The times., 1901-05-14
DECISIONS HANDED DOWN.
Action of the United States Supreme
Court on Importnnt Cases


Court on Important Cases.
A case celebrated in life insurance liti-
cation for more than twenty years was
brought to the attention of the United
States Supreme Court yesterday by coun-
sci for the Connecticut Mutual Life In
surance Company in an application for
writ of certiorari to review the judg-
ment of the Eighth Circuit Court of APP
peals in favor of SaIlie f. HEi1mon. John
W. Hillmon. husband of the respondent,
in 1878 insured his life in three companies
for $4,000. and after his alleged death in
1880 his widow brought suit to recover the
| amount.
After fighting the case in the courts
for years on the ground of conspiracy.
| claiming the body produced was not that
| of Hillmon. two of the companies paid
their claims, but the Connecticut COM
| pany continued it's opposition. Two trials
| in the United States Court for the district
Of Kansas resulted in disagreements by
| the jury, the plaintiff being awarded
| judgment at the third trial This judg-
ment. however, was reversed by the
Supreme Court of the United States and
two more trials resulted. Mrs. Hillmon
was then again given judgment. which
was recently affirmed by the Circuit Court
of Appeals. The record in the case is one
of the largest filed in the Supreme Court
for many years. making nearly a thou
sand printed pages
The constitutionality of the law which
provides punishment for every person,
who by means of bribery, prevents an
other from exercising the rights of suf-
frage to whom that right is guaranteed
by the Fifteenth Amendment to the Con-
stitution." is involved in a petition filed
in the Supreme Court of the United States
yesterday by the Solicitor General. He
asks the court to review the Judgment of
the Circuit Court of Appeals in the case
of the United States against Charles E.
Iackey, indicted in Kentucky for bribing
colored voters to remain away from the
polls at the State elections. In that case
that court held that the law was uncon-
stitutionaI because it was not limited in
it's operation to Congressional or Presiden-
tial elections, nor to- offences grounded
upon race, color, or previous condition OF
servitude.
That law, the Solicitor General contends
was designed TO make effective the Fif-
teenth Amendment by preventing dis
elimination against colored voters in
either State or national elections. and II
the decision of the Court of Appeals were
allowed to stand, the statue would be alb
rogated. as the Government would be bar
red hereafter from again bringing the
constitutional question before the Su
prene Court and subsequent indictment
under the section would be thrown out OF
demurrer No statute of such Importance
he submits, should be nulIified except by
judgment of the highest court. The peti
tion was taken under acvisement-
Solicitor General Richards, on behalf o
Faa
day to review the judgment of the Circuit
Court of Appeals in a test case involving
a construction of the Dingley tariff ac
riding the duty on linen doiies an'
tray cloths. over $500 invoices OF thes'
articles and the refunding of a larg
amount of duty already collected are con
cerned in the appeal.
The case in question was that of Rober
McBratneY of New York, who resisted
, | the classification Of linen imported by hin
! | as too high and carried the case to tn
| courts, contending that under paragraph
. 346 of the Dingley act doilies. etc, Whel
! | imported in lengths should pay but
I per cent ad valorem. The General Ap
, / DraiSeIs assessed duty on the separat
: pieces at so per cent and upward accord
> ing to the number of threads per squar
, inch and in lengths at IS per cent tn
! | Circuit Court and the Court of appear
! reversed the ruling of the Board or Ger
> eral Appraisers, and the Government no'
asks the Supreme Court to review the dc
| terms fabrics and articles as used
that paragraph of the Dingley law. upo
| which those courts based their decision!
The same general issue as to the rt
L spective boundaries of manufactured ma
terial and separate manufactured article
is also involved in the silk and cotto
schedules of the tariff act, and if the dc
r csion is affirmed win bring about
/ change in the classification of such al
= ticles-
The dispute between the States of kar
| md
I kansas River for irrigation purposes wa
brought before the court on motion file
! By the Attorney General of Kansas fC
y leave to file bill of complaint. The ms
S tion was taken under advisement
n In the controversy between the State
pollution of the waters of the Mississippi
> River by the Chicago drainage cana
s | counsel for the former State as!
Y ed permission to file an additional brit
in which they claim the pollution is no
, a fact ard not imminent, as was averre
Il when the case was heard some time ag
II | Counsel for the Drainage Canal Commi
o | sion submitted a demurrer and briefs
p lODpOSitiOn and the court took the paper
In the case of Nordstrom. sentenced Il
II murder in Washington, which has bee
s pending in various courts for nine year
s the court affirmed the decision of the Tn
"a ted States Circuit Court, denying WI
of habeas corpus, to enquire into the sal
/ ity of the prisoner, but fixed May 27 f
IS hearing an appeal from the judgment
w the Supreme Court of Washington Sc
le fencing Nordstrom to be hanged.
) After announcing opinions in unimpor
< ant cases, the court adjourned until Mo
re Among those admitted to practice VI
i james r. Garfield, son of eX-Preside