The times., 1898-01-27
NEWS FROM ALEXANDRIA
A Lively Fight Over the Court
house Removal Question.
1t Has Now Been Trans ferred TO
Richmond-The City Wants to
Retain the Building.

Alexandria, Jan. 26.-There is no doubt
that q lively fight is on between the
county of Alexandria and the city Of
Alexandria to the partition or sale
OF the Columbus street court thouse and the
jail property in this city "A heretofore
ST tated in The Times. these properties were
conveyed on May n IS47, by deed from
$. Barton, solicitor of the United States
Treasury, TO the governor OF Virginia and
his successor, for the joint use and benefit
Of the city and county of Alexandria.
Until the early seventies the Columbus
street courthouse was used both for city
ton Of the city hail the city courts have
been held in that building, and the county
has enjoyed the full use and benefit OF
the old court house. The jail property, at
st. Asaph inds Princess streets, has also
been used since 1S47 for both city and
county prisoners, the city having to pay
five-siXths OF the cost for maintenance,
supplies and necessary repairs.
The costef all street Improvements charge
able against both properties has also been
paid by the city council. In S96 the county
OF Alexandria, by popular vote, determined
To construct courthouse, Jail and clerks
office at Fort Myer Heights" and an effort
was made To force division of the property
owned Jointly. The matter was carried 10
the court of appeals, which resulted in an
opinion that the respective interests OF the
city and county could only he determined
by an act OF the legislature. Acting upon
this opinion the city council last night at
the instance Of Corporation Attorney Boothe
approved an act, fixing the interest of the
city at threefourths and the county mt
one-fourth, and comforting jurisdiction on
the circuit court OF Richmond to make
a partition or sale OF the property. This ct
was fOrw ar led to Richmond TODAY V, with the
request that il be passed by the legislature
Upon learning of the action of the city
council special meeting fthe county board
of supervisors was held today, and bill
was drawn TO be forwarded to the legis-
lature fixing the interests Of the CITY and
county at one half respectively in the
properties, and giving permission the
courts OF this section to order a sale Of the
equally divided.
Both the bills prepared by the CITY
and county's attorneys were forwarded to
Richmond today. The county board also
prepared and ordered to be sent to the
legislature a bill authorizing the removal
of the county courthouse from this city
to Fort Myer Heights, in the county, and
also bill authorizing the county to issue
bonds to the amount of So 600 to pay for
the construction of the proposed court
house and jail A new road bill was also
drafted and ordered to be sent to Rich
mond. 1t provides for doing away with a
county road superintendent, at $50 a
year, and making three district superin-
tendents at $500 a year each, and plac
ing the power of making all contracts abb
solutely in the hands of the board Of
supervisors.
The 'Kartaffekloss,' which is composed
principally of German American residents
of Washington, held their sAnual $50
ciable" at the Concordia, in this CITY
this evening, after which they enioyed
handsome spread" Those present were
S. Wolf, Ant Eberly, Charles Graft, J.
II. Appich, X. Grager, A. L. Saulter.
6. Emmet, E. L. Teoffa. Alexander Ebert,
Fl. Schulze, A. Torss, Nick Auth, x.
Reisinger, DR.. Friedrich, T. Angermann,
George Laner, George Zurhorst, X. Xander.
g. Ackernann, W. Beuchert, F. Firor,
Charles Whelan, DR.. Chr. Shack, r. C.
McGirr, land the following members of
the Jolly Fat Mems Club Of Washington.
Hy. Busller, George r. Bessler, Emil
Spahr, NJ. J. Long and John Lippherd.