Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-01
THE POLICE COURT.

The Police Court OF the District OF Co
lumbia, in both District and United States
branches has been very active during
the year. The court has disposed OF
23,627 cases. 1897 In the District branch.
which handles the cases of men ana
women charged with violating the laws
OF the District, and $3.50 cases in the
United States branch. which handles the
cases of men and women charged with
violating the laws of the United States.
The fines collected by the Police Court
I'm the last year amounted To sos, fa4. q.
The fines were the result of sentences ~
both branches OF the court. The court
held 300 prisoners for the grand jurS
during the year.
The great ma jorlty of defendants before
the court were charged with being drunk
and disorderly, with disorderly conduct
or with assault. Hundreds of such cases
were disposed of each week Of the year
But there were a number of interestinS
cases before the court, in which new laws
and regulations were involved. The street
car cases, which were prosecutions
brought against the carriers for over
crowding cars and for running cars with
fiat wheels. were tried in the Police
Court under the law enacted by Congress
providing for the supervision OF the street
railways OF the District by the interstate
commerce commission. The court decid-
ed the overcrowding cases In favor OF the
street car companies. but the fat wheel
cases were decided in favor of the gov
eminent. In both cases appeals were
taken from the Police Court to the Court
of Appeals Of the District, which still has
them before it for review.
Important Cases Tried.
The case OF Antonio F'alasco. the Ital-
tan trackwalker employed by the terminal
company in the tunnel at the Union sta
81
an express train by fastening iron bars
to the track, attracted special attention.
Falasco was held by Judge Iimball for
the action of the grand jury.
Benjamin LenovitZ, the proprietor OF tht.
Farmers and Merchants Hotel. was ac-
cused In Police Court with running dis
orderly house Lenovitz was found gull
~ by a jury. Judge kimball sentenced
him to serve six months in jail and TO pay
a fine, declaring it the most serious case
of the kind he had ever had before him:
I1enoyitz took an appeal to the Court OF
Appeals. but 1t was denied. He is now
at liberty on a thousand-dolar bond and
hopes to get his case before the Court OF
Appeals on a writ of habeas corpus.
Carrie Nation, the champion saloon
smasher of the world. made her fifth visit
to the Police Court during this year. She
was charged with smashing up the bar
at the Union station. Judge MullownN
sentenced her to pay a fine of 500. Her
attorney asked a writ OF certiorari from
the Court of Appeals on the ground that
the prosecution against his client had
been brought in the name of the District
when it should have been in the name
of the United States and also upon con-
stitutional grounds. The court granted
the writ upon the first ground anu Mrs.
Nations case will be reviewed.
John Early, the soldier who was quar-
antined here for a long time leper
and who was subsequently released from
New York hospital as free from lep-
rosy, was arrested when he returned 10
the District this fall upon a warrant
sworn out against him by the health
officer. charging him with violating the
District code. Judge Mullowny heard the
case, although he refused to allow Early
TO be brought to court. IL was finally de-
cided by agreement between the District
government and Early's Representatives
TO allow Early TO go back to New York
for examination and to abide by the de-
cision of the experts there as to whether
or not he is leper.
Other interesting cases which may
eventually land in the Supreme Court or
the United States are those against the
Sperry and Hutchinson Company and the
Economy Cooperative Society, both OF
which are charged with violating tie sir
enterprise law. Judge MullownT heard
the arguments in these cases recently AMI
will hand down a decision early i'll 1910
Upon his decision in these cases depends
the trading stamp business IN the District
of Columbia.