Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-20
NEWS OF THE COURTS
Damages Asked for a Breach of
Contract.
Judge wnddiiI sots Admiralty Cnso.
for Trinl-Decroo of Divorce En-.
tcred-Nlarringo Licensc.-p ropers
~ Trnn.fcrs -O,nor Items.

There is on trial In the United States
Court here suit for damages, based
upon an alleged breach of contract, in
volving the right of IL firm to revoke at
will Its contract with an agent, factor
OF broker where no express provision
is made in said contract for its con-
tinuance for any given period. The
case is that of NIottu, Dewitt & Co.
against Nelson, Morris &c Co. The plain
tiffs were engaged some time ago to
represent the defendants, meat packers,
in the Introduction OF their lard in thIa
section. Subsequently the defendants
established a branch house in this Sec
tiCn. thereby taking the trade from
the plaintiffs. it is alleged, who are
suing for $1,000 damages, and are rep
resented by Mr.. G.. NJ billiard. Mr.. Will
liam II. White. of the firm of White,
Tunstall & Thorn, represents the de-
PENDANTS. Witnesses were introduced
by the plaintiffs yesterday to show that
the local usage as respects the employ
ment of brokers or factors Is that such
agents have exclusive control of the
business they represent MIR. Zachary,
one witness, testified. however, that
there was no local usage against the
establishment of q branch house by n
firm.
Nelson. Morris G Co. claim that they
established a branch house here, and
-Het-mefels- -itRetAeH agent in-the
field.
Mr. White, just before court adjourn
cd yesterday afternoon. moved that the
court instruct the jury to bring in a
verdict for the defendants. This was
partly agreed. The case will be con-
cluded this morning.
ADMIRALTY CASES SET.
Judge Waddill called the admiralty
docket yesterday morning, and set the
following cases for trial:
Mary Steward, administrators, VS..
Old Dominion Steamship Company.
March .; Owen VS.. schooner l.. V.
Tull, March 4; r. Dempsey. etc. March
); Sukeforth. master. VS.. schooner Stel-
Ia B. kaptan, March 10; Bartlett VS..
steamship Richmond, March 10: New
port News Shipbuilding and Drydock
Company VS.. yacht Countess, March a.
DECREE OF DIVORCE.
Judge Martin. of the Court of Law
ana Chanccry, has entered n decree
granting an absolute divorce 10 Mrs
Mary Catherine Coke from her bus.
band Wilbur y. Coke. The plaintiff is
allowed to resume her maiden name
Mary Catherine Coleman, and is given
me custody of her two year-old daugh.
ter. The divorce suit brought in the
City Circuit Court by Mr. Coke will be
dropped from the docket of that court
MARRIAGE LICENSES.
The Clerk of the Corporation Court
issued the following marriage licenses
yesterday:
James Henry Hines and Julia Pratt
colored.
Elijah Casey and Mary Arts, col.
ored.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFER.
A deed was admitted to record yes
tcrday transferring from Hattie l.
Land, John S. Land and Mary D
Levitt to Caroline Grace Nyc, ct ais.
lot on Claiborne avenue near Reeves
avenue; $50.
OBSERVED HOLIDAY.
The Corporation Court and the Cour
of Law and Chanccry were closed yes
terday on account OF it being The
anniversary of the birth OF Genera
Robert +ss=-keeT5 a-thereferera- lega
holiday
THE CASE OF SOLOMON.
The case OF IIorato Solomon. COL
ored. who has been held for trial at
the Norfolk jail for about Il year for
the murder OF Charlie Small, colored,
has been denied writ of habeas cor
pus by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
The case was carried up from the Cor
poration Court by Mr.. George AIcIn-
ItnSh ATTORNEY for SoloD,ap
Pending the preliminary examination
of Solomon by the Police Justice his
case was continued from time to time
by reason of the Jail being quaran-
tined. During this time when Solomon
was so held two grand jury terms of
the Corporation Court, TO which Solo
mon had been sent by the Police
Court, had elapsed. 1t was claimed
that this lapse of these two terms ipso
facto discharged the accused from i'm
prisonment under section 1901 of the
Code. The Corporation Court denied
the writ. and this decision was sus-
tanned by the Supreme Court of APP
lDeals.
IN THE IaI1FORArATORY.
Thomas II. Smoot, a white youth of
Brambleton ward, was taken TO the re-
formatory ut Laurel yesterday The
boys mother is dead. and his father
says he would not so to school, and
gave him lot of trouble otherwise.
His father also said he sent his boy
away with the hone that he would
profit by the training he will receive.
GRANTED NEW HEARING.
William Johnson, colored, who was
sent on to the grand jury Thursday
on the charge of misappropriating a
sum OF money entrusted to him by
Lucinda Roane, also colored. was given
new hearing yesterday and his case
continued ten days. Johnson said he