Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-11
GARRETT LAUGHS
At BONAPARTE'S
CONDUIT DECISION
Glen Echo Mayor Says Others
Are Wise on Law Points.
OPINION NOT A NEW ONE
Claims Same Questions Have Been
Considered Before.
CITES CASE BEFORE MORRIS
Youthful Executive of Maryland
Town Says Attorney General Has
"Opinioned" Place Off the Map.
Suggests Possibility of Nov
ing to Island Where Ju-
risdiction Will Be I'm
questioned.
Claims Same Questions Have Been
Considered Before.
CITES CASE BEFORE MORRIS

The MAYOR OF Glen Echo has no
jurisdiction to impose or collect
fines. i | think the Con-
duit road constitutes territory within
the exclusive jurisdiction OF Con-
gress. and that the legislature OF the
state OF Maryland has no Jurisdic-
ton over any part OF it."-(At-
torney General Bonaparte.)
Secretary BOnaparteS opinion
merely amuSes me. | attach no inn
portance to it and shall pay no at
tention to it. but shall continue to
enforce the law -(Mayor Gar
rett.)
Glen Echo is 'opnioned off the map,
See 10y The Evening Star" said Mayor
Garrett last night To Star reporter. IF
Attorney General Bonaparte's opinion is
correct We had better lease an island out in
the Potomac and move the municipality
to il.
Seriously" continued the mayor, BEAM
ing through his eyeglasses. the opinion
merely amuses me. / shall pay no more
attention to il nor attach more Importance
to it than if it had been uttered by some
boy who came in off the Conduit road and
tod me what he thought.
Attorney General Bonaparte rules in his
opinion transmitted to the Secretary of
War that the Conduit road is federal
reservation, and that Glen Echo has moth
ing To do with ii except live alongside He
also declares that l. mayor of Glen
Echo have no jurisdiction over persons
apI
further that 1 have, under the constitution
OF Maryland. no power to impose fines.
Will Retain Fines.
II shall continue to enforce the municipal
regulations Of Glen Echo in spite of Mr..
Bonaparte's opinion, and / shall retain In
the municipalities treasury the fines col
lected from scorchins Automobiles, until
j am by legal process compelled to refund
them. Fines amounting to $3.50 have been
collected. and of this sum $500 has been
paid by exceeders of the speed limit. That
$500 is in the bank, ready to be paid back
II the courts decide.
But / shall be satisfied with ruling
from no less an authority than the Supreme
Court of the United States.
None of this opinion of Mr.. Bonaparte
is new TO me. I've heard it all before. 1t
Is substantially the same as the brief
thrown out of court by Judge Morris
when he sustained Glen Echo's demurrer
at Baltimore some time ago. The part about
my lack of authority under the state con-
stituton TO impose or collect fines is new
to me. but does not trouble me. l wrote
this municipal charter myself, using as a
model the charter written for Garrett Park
by Justice Gould of the District Supreme
Court and the section to which Mr.. Bona
iS Tod hot
from the Garrett Park charter. Attorney
General Bonaparte doubtless Is a cultivated
and brilliant man, and l. perhaps am not.
I'm not much more than d boy. and have
not quite finished my law course, but l
think that | am fully competent as Mr..
Bonaparte to read the law and interpret
it, and | have read this matter intelligently,
heard both sides discussed and listened to
the decision of the court and can therefore
attach no importance TO the Attorney Gen
erals opinion.
1t looks to me as if the Automobile
Club of Washington wrote it for him.
Would Open Prison Doors.
Why. il this opinion is TO stand unchal-
lenged the warden of the penitentiary will
have 10 open his doors and release at leas;
twenty-five cOnvicts. imprisoned under the
laws of the state of Maryland for highway
robbery and other felonies committed on
the Conduit road If man wants to open
saloon here all that he'll have TO do will
be To take out government license for
So ami go right ahead. We should not
be able To- stop him.
'Of course, when you come right down
to bedrock, this portentous document OF Mr.
Bonaparte is merely the opinion of one law.
yer There p.enty of others
What will Won Al whom Tho tr,nD. -
rive" Mayor Collins was asked
Troops" Glen EchO's chief executive re-
peated in surprise.
Mr.. Bonaparte says that the road is sub
ject to such regulations may be made
by the officer in control. designated by the
President and tells Secretary Taft that
obedience to these regulations may be Sc
cured BY the use Of such reasonable sufti-
cient force as you may deem advisable"
The troops haven't come yet" the mayor
answered. so snail keep right on enforc-
ing the law.
Council Will Meet
The town council will meet SATURDAY.
night. and We shall go over the matter
Thoroughly. II test case is To be brought
well and good. but l shall enter into no
d.ckyr To- arrange one. and If the first de-
cision is against Glen Echo. which l doubt.
the ease will be carried up To the Supreme
Court of the United States"
And with that declaration of his bill of
rights Mayor Garrett terminated the audi
ence.
The case of John \. I.utz of Washington.
who was arrested and fined for alleged ex-
ceeding Of the speed limit in Glen Echo,
may be the test case, in an appeal before
Judge Henderson. in November or Decem-
Der Mr., I-utz's attorney is G. l.. Baker of
Douglas & Douglas An effort is making
to get Washington automobiIists together
on the matter and meeting may be held
today or tomorrow with this end in view
civil suits may also be instituted against
Mayor Garrett and former Marshal Collins.
Former Deputy Marshal Collins was I'm
Al lnhI Dan