The Washington times., 1901-09-16
PENDING LEGAL BUSINESS
District Supreme Court TO Adjourn
Daily Until Thursday.
OG.ces of Record Required to Re
main open-Work of the Grand
and Petit Juries-Cases to Come Up
in Circuit end Equity Divisions.

in Circuit end Equity Divisions.
The Supreme Court of the District will
be convened this morning by Justice An
derson. but it is not likely that any busi-
ness, except what may be of great i'm
portance and which must of necessity be
transacted. will be considered. The office
of the Clerk of the Court, and those of
the Register of Wills and Recorder of
Deeds will also be opened for business
These offices must of necessity be kept
open for the reason that the closing of
them might be detrimental to some ones
interest or legal rights which would be
lost on account of the lapse of time. Ac-
cording to law these offices must remain
open for the transaction OF business on
all days except Sundays and legal holi-
days. 1t was because of this that the
offices were not closed on Saturday last,
when the news of the death of President
Mckinley reached the city. AS it is,
however, there is no important business
awaiting consideration before the Su-
preme Court, which cannot be postponed
until after Wednesday next. In the mean
time however, Justice Anderson will con-
vene the court each day. and, if nothing
IS presented which demands immediate
attention. an adjournment will be taken
from day. to day until Thursday, when
the regular sessions will be resumed.
The grand jury. which convened on
Tuesday last after recess of two
months. will. however, resume the con-
sideration of the several matters which
have been called to its attention by Dis
trict Attorney Gould. Among these is the
testimony in two murder cases in which
it is expected indictments will be returned
haf ,I,o, y,Af la foil of
Supreme Court of the District on the first
Monday in October.
The first work of the petit juries in the
criminal branches of the Supreme Court
of the District will be the consideration
OF the charges against persons who have
been confined in Jail since the April term
awaiting trial. 1t is expected that the
first of the murder trials will be that of
Mrs Lola Ida Henry Bonine. who is un-
der Indictment for the murder of James
Seymour Ayres, Jr., at the Kenmore Ho-
tel on May 10 last If she is not called
TO trial during the early part of October
it is probable that William Johnson, alias
William Snowden, colored. who is under
Indictment for the murder of Florence
Marshall, colored, fifteen years old, viii
be put on trial. The circumstances con-
nected with the killing of the Marshall
girl were investigated by a coroners jury
and Snowden was eXonerated of all blame:
He was afterward arrested, however, and
charged with murder, and upon the hear
ing of the evidence against him the jury
returned an Indictment. 1t is claimed by
Snowden that the killing of Florence Mar
shall was entirely accidental AT the time
it occurred, he stated when arrested, he
was quarreling with another woman who /
was in house in the locality known as
the Bottom. During the war of words |
between him and the woman Snowden |
stated that Florence was standing behind |
him He took pistol from his pocket |
for the purpose, he declared, of friShten- |
ing the woman, and while he nourished II |
in the air il was accidentally discharged |
and the girl was killed.
Aside from the business which will be |
considered in the criminal branches of |
the court settsral important cases will !
be called in the Circuit and Equity di- /
visions. The Etost important of these, !
perhaps. are what are known as the Po- !
tonlac Flat cases, which were reopened |
some time Ayo for the purpose of adju- |
dicating the value OF certain wharf i'm
provements upon the land of the Gov /
erIment along the Potomac River within
the District limits.
In the divorce courts the suit of Mrs.
Margaret +. Rodney against her hus-
hand, Lieutenant Commander Robert
Burton Rodney, L. S. N. retired. and his
suit against her TO secure q legal scpar9-
tion. will attract much attention. Al |
ready the domestic infelicities of the cou-
pie have beer aired considerably, and
when the testimony in the two suits is
taken it is expected there will be many
startling developments.