Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-01

q subcommittee Of nfteen was appointed,
which is practically the executive commit
tee OF the large finance committee. An APP
y still going on. Up to THIS time nearly
5000 has been suhscE4d6af lind It sis hoped
and believed that enough WIN be realized to
erect either statue Of the late governor
be credit to the District. for which he did
SO much.
District Supreme Court.
Although 1t would seed from glance at
the figures denoting the humber of new
causes Instituted since January /. 1902, that
litigation Is on the wa0es d the District OF
Columbia, the several branches OF the Dis
trict Supreme Court during the twelve
months just ended had all the business they
could readily attend to, and many OF the
proceedings were OF unusual interest. Dur
ing 1862 615 new cases were filed on the
equity side Of the court, the record for the
year 1901 being 1.O43 new cases. There
were TO new actions at law Instituted, as
against 723 during the preceding year. Mar
riage licenses were issued to 3,625 appli-
cants. The number issued during 1901 was
1876. The District OF Columbia was named
defendant in thirty-six equity suits and
twenty-one suits at law. Lunacy proceed
fngs were Instituted against S28 persons.
The saddest occurrence Of the year, 50 far
as the courts were concerned, was the death
Of Associate Justice Andrew C. Bradley,
which occurred In the early summer. The
vacancy thus created was filled by the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Ashley M. Gould, United
States attorney for the District Of Columbia,
the selection Of Mr.. Gould being announced
November Is. Mr.. Morgan H. Beach of the
local bar was named to succeed Mr. Gould
as United States attorney. 1t Is expected
that both officials will begin their new du-
ties early during the present month.
The Court Of Appeals handed down opfn-
ions unfolding the validity of the smoke
law. 1t also decided that the appeal of
Admiral Sampson and the officers and men
OF his feet who participated in the Santiago
engagement from the decision Of the lower
court in the prize money case should be
made direct to the Supreme Court of the
United States.
ments against Francis J. sKieckhoefer, for
merly disbursing officer OF the State De-
partment, wherein he is charged with hav-
ing embezzled about $4,000, were overruled
by the Court of Appeals and the cause re-
turned to the lower court for further pro-
ceedtngs therein according to law.
The Court of Appeals sustained the Dis
trict Supreme Court In refusing to issue q
writ Of mandamus to compel the Secretary
OF state, on behalf OF a naturalized Aneri-
can citizen named Holzendorf, to demand
OF certain foreign government damages in
the sum of 100000 because of the alleged
unwarranted arrest and detention of IIol-
zendorf. si.. go
By mandamus proceedings Rebecca j.
Taylor took steps to compel the Secretary
Of War to restore her to q position she
formerly held In the War Department. Miss
Taylor was discharged for crtticising in
the public press the administrators Phil
ippine policy. She contends that her dis
mfssa1 was In violation Of the civil service
rules. The case has not ye been argued.
Antonio M. Opisso de Ycaza sued out
the writ of mandamus to compel the clerk
OF the District Supreme Court to record
the petitioners declaration of intention to
become a citizen of the United States. The
clerk held that Ycaza is not an alien-that
when this government acquired the Philip
pines the Filipinos became subjects of the
United States
Chang Ling and another ,Chinarnan were
arrested in this city byd officers of. the bu-
they had entered the United States ia VIC
lation of the Chinese exclusion act. A
United States commissioner directed that
they be deported to China. but on appeal to
the District Supreme Csurt the Cinnamon
regained their liberty.
The appointment by the President before
the code became effective of certain JUS
tices of the peace was attacked when the
justices proceeded to serve after the code
was FIJI operation. Justice Clabaugh ruled
that the appointments were valid. t-''"N"
Andrew r. Beach ana Joifn Hayes Want
ed In MarylaId for alleged violation OF the
law at Chesapeake Junction, were arrested
here upon receipt of-ireQuRition from the
governor OF Maryland. Il TREY attempted to
secure their release by. habaas corpus pro-
ceedfngs, but the ruling OF the District Su-
preme Court was against them. and they
After sr litigation extending 9,re,, r. several
years the famous contested wifi case inyolv-
ing the estate of Joseph Holt, formerly
judge advocate general, United States
army. was settled sout Of court July 8 by
agreement of the parties to the litigation
The well known Utermehle will case, af-
feeling an estate valued at more than ST.
0OOO,O00, was also reached for hearing, JUS
tsce Barnard ruled that the caveator was
estopped from attacking the validity Of the
will, and the cause is now before the Court
of Appeals on that issue. ..,ss a.ss Ja.
Other contested will cases that have been
Instituted are those that affect the estates
of the late Nathaniel Mckay, and the late
Thomas Lane, son-in-law OF Senator Black
burn.
The Knights OF Labor litigation that has
been pending for many months was dis
posed OF during the year in favor Of the
Hayes faction. The questions at issue were
the legality Of the election Of officers and
the right to use the headquarters property
in this city.
Trials In District Court.
Among the trials that occurred during the
past year in the District Supreme Court
were a number for murder. Elijah Chap
man was convicted of the murder Of Ida
Simms by stabbing her the first day of the
year. Robert Edelin,, arrested for the MUIR
der OF John Ward was indicted for man
slaughter, tried and acquitted. James Free
man, tried for the murdtr OF Mary Wells.
was convicted of manslaughter, and SEN
fenced to Imprisonment dn the penitentiary
for twelve years. Charles Coleman, tried
Tor the murder Of Perry, Officer, was con-
victed OF manslaughter, and sentenced to
the penitentiary for three years. Lawrence
Norman. tried for the murder Of Annie
Brown was convicted OF murder without
capital punishment" and sentenced to i'm
prtsonment for life. Forrest Pendleton
tried Tor the killing Of Robert Brown, was
declared guilty Of murder in the second de-
gree, and sentenced to Imprisonment for
twenty years. John st. Clair was convicted
OF the murder Of Daisy Maddox, and is
under sentence to be hanged the Both in
slant. Charles Thorn, charged with the
murder Of his wife, Ida Thorn, was con-
victed of manslaughter. He has not vet
been sentenced.
In Circuit Court No. considerable inter-
est was manifested In the trial Of what was
termed the Towles note case The plaintiff
won. and an appeal has been taken to the
Court OF Appeals.
In Circuit Court No. the case of Virgil
Polling against the Capital Traction Com
pany. to recover damages for personal In
1urfes. was on hearing for four full weeks
The plaintiff was taken into the court room
on stretcher. The jury failed to agree.
In Criminal Court No. Louis Se1nel Fink
was convicted of conspring to defraud one
OF the local street railway companies, and