The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-26
IN THE DISTRICT COURTS
The Recess in the Circuit md
Equity branches Ended.
The Examination Of the Proposed
New CODE Of Law. Practically Conf
0f-The Case Of Charles Bowen
Postponed - Ella NracLs' Trial.

After "a recess Of more than three weeks
business VIII BE resumed this morning
in the circuit and equity branches OF the
Supreme Court OF the District. During this
time. however. business was not entirely
suspended in these divisions Of the court.
such matters as demanded the immediate
consideration Of any Of the presiding jus
tees being attended TO- ln order that no
damage might result 20 either party TO ,ho
cause al issue. Instances Of this may be
cited En- the suit Of the Washington. Alex
andria and Mount Vernon Railroad against
the Potomac River and Anacosiia Railroad.
for injunction heard Boy Justice Barnard
and the Mutual Fire insurance Company
election case. which was considered ly
Justice Cole.
The recess. st. viii De remembered. as
was stated al The time was taken in order
that the justices Of The Supreme Court for
the District might have an opportunity OF
examining and discussing the proposed new
code Of laws for line government OF the
District with the members Of the local bar
delegated By the Washington Bar Asso-
citation to report on this work The work
Is practically complete. and IL Is expected
that a report viii be made in the near
future From the result Of the work al
ready done. ID appears that il was mostly
in the nature Of elimination and condeusa-
tion OF the compilation Of laws originally
submitted This conclusion is reached from
the fact that the revised edition OF the code
consists OF something less than 500 pages
while the original numbered very nearly
: ,0o0 pages.
During the recess, however. the work IN
Criminal Court No. l. Justice Clabaugh
presiding went on unnterruptodly One
murder case and several other cases Of
minor importance were disposed OF in that
court. Mollle Harris. colored. was put on
trial for the murder Of Alice Queenan. also
colored. in October last. Just as the argu-
ment 10 the jury was about 10 begin how
ever. the defendant counsel in behalf Of
their client withdrew the plea OF not guilty
TO the charge OF murder and submitted q
plea Of guilty to manslaughter The plea
was accepted by the court and the prisoner
was remanded TO jail TO await sentence.
This week brings with it an innovation
in the conduct Of the business Of the Pro-
bate Court, which Is presided over by Jus
tice Cole Al the session of last Friday
he announced from The bench that begin
ming with today. a session Of Probate
Court viii be held every dag during the
week al J o'clock, except on Saturdays
and on legal holidays. Heretofore only
one session OF the Probate Cour, was held
each week. This was on Friday In the
matter Of contested cases a special as
signment was made FOR their hearing. and
the same will be The rule under the new
order
It was expected that the case Of Charles
Bowen charged with murder would be
called today but it was decided by the
District Attorney 20 defer the trial Of this
cause II is believed that thc Witnesses
who appeared before the grand jury in
this case viii be recalled and new IN
dictment framed when this U.s. done 81 is
expected that Bowen viii be put on trial
on the charge OF assault with intent TO
XIII instead Of murder. The trial OF Ella
Nracks cOlorcd. charged with the muir
der Of Isaac Henderson also coIored. will
begin tomorrow before Justice Clabaugh.
The crime with which the Nracks woman
IS charged was committed under very pc
culiar circumstance. and her defence viii
be that The killing Of Henderson was ac-
cidentsl. The defendant lived IN George
town in n house which has q porch OF
balcony At great distance from the
ground. On the night 81 October - last
Henderson called 10 see the woman ard 90
IS said she entertained him on the porch
or piazza. While there the defendant aud
the deceased got into "a quarrel>and in
tusa.e which followed Henderson was