Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-29
THOMAS t AND TUCKER
The Attorney for the District o0rreots
Some Errors
Case" As"instIthe,B. and o. Railroad
MIR. wolrs SSvel Argument
OthcrrDistrict Matters

Relative to the letter Of the president Of
the Northeast Washington Association re-
garding the employment Of special coun-
sci to assist in the prosecution Of cases
against the Baltimore and Ohio railroad for
violations of law, the Commissioners today
sent him the following opinion Of Attorney
Thomas upon the subject:
ON the 10th of January last addressed
you communication in regard to the COM
plant OF the Northeast Washington Citi-
Ze's Association, inclosing detailed re-
port by Mr.. Pugh, my assistant in the Po-
lice Court on the cases referred to by Mr.
Tucker, which shows their disposition
Since the date Of that letter the cases of
Smith and Stephen. engineers of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company-one
charged with running n train across r
street III Ecklngton and the other across 4th
street, at the intersection of l street north
east, without fagmen being stationed at
those points, as required by the act of legis
latiVe assembly-have been argued and sub
mltted to the Court Of Appeals, but have not
yet been decided
The decision of the Court of Appeals in
the above cases will dispose of all the
cases to which Mr.. Tucker refers ex-
cept the two cases involving the validity
OF the police regulation requiring steam
railway trains and engines to come TO
iull stop before crossing rapid transit street
railroads. About the time this regulation
was 10 take effect both the Baltimore and
ono railroad Company and the Baltimore
ana Potomac Railroad Company filed suits
III equity 20 enjoin the enfC rCement of the
regulation. and secured a temporary re-
stfalnlnS order from the chief justice of
the Supreme Court of the District. Owing
10 the fact that 1t was necessary to prepare
a number of affidavits by expert electri-
clans in regard to the reasonableness and
necessity Tor such a regulation at the
crossing at Virginia avenue and Az street,
the case vas necessarily delayed for two
or three weeks in order to get such aft
davits.
Mr.. Tucker Is mistaken when he saws
the attorneys for the railroad companies
ahove mentioned have been ready to try
those cases and that the reason they have
not been heard is that this Office was SO en-
gagged as not to be able to give them atten-
Ton The truth Is, this office mas ever since
the afidavits above referred to were filed.
heen ready and anxious to dispose of those
cases They have been three or four times
set Tor hearing and have been as often
postponed by the court to accommodate en-
Sagement of the counsel for the railroad
company On Saturday last Mr.. Justice
cox, the chief justice being absent from the
city on account of his health. peremptorily
set these cases for hearing for Saturday.
the 2i day of May.
AS to the necessity or desrablity of the
employment of special counsel. as suggest
ed by Mr.. Tucker, l altogether disagree
with him. and refer to my letter to you OF
LII ilS1 on ms subject
Drinking by 'DisrcputubIc People.
The excise board met this morning to
bear two important cases. Since the be-
ginning Of the license year the application
or Joseph Cato, corner of Sth and L.
streets northwest, and that of Fred r. Mil
Ter. "2l Sth street, for retail licenses have
been held up. The charge against these
places Is that men and women are allowed
to congregate there. and that women of
Questionable character frequent the places
at an hours, and meet men there.
ne applicants We're defended by Mr.
SIMON Wolf, who held that neither of The
defendants had violated any law 1t was
rue that men and women. some, PERHAPS
o, questionable character. visited the places
nut this was not a violation of law Meth
er of the gentleman he represented willing
~ permitted any disreputabie characters 10
visit their places: ii they came and were
served, they We're 10 more guilty than vas
any other reputable saloon kecpar in the
city where the public is entertained
lie knew of reputable rest aurants where
Inc pr0prietors had been unable even with
me heip OF private detective, to keep out
dlsreputable people. These people had
rights. and if they drank publicly it was
nobodys business. 1t was better for them
IN fact, to drink publicly than to hide i'm
houses and debauch
Attorney Shoemaker of the hrti-Salonp
League protested against the issuance of
the licenses. The inspectors report, he
said, had been unfavorable and such places
should be broken up. The excise board
look the cases under consideration.
Contract for the Stevens school,
The Commissioners today accepted the
proposal Of Thomas E. Cabell to recon-
struct the Stevens school at a cost not to
exceed $26.250. and notified him by letter
that the building must be completed and
turned over to the District on or before
Septelnber 10. 1S9f otherwise both the for
1elt OF y per diem and the cost of inspec-
ton will be eXacted.