The Washington times., 1904-09-20
CASE
BEATEN 10 YEARS
Plaintiff and Defendant
Both Dead.
WAS BEGUN JUNE q, 1863
Calendar of New York Supreme Court
Carries This Action Third
of Century.
WAS BEGUN JUNE q, 1868

NEW YORK, Sept 20.-Nhcn Charles
Dickens in BLEAK House" satirIzed the
English court Of chancery With his nc-
uuOus case Of Jarndyce VS.. J2rndyce. he
wrote.
AT the present moment Qs53) there
Is suit before the court which was
commenced nearly twenty years ago
The great novelist said that he had
heard Of cases that had been longer on
the calendar but he cited the twenty
year-old case as an actual Illustration
Of the delays of the chancery court.
The new calendar which has been pre-
pared for the ensuing court year in tho
supreme court in this city has on it
several cases that have appeared on the
calendar for more than twenty years.
and one case that was first placed on the
calendar thirty-six years ago and has
remained there ever since. although the
law firm that began 1t no longer exists,
Gradually Working Up.
Year after year this old case has
gradually worked its way up on the
calendar until today it IS No. / in a
list OF some 1900 suits awaiting trial in
the supreme court.
This ancient case, which Is the pride
nave watched il each year on the calen-
iar. bears the title, The New York
| Guarantee Indemnity Company against
William II. Wickham" lOnce mayor Of
! 1858, BY the law firm OF Butler, Stillman
I 6. Hubbard. Of which William Allen But
I Ter was the head. Mr.. Butler Is dead
and the firm with that name no longer
/ exists The defendant, Mr.. Wickham.
/ No one could be found in or about the
/ court house yesterday who knew any
thing about this y-siX-year-old law
l suit It is q suit involving the alleged
! breach Of q contract. Recently a lawyer
who succeeded TO the plainti1 case SAID
| that he did not know any Of the details.
| He merely knew that no order had ever
| been received to discontinue the case,
/ and for that reason II was Kept on the
| calendar.
Finally Becomes No. l.
When the calendar was made up last.
1 in 1902. the first case on IL was few
months older than the one at the head
| Of the new calendar. II was begun on
June 4. 1865. and was entitled Helen NJ
Feldes vs.. Theodore F. Lexow." This
/ case was not renewed. much 10 the sOr-
/ row Of the ancient clerks, and the SUIT
/ against former Mayor Wickham 1t last
! became No on the calendar
l The next Oldest case on the new calen-
dar is that Of Theodore F. Lees vs. The
| Michigan Central Railroad Company. It
is a contract ease and first appeared on
the calendar on May u. 1872. The COM
plant was fled by S. II. Randall. coun-
sci for the plaintiff. His name sttl ap-
pears as counsel, as does that OF Arthur
S. Knevals. the original counsel for the
defendant
! There are some twenty cases on the
new calendar that have appeared on
each calendar for the last twenty years
Comes Up in October.
When the new calendar is called on
the first Monday in October. when the
new court year begins In the supreme
court. some lawyers will answer fol
each Of these ancient cases and thSE
will be discontinued, adjourned, or mere
" passed on the calendar for another
year.
. The new calendars, which Will bt
ready to go to the printer in few
days. viii contain in all some Hog
cases, including those for the twelve
: trial terms and eight special terms OF
the supreme court The trial term cal
: endars are now about two years behind