Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-01
COURTS AND TRIALS
IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS IN LO-
CAL LEGAL CIRCLES.

Several changes of Importance in the per-
sonnet OF the judges and other officers who
have headquarters at the city hall occurred
during the year just ended. Associate JUS
tice Seth Shepard of the Court of Appeals
subscribed to the oath of Office January
10 chief justice of that tribunal, succeed
ing Chief Justice Richard II. Alvey, retired
The same day Charles H. Duel, formerly
commissioner of patents. took the oath as
associate justice to fill the vacancy caused
by the promotion of Justice Shepard. AS
soctate Justice Martin F. Morris retired
from the bench of the Court Of Appeals the
end OF June. He was succeeded by former
United States Senator Louis E. McComas
of Maryland. Justice Morris was presented
with a costly silver service by members of
the bar. Frederick c. Tyler resigned as
crier of the Court of Appeals The vacancy
was filed by the appointment of Howard
c. Riley as crer.
In the office of the clerk of the District
Supreme Court, Assistant Clerk Harvey
Given resigned S. McComas Hawken SUI
perintendent of the file room, was promoted
TO be assistant clerk, Harry Bingham and
William Lemon We're appointed assistant
clerks and Miss Ellen Young, copyist, was
made superintendent of the file rooms
Morgan II. Beach, United States attorney
IOI lle lDiSIElct OF NOlumDl3, rendered his
resignation June &c, to take effect August
81. Later he was appointed by the DEPART
ment OF Justice special attorney in connec-
ton with the prosecution of cases growing
out of the cotton leak investigation The
announcement Of the appointment of Daniel
W. Baker to be United States attorney was
made July y He entered upon the dis
charge of his duties the LIST of September
Soon thereafter Assistant United States At
torney Keigwin resigned, Assistant United
States Attorney Mullowny was appointed
judge of the Police Court, and Chief Clerk
Bingham was appointed assistant clerk OF
the District Supreme Court. Mr.. Baker filed
the three vacancies by appointing Stuart
Mcnamara, Harvey Given and Rudolph
Yeatman.
Aulick Palmer was appointed by the Pres
ident, December II, for his third term as
United States marshal for the District of
Columbia.
During the year 1850 marriage licenses
We're issued against 1850 in 1904. On
tho equity side of the clerks Office 7S5
suits were filed as against 100 the preced-
ing year. and $40 proceedings at law were
instituted as against LOIS during 1904.
The petition of August w. Machen,
George L. Lorenz, Diller b. Croft and Sam
uel y. Croft for writ of certiorari was de-
MED by the Supreme Court Of the United
States. This action shattered the last hope
of the defendants in the first case tried IN
the local courts that grew out of the Post
Office Department irregularities. The de-
PENDANTS were removed to the West Vir
ginia penitentiary, at Moundsvile to serve
the sentences that had been imposed by
Justice Pritcha:d III Criminal Court No. l.
| The post Office case, IN which Machen,
Lorenz and William G.. Crawford were the
defendants, was called for trial in May.
Machen Unexpectedly entered a plea of
guilty. He was sentenced TO pay a fine of
10000 and TO so-ye two years in the peni-
Tertiary. Crawford was granted a separate
trial. The trial, which was in progress sew
eral weeks. resulted in a disagreement OF
the jury. The second trial of Crawford oc-
Cured last month. He was convicted
As result of the investigation at the De-
partment of Agriculture. relative to the So
called cotton report leak several indict-
ments were reported by the grand jury One
of these was agains. Edwin S. Holmes jr
! formerly assistant statistician OF the de-
partment; Frederick A. Peckham and Moses
Haas. Holmes, who had been outside the
| Jurisdiction appeared in court August IS
and furnished bah in the sum of $4,000
Tie trial of James NJ. A. Watson which
began just before the Christmas holidays of
1904, was concluded early In January Wat
son was convicted of the embezzlement of
large sum of money while he was clerk
| N the office of the auditor of the District
Cs Columbia. He was sentenced to peniten-
| tiary Imprisonment for ten years
w w. karr. formerly disbursing clerk of
! the Smithsonian Institution, pleaded guilty
| TO an indictment charging him with the
embezzlement of funds that were placed in
! his hands as such clerk. He was sentenced
| 10 the penitentia.y for five years.
Thomas NJ. Fields, one of the receivers Of
| the defunct Washington Beneficial Endow-
ment Association, was tried and convicted
! of the embezzlement of about $4,000 of the
funds of the association that had been
placed in the hands of the receivers. An
appeal noted IN his behalf IS pending. An
| drew A. Lipscomb the other receiver of the
association, who had been jointly indicted
with Fields, was tried later and acquitted.
o. Ct. Staples. T. L. Jeffords, John l.. Fehr
and Elisha II. Fitch were indicted July 6
for common law conspiracy to defraud
while making false representations con-