Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-01
EVENTS OF THE YEAR IN THE DISTRICT

tention OF the defense good law and dis
missd the charges.
Status of Practitioners.
In the second case, the defendant. DR..
Alma c. Arnold, appeared before Judge
Mullowny. charged with falling to COM
ply with regulations governing the regis
tering of physicians. The defendant set
up the plea that treatment other than
with the regular appliances and drugs of
the recognized physician could not be
strictly termed p ac;icIng medicine.
Judge Mullowny's decision excluded the
treatment practiced by DIR. Arnold or sim
liar treatments from these properly COM
ing within the meaning of the regulations
and dismiss ed the case
OF the 2o,O00 and more cases which
came up before the District branch of the
court by far the larger number--over two
thfrds-were vagrancy, disorderiy con-
duct. unlawful assembly and habitual
drunkard cases. Extreme penalties were
rare, and imposed upon several occasions
only where there was no chance Of the
accused coming within the legal view of
respectable citizenship. The average SEN
ten"e in these cases about four
months in the workhousc in default OF a
$50 fine.
Proba bly, 100 cases of concealed weap-
ons came before the court and eighty
fences in these cases were usually six
months in the workhouse in default OF a
fifty-dollar fine.
During the summer months an extern
slVe lunchroom crusade was started by
the District authorities which gradua lily
widened into general crusade upon filth
and fnsanitary places where food was
kept or prepared for sale. The vigor of
the crusade lasted for about two months.
During its existence no less than 12o cases
were brought into the District branch OF
the Police Court
OF the total number arraigned there
were not more than twenty acquittals.
The large ma jority were fined sums rang
ing from So to so. Especially i'm lunch
room cases were penalties heavy. many
defendants being fined SD. the maximum
allowed by the health department ordi-
nanceS.
The health department crusade Included
lunchrooms, drug stores, meat stands,
grocery stores, dairies market stands
hotel Kitchens bake shops and candy
stores. There were fair number Of bar
Der shops and undertaking establishment
inspections, the great majority of which
resulted in convictions and heavy fines.
Liquor Law Violations Few.
Liquor cases were fewer In number than
for three years. But forty-one defend
ants were arraigned charged with vio-
lating the excise regulations. Thirty-two
convictions were obtained out of the en-
tire number and heavy sentences imposed
the average being five months in the
workhouse in default of $500 fine
The majority of the defendants I'm the
liquor cases were colored men and wom-
en-. taken up in various sections of the
city for selling on Sunday.
Defendants arraigned for selling liquor
to minors have been many. Compare
lively few have been convictions, because
q nf Ia w
providing that knowledge of the age OF
the youth in purchasing the liquor must
be In possession of the defendant before
convection can be obtained. Out of forty
five or more cases in the year there have
been no more than dozen convictions.
Cruelty to animal cases has been great
ly reduced In the past year. The serious
cases number not more than seventy-hve,
in which there have been siXty-two con-
victions.
The smoke law and the veterinarian law
have been rigidly enforced. although
there have not been as many cases as In
the previous year. OF smoke law de-
PENDANTS there have been about eightytive
cases Of any consequence, in which con-
victions or forfeitures of collateral were
obtained in all. There have been about
thirty-five cases coming under the veteri-
marian law, and where verdicts of guilty
were found heavy sentences were imposed
Dog Muzzling Troubles
Cases resulting from the dog muzzing
order Of the District Commissioners Were
many, though the greater majority were
registered as collateral forfeitures. About
200 cases were disposed of, an dof these
there were not more than eighteen or
twenty acquittals. fines ranging from 81
to SO were imposed.
The law was vigorously attacked by DR..
Cecil French, In one of the first cases TO
came up, an dan appeal was taken to
the higher courts. The conviction OF
Judge Mullowny, however, was affirmed.
and the fine originally imposed duly paid.
In cases under the cocaine and opium
ordinances which provide for an abso-
lutte Jail sentence upon conviction, there
have been about loo cases before the
court, in which lightweight convictions
or forfeitures of heavy collateral were
recorded.
During the pats year Joseph Y. Potts,
for many years chief clerk of the Police
Court died., and Francis A. Sebring. for
merly financial clerk. was appointed to the
vacancy. Mr.. Potts death occurred
July Il last after an illness of ten days.