Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-06

Judge Of the Police Court by U. 8. Grant,
who was then President Of the United
States. Judge Smell qualified few days
later. The records of the Police Court
show that at 10 o'clock am. July II. 1870,
the Police Court of the District Of Columbia
met for the first time. At that first ses-
pointments, as follows: Alexander T. Gray,
clerk Of the Police Court, and William
o. Thomas and Henry Lacy. bailiffs. That
first session was held at 466 street north
west on the site OF what Is now a part OF
Havenner's bakery. 1t was then specified
that the clerk Of the court was ex-off1cio
a justice Of the peace and that he should
perform the duties of the judge Of the
acted as Judge for about a month, the
only clerk who thus acted. AT present that
provision is not in forces
On July IA, 1870. Clerk Gray announced
the appointment of William NJ. Evans as
deputy clerk These are the men who
started the Police Court machinery In its
work. and, although all the old officials Of
that time have passed away, their work Is
still to be seen.
Shortly after this the removal of Bailiffs
Thomas and Lacy is recoraed on the books
of the court In their places Edward c.
Eckloff and F. c. Revells were appointed
A change in the clerkship of the court
came in the year after the court was or
ganized and October 49, 1871, Luther G..
Dawson was appointed clerk. He served
in that capacity until September 8, 1875,
when Howard Prince was appointed. Mean
while there had been a change in the
deputy clerkship on account of the resfgna-
ton of w NJ. Evans to become the prose-
cutting officer of the court. Benjamin F.
Leighton was made deputy clerk June 2,
1873
The one high official of that period of the
Police Court history, who still holds the
same position to which he was appointed in
1872 is Samuel C. Mills. On September 2.
1872 Judge Mills was first designated by
the Supreme Court as the acting judge or
the Police Court during the temporary alb
sence of the regular Judge. Judge Mills
holds the same position now, and by sing
ular coincidence he Is now sitting on the
bench which he occupied thirty-three years
ago.
The records of the Police Court show that
Judge Smell served three terms on the
bench. being reappointed in 1875 and in
1892.
1t was during the second administration
of Judge Smell that the Police Court was
removed to it's present location at 9th ana
d streets. The quarters at G street were
not large enough to properly accommodate
the court and in seeking new location tne
old Unitarian Church at 9th and ID streets
was decided upon. The church trustees
were anxious to dispose of the property as
the congregation had moved TO announcer par ai,.
of the city. That section in the vicinity
of 9th and D streets was then the artlsto-
cratic part OF the town. In the neighpor,
hood lived Daniel Webster, Henry Clay ana
other prominent men. The churcn prope aeS
was bought quietly and the changes needed
to make 1t suitable for the court We're car
red out In the same fashion. so that the
ne,ghborhood did not know that the Ponce
Court was to come In their MIDST until IL
was nearly ready for the change.
When the fact became generally known
there was a loud protest from property
holders The protests We're unaNaliihs anu
al n Jnf
the property holders decloeo 70 se' uo' "a
Injunction prohibiting the use of the OLD
church as a Police Court. The motion was
filed in the proper court, but there was a
DELAY in getting the court to act on 1t.
Meanwhile the police authorities We're
working hurriedly to get the building ready
for the court On the day that the motion
for an injunction was argued, the Ponce
Court authorities were ready WniIe lhe
lawyers were arguing In the court tne Key
10 the church was put into the hands or
Janitor James Hughes, who Is sun acting
In that capacity. and he was told to open
the building for the Police Court. Mr.
Hughes moved table and Few cnalrs
into the court room. received a load or
prisoners into the basement or the building
and took his seat at the door, TO await the
coming Of the judge.
When the lawyers came from the court
they found Janitor Hughes In possession or
the building. And they admitted at once
that the game was up and that their In
junction was of no avail Had 1t not been
for that clever ana prompt "oIh, tHiS HIS
tory might have been very different.
That was on July II, 1878. The court
building was much different from what 1t is
now. There was then only one branch, pre-
sided over by Judge Smell. The court room
occupied the same position as that used
now by the District branch Of the court
The office now used by Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel James Pugh was the same as
now and was used by the prosecuting Of
ficer IN the court. The building was only
one story except IN the front.
Joseph Harper. the present deputy clerk
of the Police Court. was appointed to that
position January /, 1884. He was clerk
in the office before that time but was then
promoted. He was succeeded by his broth
er, N c. Harper. who Is now the deputy
clerk, acting as clerk in the District branch
of the court. About this same time William
c. Harper father of N. c. and Joseph, who
had been deputy clerk In the court, was ap-
pointed as an acting judge of the court.
In the year 1883 there was q change in
politics at the White House which result
ed in change in the judge at the Police
Court. On May 16 of that year Thomas F.
Miller was appointed by President Cleve-
land as judge of the Police Court. to sue
coed Judge Smell, who had held the posi-
ton since the organization of the court.
Shortly after Judge Miller assumed the