Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11

vivid reminder of the burning Of the
Capitol by the British in 1914 came to hand
recently In the repairs which are being
made in the document room of the House
of Representatives This room Is a three
cornered space in the northwest corner of
the old hall of the House, or Statuary Hall,
as it is called now. In making the repairs
the old window SaShes were taken out.
Underneath was q charred window case,
and when that, too, had been removed.
there was a quantity of lead found; the old
window weight had been melted in the fire
and run down into the crevice of the stone
wall. This was dug out by Joel GraySon.
and Is being preserved by him as me-
mento. The window sashes were covered
with a coat of dirty white paint. but their
weight attracted the attention Of the work
men. and the paint was scraped on suffi-
GENTLY to show that they were solid ma
hogany, showing that nothing was thought
too good to use in the original construc-
ton of the Capitol.
y X u
Rare entertainment was afforded those
persons who happened to be In the room of
Criminal Court No. 2. City Hall, few
days ago. Immediately after a verdict of
not guilty was rendered in the case Of a
young man who was tried on a charge of
forgery. The defendant was represented
by two of the handsomest and most popu-
lar of the younger members of the bar.
The case was considered a close one. and
when the foreman of the jury announced
the verdict of acquittaI the wife. the
mother and the mOther-in-law of the de-
PENDANT threw their arms about the necks
of the victorious attorneys and almost
Smothered them with kisses.
In view of the fact that both of the at
torneys in question married. and that
one of them has only recently returned
from his wedding trip. the incident was of
peculiar interest to the spectators.
Enlisted men in the navy resort to all
kind of means to smuggle liquor on board
ship when they return from shore leave"
a member of the police department who
has served a petty officer in the navy
remarked the other day. Sooner or later
the officers get on to the way in which
liquor is brought over the side and then
the men have to adopt another method.
a short time before left the service,
and while a foreign station, the men on
the ship had given great deal of trouble
because of their Incorporate habits, and
they were thoroughly searched on return
ing from shore liberty. On this particular
occasion party of enlisted men returned
from shore and a thorough search failed to
bring to light any contraband articles, but
the next day they were all beastly drunk,
anu an lnNeSuSdIlOn IOllOWeO AL HrSC
none of the men would squeal. but finally
one did do the CAB and said that the
members of the party while ON shore pur-
chased wooden shirts. and just before en-
barking for the ship went to a nearby
groggery and had the shirts soaked in
whisky which they put on beneath their
regulation blouses. and after passing in
spectiOn on board ship retired to a secluded
place. where they rinsed the liquor from
the shirts into basin, from which they
transferred it into bottles"
Two business men were walking along a
South Washington street one afternoon
this week when the appearance of a small
colored boy caused one of them to re-
mark: THAT boy has been sold and paid
for as many times he has fingers and
toes
You don't mean it?" inquired the other.
II do indeed" came the answer and
can prove it,
He explained that the boy had been In
the employ of huckster for many years
and that the lads employer made spe-
cialty of handling potatoes.
1T was not an unusual thing for him to
sell fifty or more sacks of potatoes a day"
said the man who started the conversation
and that boy occupied several of those
sacks each day
The merchant told his friend that the
hucksters had habit of carrying the boy
into cellars at business houses and dump
ing him the same he did the potatoes
Each time he was carried he counted for
as many potatoes the sacks hold and
each time the dealer paid for him, but was
not privileged to keep him.
More difficulty is now being experienced
locally in organizing Juries than ever be-
fore within the range of my knowledge"
remarked official of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia THE jury
no 10 lad rr,it cit,
ten names of good men and true and they
are readily brought into court by the
service of summons Right there however
the hitch occurs. 1 will venture the asser-
ton that fully eight out of every ten tales
men who appear in response to the process
OF the court ask to be excused. Some plead
illness and present the certificates of ply
sicians to substantiate their claims In that
respect. while every other excuse imagin-
able is submitted. but the majority declare
that their business would suffer should
they be compelled to sit as jurors.
"A new term of the District Supreme
Court began last Tuesday and with 1t the
organizing of grand jury and
turies for each of the two circuit courts
and each of the two criminal courts was in
order. The organization of each of the
Juries is usually completed the second day
of the term. but in the present instance
that work required three and in some in
stances four days Most of the talesmen
declared tI1at tnelr business, especially at
this season of the year, could not be neg
lected to the extent that 1t would If they
should be compelled to perform jury duty
without more less disastrous results
The presiding justices felt compelled to
give weight to most of the excuses but
In a number of instances the reluctant
talesmen were compelled to serve"
*
81 was much interested in a rather pa
thetic incident which was told me recently.
by am acquaintance of mine," remarked
one of two men In & pause in a business
conversation. He told me that he had re-
ceived letter from entire stranger. a
woman. living. as the address showed In
a small village in the eastern section of
the country. 1t accompanied a package
containing a hand-worked centerpiece for
dinner table of good design. The writer
of the letter explained that she was en-
deavoring TO support herself and her In
valid parents by the proceeds Of such work,
and asked the person addressed to buy 1t,
naming n Drfce that waa NOT oyorhjtap