Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-04-05
Charged With Arson.


ford, Aaron Bradshaw, John H. Walter and
Granville G. Shaw, all of the District of
Columbia. The parties were arrested on
requisition from the Governor. The Wash.
ington Post of Saturday gives the following
account of the hearing:
Chief Justice Bingham, of the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia, declined
yesterday to honor formal requisition from
the Hon. John Walter Smith, Governor of
the State Of Maryland, for the transfer of
four residents and citizens of the District
OF Columbia Into the tolls Of the Montgom-
cry county law for alleged "arson." In the
opinion Of the Court no proof was shown
that the accused had committed any offense
against the laws Of the State.
The hearing occurred during the after.
noon, after Aaron Bradshaw, a clerk in the
District Blu ilding, and John Il. Walter, real
estate dealer at 1891 F street northwest, were
arrested on warrants charging them with
causing the destruction by fire of the unten-
anted dwelling house of Thomas H. Pick
ford and John H. Walter, at Four Corners,
Md, almost four years ago. The warrant
was based on an indictment and requisltion
which also charged Thomas II. Pickford, q
real estate dealer and grocer at Ninth street
and Louisiana avenue, and Granville G..
Shaw, q decorator living on the Good Hope
road, with the same offence.
Shaw was arrested Thursday night
Messrs. Walter and Bradshaw were taken
into custody yesterday. As soon as Pick.
ford ascertained officers were seeking him
he consulted his attorneys, Messrs. Samuel
Maddox and H. Preston Yatley. Instead of
waiting for the hearing upon the requisi.
ton papers, he went to Rockville at noon
with his counsel. He gave bail in the sum
of 5000 for his appearance when wanted
by the authorities of Montgomery county.
When the case involving Shaw, Brad
shaw and Walter was brought to the atten.
ton Of Chief Justice Bingham, the requisi.
ton papers were presented by District At
torney Semmee, representing the govern.
ment. Messrs. Arthur Peter and II. Mosby
Williams appeared as attorneys for Walter.
Attorney Henry E Davis represented Brad
shaw The requisition and indictment were
read to the court by Mr.. Peter, who made
the principal argument for the release of his
client, vigorously defending the accused cit.
liens, and maintaining that they could not
be held under the law or turned over to the
Maryland authorities on the strength of the
indictment or requisition papers.
The allegation was that the defendants
had committed arson, it being charged in
the indictment returned by the grand jury
at Rockville recently that the four caused
the destruction in September, 1897, of the
house mentioned. The dwelling was known
as the Bryant mansion, but was originally
the propertaY OF George N. Beale. At the
time Mr.. Beale owned the property ii was
improved by small frame structure, but
Mr.. Bryant improved 1t by erecting resi-
dence The property afterward passed into
the hands OF Pickford and Walter.
In his opening remarks Mr.. Peter declared
that no offense was charged in the indict-
ment. The term "arsOn" was used as
charge, but he commended that no statute of
the country made it an offense for man to
burn his own untenanted dwelling, pro-
vided he does not violate police or other
similar regulations, and does not endanger
surrounding property belonging TO other
persons. The house was owned by Messrs.
Pickford and Walter in 1897 and Mr.. Peter
claimed they could not be charged with
arson had they caused the destruction of the
dwelling by FIRE, because the property was
ntenanted and isolated. In support Of his
position, Mr.. Peter quoted numerous author
tiles and decisions Of the Supreme Court OF
the United States.
The secon nd reason for opposing the grant
ing of the requisition was, said Mr.. Peter,
that the. accused we're not fugitives from
Justice or from the Maryland authorities, as
alleged. They were not only residents, but
also citizens Of the District Of Columbia, and
had been 80 for many years. The alleged
offense also dealt with something that oc
CURED nearly four years ago. They were,
with the exception of Shaw, within the Dis
trict of Columbia when the fire occurred.
They were ready and willing TO submit proof
OF this. And while Shaw was in Maryland
at the time, 1t was contended that he could
prove an alibi, and that he was not within
half mile of the dwelling when 1t caught
fire, and started 10 hurn.
Mr.. Peter stated toward the end Of his
argument that the first point, relative TO the
alleged charge of "arson," wholly and con-
clusively controlled the matter, and 1t re-
NAMED for the court to say whether any
offense had been committed against the
State of Maryland.
Sheriff Williams and the accused were
then sworn and examined by the court.
The sheriff said that he knew nothing con
corning the details Of the indictment return
ed BY the Montgomery county grand jury.
He was als0 unable TO state whether the
parties charged with the grave offense were
in the State at the time IL was committed,
and counsel contendsd that that fact should
always be established in requistion cases.
They maintained that before person Is
turned over to the authorities of any State
on a requistion, it must be shown beyond
doubt that the person was in the State in
which the crime or offense alleged was
committed at the time it occurred.
Mr.. Walter was placed on the stand and
testified that he and Pickiord owned the
dwelling at the time of the fire, which oc-
CURED the night OF september ID, 1897. The
first they knew of the fire was when man
came TO The city and told them the house
had burned. They had not been In Mary
land for some days prior, but went TO the
scene Of the FIRE the following morning.
The house had been untenanted about one
year. II was a large frame dwelling, valued
at between $4,000 and 10000, and had
lg-l.( L. aU.A n tuW