Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-01

SuopOS M Si6DduBN. Inc latter =
successor as associate justice is former
Senator Jeter G. Pritchard Of North Caro-
lima. Soon after the announcement of
| Chief Justice Bingham's proposed retire.
ment 1t was learned that Associate Justice
Hagner had also decided to give I'D active
| duties. Justice Hagner retired the LIST of
June and the selection of his successor was
not announced until November 8, when the
PRESIDENT appointed Daniel Thew Wright
OF Cincinnati, Ohio. to the vacancy Justice
i Wright subscribed to the oath of office No
vember %.
The prosecutions growing out Of the Post
once Department investigation occupied
attention. The grand jury, which usually
| takes recess from the end Of June until
the last OF September, was in session all
| summer. and number of post Office in
dlctments were reported. Arguments on
demurrers In certain of these causes We're
| made. The trial of the first Of the cases
| was set for January II. 1904.
| Robert Willett. clerk Of the Court Of APP
| peals from the date Of the organization of
that tribunal in 1893, died December &c.
| II was announced late in December that
| the President had accepted the resignation
| or Register Of Wills Dent, to take effect
APRIL l. 1904, and that "CorporaI' James
Tanner will be appointed to the vacancy.
| justice Barnard granted the petition of
John b. Bigboy, an Indian, of the La
Pointe band. residing in Wisconsin, for a
mandamus to compel the Secretary of the
Interior to pay to him certain money de-
rived from the sale Of timber on land be-
longing to Bigboy.
The famous Potomac flats case was final
| ~ terminated. so far as the courts are con-
cerned. in February
Inc court held that 1t had no Jurisdiction
10 review by haoeas corpus proceedings,
{he case of marine serving a term Of
Imprisonment on the Island of Guam
Chief Justice Bingham after q lengthy
hearing, dismissed the petition Of Rebecca
j. Taylor for a writ of mandamus to COM
| pei the Secretary of War to restore her to
a In No No., M
which she was dismissed for publicly crit
| icising the administrator Philippine
! policy.
Extended litigation involving the DISPOSE
| ton of the estate of the late Col. Nathaniel
mckay was inaugurated and was pending
| at the close Of the year.
Charles A. De Arnaud filed suit at law
| against Gen. Ainsworth to recover an
| ages In the sum of $4,000 for alleged libel
based on references to De Arnaud's war
| record made by Gen. Ainsworth in GER
| tain report The court directed a verdict
| In favor of Gen. Ainsworth, holding that q
report MADE by government official is
| privileged.
Sensational charges were made against
b. G. Niles of the local bar in connection
with his management of the valuable es-
| tate of Mrs. Hughes. The matter is now
before the auditor of the court.
The Postmaster General won out In GER
tain of the cases involving the right Of GER
| tain publications to be carried through the
The courts upheld the validity of the au-
tomobile regulations promulgated by the
District Commissioners.
The union station act was declared to be
| constitutional.
Litigation ensued because the Commits
| sioners cut certain telegraph wires leading
| &c the wildwood pool room, but the issue
was finally settled by the pool-room operat-
| ors removing from Wildwood.
| John A. Moss. colored, of the local bar,
| was adjudged guilty by Justice Wright of
| contempt for addressing certain remarks
| to the jurors impaneled in a murder case
| as the Jurors were passing Moss office.
! Moss was sentenced to pay fine and to be
| imprisoned for ten days. Habeas corpus
| proceedings proved of no avail, and Justice
| Wright refused to release the prisoner on
| bail pending the disposition of appeal.
| The Court Of Appeals. however directed
| that Moss be released on bail pending tho
| appeal.
| The troubles of opposing factions of the
| Order of the Knights of Labor occupied
| much of the time of the District Supreme
| Court, and proceedings Instituted by the
| Burns faction against the Hayes faction
| were nearing a settlement at the close OF
! the year.
District Building.
The past year has been an eventful one
| in the affairs of the District government
| the sensational element entering into the
usual quiet routine work to a greater ex-
tent than for many years past. This was
due 10 the discovery early in the month Of
June Of a serious defalcation In the office
| Of the auditor, extending over a period of
from three and a half to four years. The
| arrest OF James M. A. Watson, clerk In
| the ONCE mentioned charged with appro-
| priating to his own use during the period
| named checks amounting to $73, O62.27, came
| as great surprise to the citizens Of the
| District and caused something OF q COM
| motion In local official Cjrrlas In
| ton with the discovery Of the shortage
| James T. Petty was relieved Of the office
| Of auditor July 8, and later in the month
John r. Garrison was appointed to the po-
sition- Watson Is now in the District Jail
awaiting action by the grand jury in
connection with the defalcation. As a
direct result of this incident the Com
missioners ordered thorough investi-
the theft possible, and the consequent
remedy of faulty methods Of conducting
official business for the municipality. On
the 18th of August the Commissioners ap-
pointed DR.. w. c. Woodward health Of
ficer; John r. Garrison. auditor, and Mon
cure Burke OF the engineer department a
committee to examine all the departments
| of the government of the District Of Column
| bia and report on their condition and their
method of doing business, with view OF
| suggesting improvements. This committee
| has already suggested number Of changes
| in methods of transacting business in the
/ DlStrlCt service, out no comprehensive re-
port on Its Investigations has as yet been
| made.
One of the changes made has been in the
purchase of supplies for the District. The
open-market purchases have been super
| coded by competitive bids on all Supplies
not included in the annual schedules and
the result Is considered as a great saving
to the District.
Henry B. F. Macfarland was appointed
! March to succeed himself as president OF
the board Of District Commission ers, an6
qualified and took the oath Of office the 9th
OF May.
In August by a ruling of the Post ONCE
i Department the Commissioners were denied
the authority to use the penalty envelopes
Of the United States government for the
business Of the District government. Reg
ulations governing the operation Of automo
biles were adopted by the Commissioner
in May. and In April a police regulation
was put in force prohibiting splitting on tn,
sidewalks OF the city. Capt. Henry G
nj fho Aefo v,da 70