Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-05
In THE SUPREME COURT.
Decision Handed Down In the Cele-
brated Fourteen Diamond
Rings Case.
ADVERSE TO THE GOVERNMENT CLAIM.
The Decision. While was NOT Ohah
nous, is To n EHec that AT tHS
Time the Rings Were rough IN
the Philippines Had become DO
nestle TERRITORY.

washington. Dec. 3.-The United
States supreme court rendered a de-
cision in the case of Emil j. Pepke
VS.. The United States. h is the
case known as the Fourteen Dia-
mond Rings case" and involves the
constitutionality of the imposition OF
customs duties upon merchandise
brought into the United States from
the Philippine islands after the eS-
change of the peace treaty with
Spain. The opinion was handed down
by Chief Justice Fuller.
Adverse To the Government.
The opinion was adverse to the
claims of the government, on the
ground that the Philippine islands
were. at the time the rings were
brought in, American territory; ceas-
ing to be foreign, they became do
nestle territory, he said. The deer
sion in the DeIima Porto Rican cases
were cited at length and it was held
that the resolution adopted by con-
eress concerning the Philippines
were not sufficient to change h sit
uation.
Four Justices Dissented.
The chief justice concluded his
opinion by reversing the decision OF
the court below. Justice Brown read
an opinion ~concurring in h result,
but differing from the conclusions
drawn on minor points. Justices
I..~- yKT1.&o a06 AaKnnnas dis
scented.
This case is one of the two inn
portant cases left undecided by the
court at its last term hen it decld-
ed a number of cases involving the
customs relation of the United States
with it's insular possessions.
The cases decided at that time bore
entirely upon the relations of this
country with Porto Rico and this was
the only Ease of a large number
which were then argued and consld-
cred which involved the relations OF
the United States with the Philip
mines. The other case involves the
RIGHT to impose duties on articles ex-
ported from the United States TO
. Porto Rico. Much interest has beer
: manifested in this Philippine case,
: because of the probability of leglsla-
: ton relating to the Philippines al
the approaching session of congress
The record shows that Pepke, who
: was the respondent in the court oe'
:, low. was a soldier in the army of the
: United States in the island of Luzon;
that while there and after the ratihr
" cation of the peace treaty he pur
chased the IA diamond rings which
= are involved in the case.
Brought the Rings Home.
. He afterward brought these rings
while still in the service of the Unit
: ed States, aboard the United States
vessel transporting his regiment t.
. San Francisco, where he was mus
tered out. Later he came with tn
{ rings to Chicago, where the ring
:, were seized by the custom Office un
der the claim that h Philippine rs
: lands were foreign territory. an
= merchandise brought from those as
- lands to the United States was sub
- iect to customs duties which wer
- not paid by Pepke. Pepke set up tn
claim that the imposition of dutle
- upon merchandise under the circun
stances was contrary to the consti
!, tuition OF the United States and /
violation of the rights as a citizen o
the United States. His case came {
J, the supreme court from the distric
- court of the United States for tn
:. northern division of Illinois. In tina
:" court the facts set up in Pepke's pie
" were admitted by demurrer filed b
the United States, and that court SUI
D. tanned the demurrer, overriding tn
plea and entering judgment agains
r. the merchandise thus seized and d
recting that it be sold in accord wit
the law and from this decision tn
present writ of error was p~rosecute'
The Government Sustained.
Washington, Dec. 3.-The Unite
States supreme court decided the Sc
ond of the Dooley cases. involvin
the constitutionality of h law
-. April IL providing for h collectio
of duty on articles shipped from tt
United States into Porto Rico. III
decision was rendered by Justi'
Brown. The government is sustaint
in the second Dooley case.
as supreme Court VIII Recess.
Washington, Dec. 3.-Chief Justi
he Fuller yesterday announced that a
tge ter the session of the court on Mo
day next a recess will be taken +
Do. four weeks, the court to reconve
I -, Tonr1auu