged" shows that the sentences were ex-
| ecuted.
| The December term. 1915. had 21 criminal
| cases to try, and the June term following.
whose grand jury sat but 8 days and had Is
| trials, and in each Of two cases 80 stripes and
fine Of SO was imposed. June II Isaac Butter
was tried for the murder of Betsy Butter, and
| found not guilty of the murder, but guilty of
feloniously killing and Staying Betsy Butter,
otherwise called Betsy MouIder" He was
sentenced Ito be imprisoned IL months and
fined $780," &c.
| October 16, 1916, the marshal was directed
to apply for room for the court in the
| capitol
At the December term following there were
few trials. Under date OF January there ap-
| pears order accepting the report of the
commissioners appointed November 6, 1909 to
straighten and amend the road leading from
George Town to Tenley Town. as appears from
their report Of November 49, 1903, and de-
claring it public highway and road in lieu of
| the old road.
| THE FAIRFAX ESTATE.
May IA, 1917, record is made of the appear
ance of Ferdinando Fairfax, jr., in court and
his acknowledgment of deeds from himself
and wife to VIM. Herbert, conveying the tract
in Fairfax county, Va, on the river Potomac,
between the Pohick and Doeg creeks COM
monty called the Belvoir estate. Also to Her.
bert the ferry lot and land appurtenant at
Harper's Ferry, and 900 acres of the Shan
nondaie tract lying on the Loudon side. Also
one conveying his equity of redemption in
Rocks distillery and land adjacent, 2O5 acres
At the June term 1917 there was increase
| criminal business. In twenty-three criminal
cases sentences of 5, Is. rs and 80 stripes re-
spectiveiy, being imposed in four cases. In one
with a letter T in the Drawn of the left hand
and to be imprisoned eleven months.
ApEFIANr LIQUOR DEALER.
| At the following term, December 81, there
were twenty-five criminal trials, but there
were few fines imposed. An entry December
80 relieves the monotony Of the pages. It shows
that John Beanie made application for retail
| liquor license, when the court informed him
that they would not grant the license without
| evidence that tavern was necessary at the
place be stated he would make application in
writing, and II licenses were granted to others
| he would sell without license. The court for
this defiance Of its authority imposed a fine Of
$l0 and four days imprisonment He was later
in the day released on 800 to appear in the
morning. The record Of december 81 shove
that Beanie made . satisfactory apology and
| the order was rescinded subsequent entry
shows that the court issued him q license.
At the June term Of 1878 there were but
seventeen criminal cases tried, and in three
cases the accused were whipped. Under date
OF June l9 10 the certificate 81 naturalization Of
Henry Ould, who declared his intention of be-
| coming citizen June Is, 1912. He will be re-
membered a. a public school teacher for q
quarter Of century. The habeas corpus pro-
ceedings in the case OF Major Robert Bailey,
famous sporting man of hia day, are noted
| under date Of June "a. He had been inn
prisOned for debt and sought release, Claiming
that he had taken the benefit of the insolyent
laws In Berkeley county, Va. The court a. 70
some OF the judgments in the District dis
charged him, but refusing to release him as TO
others, sent him back to Jail, from whence he
escaped q few months afterward, making his
way to Virginia.
At the December term following, on Decem.
Der 30, Michael Clark was tried for murder and
sentenced TO be hanged on April q. between
and o'clock. There were twenty-three crini-
nal cases tried and about twice that number Of
civil cases. A number OF constables were re-
moved, but In the cases Of two the order of re-
movai was rescinded on evidence being pro-
| duced that the alleged misconduct was not
from corrupt motives. At the next (June)
term, ISIS, there were twenty-ssven criminal
| cases tried.