The Washington times., 1901-12-23
COURT TANGLE is LOOKED FOR.
(continucd irom second Pagc.l

posed OF during the coming month There
| are FIVE prisoners in the District Jail
charged with murder, and II Is the inten-
tion OF District Attorney Gould TO call
these to trial at as early date as possi-
| bic, and probably the first who will be
called on to make his defence is Marcellus
| Cole. colored. who Is charged with the
murder of Albert Hawkins, also colored.
who was killed at Deanwood Park in Au-
| gust last
There are also manv important cases
ready for trial II the circuit branches of
the court. and among these are numerous
suits against local street railway com
| panies and railroad corporations for
heavy damages for personal injuries.
some Points of the Code.
An attorney who has made a thorough
analysis of the new code has this to say
of it:
THE general bankruptcy law is sue
ceeded by an insolvency or assignment
| law similar to the one in force here be-
fore the enactment of the bankruptcy
act.
Trial iuries will be required to serve
a term OF two months instead of one, as
now.
An insurance commissioner is provided
for. with a salary OF g. 500 year, and the
District Commissioners have already rec
commended that his salary be increased,
and the District Surveyor is made sal
aried officer, at $4,000 a year, his term
fixed at four years, and he cannot be re-
moved except on charges.
Wives Need Not Acknowledge Deeds.
"A deed of real estate may - written
with less than fifty words. and the wife
does not need to examine and acknowl-
edge it separately from her husband.
The now justices Of the peace have
been assigned TO districts ana few will
do nearly all the work in justice courts,
for. while the law provides that a de-
fendant shall be sued in the district
where he resides. it also provides that IL
sued in any other district he may 20 to
trial there. as if sued in his own district.
The result will be. so many lawyers
think, to bring nearly all the business
to the Office Of the justice most con
venient 10 the lawyers. And as so many
lawyers are in the neighborhood Of the
City Hall, it viii follow that probably
more than half OF all the suits bought
VIII be before the justice assigned to the
district embracing the territory in which
1t is located.
Many Great Changes In Prospect.
There is no law here similar TO that
prevailing in all other jurisdictions. which
permits family to have a home in the
estate left by the husband and father for
at least one year and the new law makes
no provision for the widow and children.
There is also no provision or the re-
lease OF deed of trust but there is for
that CT n mortgage, and it may be possi-
Bile TO construe the mortgage release law
so that deeds of trust may be released.
IF anyone unlawfully kills another
from whom he might otherwise inherit.
the inheritance including life insurance.
is cut off, and provision is made for in
heritance from an alien.
Many changes are made In court pro-
cedure, and among other radical changes
is a provision that husbands and wives
may be Witnesses for or against each
other in all cases. and cash may be de-
posted by person held for crime. in lieu
Of bail. in any circumstances.
Divorces VIII He Costly.
"In divorce cases the United States At
torney shall enter his appearance. and,
the case is begun. it is made
the duty OF the clerk to notify him There
is nothing. however. required Of the
United States Attorney but to enter ap-
peararce. and in uncontested cases the
court is required to assign an attorney
for the party nor contestng. II will.
therefore, be soen that there must be at
least three attorneys in every divorce
rase. The court may require the hus-
band to pay the one assigned by the court.
and husbands are usually required 70
pay the attorneys FOR both sides. II would
seem that the lawmakers did not con-
struct this rule for the purpose OF help
ing the divorce business by way Of re-
iucing expenses.
After January l next. II Is expected
hat there viii be a great falling Off Of
business in the divorce courts. because
recording TO the ew code, absolute di-
iorce can be gra tied only on Biblical /
grounds. Under the law now in force
line-tenths OF the petitions for divorce
ire based on the grounds Of cruelty or
lesertion. and these viii not be grounds
or separation under the new law
corrrE pOvc rO pTAv CEEcC