The Washington times., 1902-04-21
Evidence in Cases Goes
Before Grand Jury.
ONE ALREADY INDICTED
Every Effort to Be Made by Court Of
ficials to Clear Docket by June r-Suit
of Mr.. V. Polling Against Traction
Company in Sight.

There are five prisoners in the District
Jail held on the charge of murder. They
are Thomas Morse. charged with the kill
ing of James Haskins at Chevy Chase on
December IS; James Freeman, charged
with the murder of Nary Wells in Nailor's
Alloy on Februar.' g. by kicking her TO
death; Henry Sil1s. held for the KILN :
of Nettie Carter on February Z; Forest
Pendleton, for the murder of Grafton
Brown on February 26 last. and Charles
Thomas. alias John st. Clair. arrested
for the murder of Daisy Maddox on Tues
day night last in B Alley.
All the prisoners are colored, as were
the persons they are accused of killing
Only one of them. Morse. however. has
been indicted by the grand jury.
To Clear Docket.
1t is expected. however, that the evil
dence in these cases will be submitted to
the grand jury within the next few days
and that their trials will be proceeded
with by the district attorney as rapidly
as is consistent with the nature of the of
lenses.
An effort will be made to clear the
criminal docket before June l next There
is hardly any doubt of this being accom-
plished if the work of the courts goes on
as rapidly as it has since February /, the
date when grand and petit juries we're
secured. Because of a defect in the law,
II Will be remembered that there were
no trials by jury in either branch Of the
Criminal Court during the month of Janu-
airy.
Since the iuries were organized in Feb
ruary, besides great number of minor
cases, four persons have been tried for
murder. OF these three were convicted
hezekiah Coates, colored, the thirteen
year-old hey who was tried for the MUIR
der or Carrie Corbin, colored eight Years
OF age being the only one to escape con-
Yicticn. OF the three who were ccu-
Nicted. one, Elijah Chapman colored who
killed Ida Simms, colored on January /
last, was found guilty of murder in the
hrst degree. In the other instances the
Juries qualified their findings fixing the
penalty at Imprisonment in the peniten-
tiary for life
Two Not Guilty.
Considerable time of the courts was
taken up in the trials of Yorke Nelson,
who was indicted for manslaughter for the
killing of Charles Washington, and Robert
Edelin,, also put on trial for manslaugt-
ter for the killing of John Ward. In both
instances the juries found the accused
not guilty.
One of the most important cases which
Will come on for trial in the circuit branch
OF the court is the suit of Mr. Virgil
Polling against the Capital Traction Com
pany TO recover $4,000 as damages for
personal injuries. The plaintiff was in
jured on the night of June /, 1899 while
attempting to board one of the defend
ants cars near the corner of NJ and Sey-
enth Streets northwest
He had one foot on the running board
II is alleged, when the car was started.
de was swung around and backward
striking his back and hip against the car
AS result of the accident. ii is claimed
that his hip was disiointed and that he
is permanently injured.
Expert Testimony.
1t is expected that great deal of ex-
pert medical testimony will be offered at
the trial by either side. The case would
have been called to trial some time ago.
but because Mr.. r. Ross Perry, counsel for
the Capital Traction Company, was en-
gagged in the UtermehIe will case it was
delayed.
1t will probably be set for trial some
time this week. Attorneys d. ". and H.
II. Classic represent the plaintiff