The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-31
some UNIQUE RECENT JUDGMENTS.
How Curious Cases in the Courts Have Been
Decided.
Decided

With calm confidence IN their pull, =
the owners of a new apartment house iii
i:oston ran their walls mp to 4 greater
height than the law allows. Tho Supreme
judicial Court Of Massachusetts, has now
ordered them to lower their walls forth
with 1t says, however, that they mag
erect and maintain on said building
above the height OF ninety feet such
stecpics, towers. domes, sculptured orna-
1ncnts and chimneys the Board Of
Park Commissioners may hereafter APP
prove" The owners arc stu hopeful, it
is said, that the, General Court will be
kinder to them than the other court has
been.
PASSENGER RISK.
Mrs. Jacobs of Boston. got into a troll
ley car in The rush hours. The car fill
ed up with passengers, ultimately becom-
ing so crowded ,llat when she reached
her destination she mad 10 get out by
way of the front platform She stumbled,
perhaps tripped over another passenger $
foot. and had d bad fall. She sued the
company for damages, and the Supreme
judge in saying that she had
no case. The opinion was writ
ten by Justice Loring. eff a passen-
ger wishes to alight while the conductor
IS engaged. says that eminent judge
Tho Inconvenience which she may en-
duro in aliGhtinE without his aid is one
Of those Inconvenience which the pas
sengers assumes by trying TO travel on
n street car at a time of day when it is
notorious that such conveyances arc
crowded.
HOME INDUSTRIES.
three weeks ago the. New York Court
OF Appeals voided as unconstitutional the
act of the Legislature requiring contrac-
tors for city work TO pay the prevailing
rate of wages. Since then and on the
same ground it has voided another act
forbiddinS the use in public buildings of
any stone dressed outside the State. 1t
has also given q distinct intnlation Of
its readiness to declare unconstitutional
at the first opportunity the act requir-
ing successful bidders for public contracts
to give preference, when hiring their
worlSmen, to citizens Of the State.
CITY HAS TO PAY.
The city of New York issued a permit
to the Tubular Dispatch Company to dig
trench in Fourth Avenue. The earth
from the trench was shoveled into g. gut
ter and upon culvert. In consequence
a store basement was flooded. and mer-
cilandise stored there was damaged to the
extent of $1,000 to $1,000 The owners
sued the city and got judgment. The
appellate division reversed it, but the
Court Of Appeals decides that the city
must pay. The neglect OF the public
works departments inspector to prevent
the clogging of the gutter was the city's
neglect. it says.
FIGHT OVER a TRUNK.
Twelve years ago. Mrs Harriet Spring
er was a passenger on a railroad train
from Troy to New York The agent of
the Westcott Express Company walked
through the cars, soliciting business. She
gave him her check and New York. adj
dress. and he gave her the conpany's re-
cepit. When the trunk was delivered the
contents Cvalued by Mrs. Springer at 81
oool had almost wholly disappeared. 1t
was smeared with dirt and the lock
was broken. She sued the company The
case has been in The courts ever since
There have been four jury trials and
five arguments on appeal. Now the court
Of appeals unanimously sustans 5000
verdict in Mrs. Springer's favor. Vain