Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-02
THE CASE OF OFFICER BLOCK
Hearing Before United States Commits
sioner Stone Today.

In the Criminal Court room today US. Com.
missioner Warren G. Stone held . session to
hear the case Of the United States against Sig
ismund ]. Block, charged with compromising .
felony. Mr.. W. A Cook was present with the
prosecuting witness, Mr.. F. Lowenstein. Mr..
Block was accompanied by his counsel, Mr.. n.
Z. Davis. A number Of police officials, MEM
bers Of the bar and other persons were pres
emit. This case grows out of the arrest Of young
Brainard or Monroe for the larceny Of the
Seaton silver ware and the larceny of articles
from Alice v. Parker, and the subsequent ar
rest, trial and conviction Of Ferdinand Lowen-
stein for receiving the stolen goods. The lat
Block, the specific charge being as to the Par
kor property.
The commissioner stated that be had issued
the warrant under the authority Of section lola,
R.SU.S
MIR. Davis said he appeared for the defend
sented.
The Commissioner said the warrant was issued
on the affidavit OF citizen, and he at once adj
dressed note to the District attorney stating
the facts, but had received no response.
MIR. Hoge, District attorney, said he had re-
ceived the note, but he was present as Witness
The United States was not represented here by
counsel.
Mr.. Cook said he was present as q friend Of
the court
After arguments by counsel as to the power
OF the Commissioner in the case and other
points
THE COMMISSIONER SAID
that there was one good reason for not going to
the Police Court this time, for the prosecuting
witness counsel is now the judge there. He
held that the case was his property and when the
application was made for the warrant he could
not refuse to entertain it. If 1t should prove
that the facts are identical to those heretofore
passed upon the case would end. But it was
due to all the parties concerned and the public
that these facts be ascertained. The question
as to when he should recognize counsel in the
case was an important one, and he thought
that there should be q representative Of the
government here.
JUDGE HoaEs POSITION.
Judge Hoge remarked that he was present
simply as witness and he did not acknowledge
that any one had the right to institute proceed
ings and then call him in. As to the case of
the Parker jewels the lady had called on him,
stating that she had been the lifelong
friend of the mother of Monroe and it would be
extremely disagreeable if she was required to
prosecute him. He made the inquiry and
directed Block to inform Mrs. Parker that he
would not require her to appear, and he under
stood that his assistant, Mr.. Armes, had come
Mr.. Cook claimed that the inquiry at the
Police Court was rs to the vase and tea pot
the property Of Malcolm Seaton-and that tho
Parker case was not in that court. This case
was before Commissioner Johnson, but the
papers were defective in that the case was left
there as misdemeanor. but the present war
rant charges the offense as grand larceny.
A colloquy followed to this point, Mr..
Cook repeating that he understood the dismiss
sal by Commissioner Johnson on the
ground that the offense was a msdemeaDor, and
Mr.. Davis asserting that the ground was that
papers.
MIR. Cook urged that the duty Of the COM
missioner was plain. He should examine for
himself Through the district attorneys Office,
Or over it, the investigation should be made.
MIR. Davis said that should the commissioner
be inclined to go on he d. would then raise
the question of jurisdiction.
THE HEARING CONTINUED.
The hearing was continued to Thursday.