Evening star., 1896-10-31


are allowed q takewith them. In crimi-
n nal "a as well af in civil cases the Jury must
Ssrsa fEssss Allowed isn p
II capital eaea sat is. in cases In which
in charge of.baiiiffk 1sy from p the d time e they
take their oatA updH the completion of the
jury until verdict is reached. In other
cases, hewevst thS are permitted to sep,
offetisine tosdefbcfAte, but they are iiva-
rlab!y cautioned by the judge that they
must NOT talk ab0ug the case with any one.
and a.. must nopaliovetany one to talk about
auvlseo against feading newspaper ac-
counts OF the case daring the trial: = -
After tie verdict.a.., -. .sl
uAt the verdict is,one of not guilty, the ao-
cused' VINO Is always presumed in faw to be
innocent until convicted. is at once dis
.c .cnargea s,m Ir9m custody, If the verdict is one
Oh conviction, the prisoner is either sem
'enced aeonee oraemanded to jail, to await
sentence Sentence, where notice Of a mo-
ment ne 81 s,T new.tf,ai Or IN arrest Of ipdg-
judge. :sesI:-. ~ >--'
Where mufderis charged the verdict may
siaushse es s NJ herss ras 1y tsl Of man n
kill is charged guilty. not guilty Or guilty
OF simple as sault, and where grand hrceuy
IS charged the jury may reduce the grade
OF the ofrense. to that of petit larceny.
Jurors particularly where murder is the
charge, are generally very foath to convict
thes accused Of 1.-The graver crime, and in
tnat way many offenders who were guilty
at aa,,e iease 1 of"marder In the second degree
nave been punished simply for man
siaugntef, 'thefe7 being no degrees of mur-
der here. a~condition Of affairs that is
greatly 'deplored
The death penalty here Is that of hang
Ing, the law requiring the execution to
take place within the walls of the District
JAN. save for offenses punishable under
the Edmunds, or Utah. act, punishment in
the peAitentiary cannot be for a less time
than a year and a day. Persons sentenced
to Imprisonment are allowed to have GER
tam time off for good behavior, while in
prison-two months off during the first
year, two months during the second, four
months during the third year four months
from the fourth, and five months off the
NTH and every succeeding year. So. for
instance, sentence of ten Years really,
means If the .convict's behavior is good
while In prison, but six years and six
months actual Imprisonment.
Probate md District Courts.
The Probate or Orphans Court has juris-
dioaon over the eaestates of deceased persons
and their orphans. 1t is the court which
admits wills to'probate, appoints adminis-
traitors OF estates where the owners died in
testate-that is, without having left will.
In the case of contested will. the court
certifes the questions at issue to the Cir
cult Court for trial there by jury, it. ap-
points guardians for children, and exercises
general supervision over all matters aris
ing out of or connected with the property
of deceased persons.
The District Court hears what are termed
cases IN admiralty, that is, cases arising
out OF claims made against vessels, For
nstahce.' q sailor claiming that the cap
tam or boat owes him wages flies what
Is called ahhbaf against the boat. In other
words. he files his claim and prays that u
libel issue. 'Thereupon the District Court
directs the marshal to take and hold the
ooat. and that is what is meant by libelng
a boat "t =
Before the tboat is released. bond to
cover the cla4n1 made must be given or the
selainq satisfied. If the bond is given, the
case is subsequently heard b." the court.
ana it's" disposed 1of+ after testimony - is
heard. The District Court is also the tri-
brnal having jurisdiction of proceedings
Tor the acqufsefnent of land through con-
demnaton. Fhis IS the court in which the
street extension cases instituted under the
highway act were tried.
Court of Appeals.
'. The Court of Appeals is, as it's name i'm
plies, the appellate, tribunal of the DISTRICT,
1t hears and determines all appeals taken
IN the various branches of the District
Supreme Court It. also has jurisdiction
over the appeals taken from the decisions
of the commissioner of patents. 1t was or
ganized in April, 1898 and succeeded to the
appellate powers Of the Court in General
Term. -'-' ' ' .'
The latter tribunal has no appellate juris-
dietfon how. and Sits merely as the District
Supreme Court. The Court Of Appeals is
the court Of last resort, where the amount
In controversy is less than $1,000. : 1t fs
also the court Of last resort in criminal
Ca ses. Its, eonstructio OF the laws save
where 1t is reversed by the United States
supreme Court becomes the supreme law
of the District, and all inferior District tri-
bunals must be so guided 1t is in session
from the first Monday in October until 1t
adjourns in June for the summer, and as a
ruIe, 1t sits from 10 am. to 2 pm, every
sWtele day except Saturday s"'9 sfd !
Unless otherwise specially ordered each
side i'm a. lease Is allowed but two hours in
which to make arguments. THE decisions
OF the court are not delivered orally but
according to the act organizing the court
are written and filed with the clerk of the
court. One of the results of the organization
OF the court has been such clearing up of
the docketS of the various courts that everv,
case can~neW be tried in a few months
time. 49,,
,~~4@e = @-T--se--,- : - ,-- ze-@
The ea,npalsn will be covered in all parts
Of the country by an. experienced corps
Of reliable and impartial newspaper men
engaged for the purpose by. The Evening
Star. Read what they SAP next Tuesday
afternoon fn- the regular ana special edi-
seaons.,e - ~:
PAssINft OF THE RAVEN.
Tire "ar~On the Bird Because of His
Attacks on Game.
From ne M,,azfno
The whole domains. the large timber,
and tha ancient families survive, but the