The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-20

Charles NJ. Smith and William E Am
brose, acting as attorneys for Rosa v
Cunningham. have requested that the
Commissioners and the Police Department
reconsider the question Of granting her
pension, being the wife of the late Private
William Cunningham. who died, it is al
legged, from Injuries received in the line of
duty. The attorneys give history OF the
case in which it is shown that the retiring
board approved the former application of
Mrs. Cunningham, and granted her pen
sion of $50 a month and her infant daugh-
ter one of $40 month. The application
was not approved by the then Superlntend-
ent Of Police, on the ground that the eV--
dence presented before the retiring board
did not show conclusively that Cunning
ham had come TO his death as the result
of injuries TO his foot while in the service
of the District
II is now claimed that the applicant is
able to present evidence which will salts
fy the authorities that she is deserving OF
a pension according TO the law They ask
to be allowed TO present this evidence
and request that the case be reconsidered
for that reason. II. giving his opinion rel
after calling attention TO the law which
gives pension to certain surviving rela-
tives of policemen dying from injuries re-
ceived or illness contracted while in the
line OF du-y said:
Private Cunningham was retired April
Is, 1891. for an injury TO his left foot,
which incapacitated him for duty. The
examination revealed TO other disability
or disease May /, 1895 the retiring board
after hearing testimony with a view to de-
termining whether Mrs Cunningham was
entitled to a pension after his death, re-
ported that there was no positive evidence
he died from disease or injury received in
| the service II therefore remains for the
widow to establish by proper testimony,
/ which would be medical, that her husband
! died from such injury. II such can be
produced, in my opinion, it should be Of
! fered for the consideration Of the retir-
/ ing board, the Superintendent of Police
| the accounting officer OF the District, and
] the Commissioners
| The Commissioners have adopted a res
! olution that the attorneys CT Mrs. Gun
bingham be Informed IN accordance with
| the report Of the Superintendent.
John O'Keefe has written 10 the Commits
/ sioners informing them that he is the ten
ant on the tract Of land known as the Rup-
/ pert estate, part Of which was recently
! purchased by the District as the site for
the proposed municipal hospital Mr.
O'Keefe asks that he may be allowed 10 re-
tain control of the land until such time as
! The Commissioners shall wish TO occupy it
for building purposes
He urges the consideration that he has
/ been long time the tenant Of the place
! and that the sudden giving up OF the land
I would interfere disadvantage0usI with his
/ business affairs
| II is understood that the Commissioners
/ viii allow the tenant TO occupy the land
4 for tine until they are ready 70 take
actual possession for the purposes for which
/ the tract was purchased.
John E Bean. OF 141z. Twentieth Street
northwest has written to the Commission
ers requesting them to make strong rec
! ommendati0n TO Congress. 10 amend the
! present law SO that all back taxes may be
/ paid to June 80. 1901 with interest at s
/ per cent.
Attention is called to the fact that the law
/ ct present requires virtually q penalty Of
/ u per cent interest OF taxes cverdue and
not paid. II is also urged that this law
/ creates a hardship upon delinquent tax
/ payers which they are poorly able TO en-
/ duTe-
Some misunderstanding has existed in
| the minds of the District authorities rela-
/ tive to the precise meaning Of an order
| issued by the Commissioners relative to
| removing distractions to travel from side
| walks. including snow and ice. It appears
! to have been the intention of the Commits
sioners in issuing their order that it
should conform in its provisions to the
] law passd by Congress on the subject and
| approved March =, 1897 The Special As
| sessmeut Clerk, however, has interpreted
| the order as referring only to the removal
of snow and ice from the paved sidewalks
| by the owner of the abutting property
| The act of Congress referred 10 makes il
| the duty of the owners. or occupants of
! premises in the District of Columbia. to
remove. within the first four hours of
/ daylight after a snowstorm, the accumu-
| lated snow from the sidewalk so as to al
] low the free passage OF pedestrians. The
| law also makes it incumbent upon the
| owner, tenant, or agent, to remove dirt,
! ashes, sawdust, or other similar sub
| stance from sidewalks so as 10 make them
passable at all times.
The present order is that all the re-
quirements of the said act March 2. 1897
relating to the removal of snow and ice
from paved sidewalks in the cities of
! Washington and Georgetown shall also
| apply TO that portion of the District of
/ Columbia outside Of said cities"
AS stated, this order has been literally
interpreted by the Special Assessment
| Clerk, and to remove all ambiguity and
misunderstanding in the matter the En-
gineeT Commissioner has recommended to
| his associates an amendment to the order
! as follows:
THAT the order of January 7, 1899. rel
| ative TO the removal OF snow and ice from
! paved sidewalks is hereby amended so rs
TO read: That pursuant to the power
! vested in the Commissioners of the Dis
| trict of Columbia, by an act Of Congress
for the removal OF snow and ice from the
sidewalks, crosswalks, and cutters in the
| District of Columbia, and for other pur-
poses approved March 2, 1897, all parts
of said District are hereby designated as
| the parts in which the requirements of
said act which relate to the removal of
snow, ice, dirt, sand, gravel, OF any other
| refuse matter that may fail or be washed
upon any paved sidewalk, and the placing
| of ashes, sand, sawdust, or some ether
! suitable material on sidewalks covered
| with ice to insure or contribute TO the
] Of