Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-05
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
SEVERAL VERY IMPORTANT CASES
srT-rLED.
Power OF state TO NIX Passenger
nntcs-Decoy Letters Morally and
Legally acknowledgements of
hank stock-chine-e Smuggling.



WASHINGTON. March 4.
The supreme court met today, after
n recess Of four weeks, with all the
justices cxcep, Mr.. Jackson In attend
ancc A long list Of opinions were dis
posed OF rapidly Many OF them de-
cided cases OF great Importance The
interesting question whether the con-
vlction Of a person by means of decoy
letter is legal was passed on In the
case OF one Grimm. convicted for deal
ing in obscene pictures lie answered
letter from postofIice inspector
which resulted In his conviction. and
he appealed complaining against the
means by which u was secured. The
court held that decoy letters were both
morally and Legally juRtinablc,
The validity OF the Louisiana act OF
1855, providing for inspection OF coal
and coke by gaugers, was sustained by
Justice Field. In an opinion In the case
OF the Plttsburg. Pennsylvania and
Southern Coal company against the
state OF Louisiana, The Pennsylvania
corporation claimed that the law vio-
lated the provision OF the constitution
on the tarlnA OF commerce between
the states. but the court held that the
point was not well taken and that the
law was but a proper regulation for
4 oversight OF the coal and coke boata
[ ON the Mississippi river, and therefore
sustained the circuit court decision
I An interesting constitutional qncf-
7 ton was decided In the case OF y. =.
/ hmor, w. the state Of Missouri. Thc
/ former IS an agent or peddler OF Singer
{ sewing machines, II was sought 10
make him pay peddlera hcthsv
l which he resisted In order 20 lest the
/ law, contcnding nH the machines came
/ from New Jersey the license was a 70.
/ strlcuun on the constitutional Right OF
interstate commerce. The court held
/ that while the goods came from an
other state, they were hoing handled an
! part OF the local ana domeauc COM
/ mcrce. They were no longer the sub
! ject OF Interstate traffic, but had been
| merged with the mass OF property
/ within the state. 80 That tho occupation
OF selling them was properly subject
to state police regulations and In no
way contrary 20 the federal constltu-
ton,
The Arkansaa law OF 1871 limiting
passenger fures TO 3 cents mile, ana
liking penalty Of $500 for each over
charge. was sustained, Several parties
. hhNHifl ulllikNN NkNlHNA AnN o. Aa'N'f
and San Francisco railroad for over
charge, but the company made the de-
Tense that the branch IN question WAS
operated as SIN assignee OF the St.
Louis Arkansas ana Texas company,
and the law was IN contrnvcntlun OF
the latter corporations charter. with
tho additional Interesting contention
that the act requires TO do business ~
positive loss and constitutes taking
OF It's property without compensation or
the proc0na of law. The court, however
ruled that the action Of the Arkansas
legislature appeared TO be lcgltlmnte
expenditure OF power aud that II lad
not been shown TO operate unJuHtly,
thereby sustaining the supreme court
OF Arkansas.
Girnrdeau ana Fort Smith Railway
company against tho state of Miss 1url
WAS dismissed for want OF iuriA " flon,
The cnae OF Cannon and Mulkey
RgainHt the state of Oregon, the plain
tins having been convicted with
twenty-five others OF connpirlnR 10
bring Chinese laborcfs into the state
contrary to the law was decided. The
chief allegation OF plaintiffs In error
was that the Indictment failed TO aver
that the act was felonioualy done but
the court held that this was not good
and Sustained the lower court In ITS
conviction.
The case Of Francis a. Coffin and
Porcivai u. Coflin. plaintiffs In error vs..
the United States, appealed from the
district OF Indiana was reversed and a
new trial ordered The plainufrE were
indicted on the charge OF conspirlng
with Theo. HHughey. president OF the
indianapolis National bank TO wreck
that Institution Ia 1898 aud upon trial
, were found guilty ms charged ana APP
pealed 10 the supreme court Tho de-
ciglon was decided by White. who wen,
into the case at considerable lenEth
discussing among other quealinna those
OF the presumption OF innocence
Special attention " given 10 the false
; entries alleged 10 have been made In
the bank II IL held that the making
r OF a false entry II n concrete offena6
which " not committed where the
transaction entered actually took place
and Il entered exactly MS It occurred.
4 Justice ShiraB delivered tho opinion
OF tho court IN the case OF r. u. Lind
d, say. Assessor OF the Parish OF caddo
La. VA. the First National bank Of
Shreveport. appealed from the United
States court for The western district
OF Louisiana, This action wns brought
aEninBt Lindsay and other officials OF
= caddo Parish for the cancellation Of
y modification OF alleged excessive as
geHsment on bank stock The Parish
: oiIicinis filed an exception In the cour1
below setting forth that the femcd,
!. was not by an action at law but by
Injunction aud bill In equity and tina
the court was without jurisdiction.
', Justice ShiraF opinion sustained Thu
u View reversing the Judgment Of th'
court below aud renanding the caus'
with directions 10 sustain The excep
ton and dismiss the suit Vaioui
(, points that rise In the case. such a.
!, the right or the Parish TO assess banl
A stock were not passed upon by the 81
" prcme court,
n A,.,don hone 81 ,rsc,ous coI,o mia,