The morning times., 1895-09-13
Ex-cOHSUl IN DISGRACE
Convicted in Police Court of Be-
Ing a Chronic Hotel Beat.
HE ALSO STOLE a BICYCLE
Proprietors of Several Houses Tes-
tify That He Paid Them In Promises
for Board and Then Skipped Gut.
Attempt to Prove That He Has
Means Fell Through.

The case of ]. o. Kerby, eX-cunsul to
Para, Brazil, who, as stated recently in The
Morning Times exclusively, was arrested for
vagrancy, was given another hearing in
the police court late yesterday, having been
postponed from Wednesday, to allow the
prosecution to produce more witnesses.
Mrs Lockwood, the proprietress ofstrath-
more A rms, on Twelfth street, near II north
west, appeared against the prisoner and
testified that Kerhy stayed at her house for
a long time, running up a bill of almost
$500.
He gave her time drafts drawn on Mr..
Carnegie, who, he claimed, owei him money.
The drafts came OK without being honored
He came back a second time, and promised
to pay in advance weekly. He stayed one
week, however, and failed to pay, and she
put him out.
Mr.. LaGetra then testified that in June,
'93, when he was running the Frcdonia,
Kerby came and stayed$hfee weeks, then
suddenly left without paying his bill. The
next day the witness received postal card
fromKerby, writtenfrofn Baltimore, wing:
HlAL iAASAiiD " 'NS'F ~
spend Sunday, will return Monday.
u. oRToN KERBY."
Kerby did not return.
Mr.. c. NJ. Palmer, who runs bicycle
establishment. then testified. and brought
out a case OF larceny against Kerby.
TOOK THE WHEEL AWAY.
Mr. Kerby entered Mr.. Palmer's estab-
lishment on the Goth of August last and
wanted to hire a bicycle for an hour. He
took the bicycle out to try the saddle as far
as the corner and the witness said he had
never seen hiru or the wheel until this day.
AS Kerby was not charged with larceny, Mr.
Palmer was advised to swear out war
rant for him.
In connection with this case Kerby wrote
a queer letter TO the Palmer Cycle Company.
Ii started out as follows:
"A party to whom / owe $2i.T5 at Rock
vile attempted to squeeze me by pushing
matters on Saturday, when friends were
out of city. l had a race of fourteen
miles between wheel and good horse and
l beat them to the District line, but was
arrested and held for further ORDERS
He further stated that he was very
particular to assert, always positively, that
the wheel was not his but rented and
refused to allo wv it to be touched.
A "P. S. was attached telling Mr..
Palmer to call at the Eighth precin ct station
for the wheel.
You will notice that the clerk at the
station spelled my name j. S. Curby,
which you heed not mention or alter"
Mr.. Kerby was then put on the stand and
said he was an advertising agent of cocoa
and rubber company OF Mexico. He is an
electrician by profession. author and jour
Dalist. Had written for numberof papers.
Mr.. Richardson objected 10 this ancient
history, and cross-examiDed th prisoner.
He brought out the fact that kerby had been
here under an assumed name. The pris-
oDer's lawyer, Mr.. Fits, got him TO say
and attempted to show that Kerby had
plenty of means of support.
IN DEFENSE OF KERRY.
Mr.. Fits read letter from ex-Deputy
Commissioner of Pensions Lincoln, which
he had received, asking him to defend
Kerby. Col. Lincoln said in his letter
that Kerby, although impecunious, was
a good fellow, a G. A. R., and smart man.
Mr.. Fits started off with a quotation
from Tom Hoods Bridge of sighs:''
ALAS for the rarity
OF Christian charity"
he made strong plea for the prisoner,
claiming that if let alone he would right
himself, and wound up by requesting the
judge to give him a chance.
Mr. Richardson then told the judge that
he regretted the mans misfortune, was
sorry for his high connections, but never
theless Thought that the prisoner was
guilty.
IF he has means of support, all the
more dishonor 20 him for living the life of
a vaEabond, a beat, and an idler," said
Mr.. Richardson, and requested that the
judgment OF the court be pronounced.
His honor summed up tbecase, namedoyer
the eight cases of defrauded hotel pro-
prietors and the one case of bicycle larceny,
and as he was there to protect the District
of Columbia from all such people who were
called dead beats, he required Mr.. Kerby
TO give bond of 500 for his good behavior
or go TO the workhouse for thirty days.
1t was learned later that the case of lar
ceny was dropped, as the machine was re-
turned to its rightfui owners and Kerby's
lawyer said he would have bond for him
before the day was over.
Bankrupt Sales.
Thera ie M 1nuht that a pemIipe hank.