New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-15

ready decided the points at issue the opinions
vious decisions without relteratnS the III su'heA''
previously used
The question OF the legality OF the sale OF liquor
in clubs which may be tested anew in the New
York courts has been several times passed upo"
by the hughes. courts OF various states Oh tne
Union but there has been little uniformity IN the
decisions Most of the cases have arisen from EVIL
dent attempts to evade the excise law by selling
louor to the public under the guise Of serving 1t
10 members Of a club A few OF the courts nave
held that the serving OF liquor AT cluo II d
transaction similar TO a sale at store Inc Eng
sh courts have, however usually heLd thaI u'e
serving Of liquor at a club was not sale Inc
member of a club was considered one OF the owners
OF the liquor and the giving IT 10 himself even al
fixed price was not considered sale. There was
no contract between two persons because the same
person was the seller and the buyer. The selling
distributing Of liquor at sham CLUBS Is, nov
ever. considered crime under t.ngush laws as
well as under those OF States OF the American
Union.
danger which real estate lawyers and title COM
panles must carefully guard against is shown by
the experience OF the Chicago Tile and Trust Com
pany a few days ago man who represented MIN
self the OF Chicago property sought to OBJ
tain policy OF title insurance upon H. He showed
a deed apparently signed by himself conveying the
property to a well-known real estate dealer An eX-
aminer OF the company happened to meet the notary
before whom the deed acknowledged. and asked
him II he personally knew the signer OF the deed
The notary said that he had been introduced by a
lawyer but knew little OF the person who appeared
before him and whose signature was acknowledged.
The examiner made some inquiry and finally ascer-
tanned that the deed a forgery. and that the
man who sought to obtain the policy was an i'm
poster The fraud not successful, but the care
lessness OF notaries makes It possible TO commit for
geres OF deeds with lttle hope OF immediate de-
lection New-York notaries not more careless
than those of other cities. but they frequently take
acknowledgements ntroductions 10 persons with
whom they not wei. acquainted. and have some
times certified 20 having received ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
when they have not seen he person VINO signed the
document but have been informed by the attorney
the husband OF the signer that the Signature was
actually made The violation OF nOtarys duty
cially in real estate matters Notarles might be
but few attempts have been made IN this city 10 en-
force the criminal law agai..st them.
peculiar complication arose in a Pennsylvania
will case which has just been reported. man
who was about die dictated a paper containing a
few lines dlsposlng OF al. mis- property He did not
sign It himself. but asked fiiend to sign It, and
physicians called In and witnessed a part OF
the proceedings. The man to whom the VIII was
dictated and who signed It for the dying man.
an ex-convici who had served part OF term
conviction OF perjury but had afterward been par
doned by the Governor. The VIII could not have
been proved without his testimony. He allowed
to testify and the Supreme Court OF Pennsylvania
has upheld the ruling OF the trial Judge The Penn
sylvana laws forbid a prisoner to act witness
who has been convicted OF perjury. even II he has
served his term OF imprisonment. The statute does
not say unless he shai, be pardoned but the Su-
preme Court believed that the Legislature dd not
consider that matter. The general rule IL that
pardon removes the legal disability attached TO
crime from the OF the pardon Under this
principle the Supreme Court held that the disability
70 appear as a witness was taken away by the par
don OF the perjurer and the viii was admitted TO
probate on his evidence
THE Green Bag" for September has as its opening
article a sketch OF John b. Minor who a pro-
fessor at law in the University OF Virginia for fifty
years and who died a few weeks ago Mr.. Minor
celebrated shortly before his death the fteth ami
versary Of his becoming 4. teacher OF law, and
many OF the chef lawyers In Virginia. West VIZ
gnla and other Southern States then united In hon
orlnE him II Is said that among those who have
studied aw under his direction there In
office two Cabinet Ministers one Justice Of the
United States Supreme Court TWO Senators from
Virginia and many other senators. COngressmen
and State and Federal Judges lie an attract
tive teacher. and orgy Impressed his scholars
He also law writer. MS most famous WORK be-
ins Minors Institutes OF Common and statute
Law" win On has been published IN several editions
Other arr clsa THE Green Bag describs the Lon