The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-02-24

In such language the Supreme Court /
Of the Philippine Islands unanimously /
disposes of one Of the most unique
cases in the history Of the judiciary |
of the United States or the Philippine /
Islands, and closes an incident which /
stirred Manila to its depths several /
ago when Justice e. Finley |
Johnson, associate justice of the sup
rene Court, was made defendant in a
suit for damages which contained sen
sational allegations of official miscon.
duct.
The suit grew out of a former case
which was heard by the Supreme
Court and decided against the plain
tiffs, Emelia Alzua and Ignacio Arna-
lot who several months later entered
suit against Justice Johnson for actual
and punitive damages aggregating
P115,OOO, alleging in their complint
that the defendant had substituted the
word affirmed" for the word 'revers
ed" in the decision of the Supreme
Court, in passing upons the decision
of the lower court, without the know
ledge or consent of the othed mem
bers Of the court who subscribed their
names to the decision, thereby losing
the suit to them.
In absolving Justice Johnson from
any wrong act IN changing the type
written word after the courts deci-
sion had been signed, the Supreme
Court in it's decision handed down
yesterday discusses at length many
practices of the court which are made
necessary by the great volume of bust
ness handled by it every year. 1t seems
that the decision invplved i'm this
action YVES a short decision" not ac-
companied by the usual lengthy dis
cussion of the case. 1t was signed on
the last day before the vacation ad-
tournament of the court, and the error
was discovered the following day by
Judge Johnson, who was acting as
vacation judge, and changed without
delay, for the purpose, according to
Justice Johnson, of seeing that the
wishes of the court be not defeated by
a clerical error
Cavalry Uses New Road.
Marching from Camp McGrath, Ba
tangas, on January 26, the Sth Cavalry
came overland to Manila and arrived
at Camp Malcon on the port district
yesterday corning at 11:3O a. m, in
command of Colonel Henry p Kings
bury. The regiment proceeded from
Batangas to Lipa, thence to Tanauan,
Calamba, Montilupa, Las Pinas, to
Manila.
The Sth Cavalry is the first organiza-
ton to use the new road constructed
by the bureau of pubic works between
Montilupa and Las Pinas. The com
mand was equipped for the field. All
cavalry mounts not seriously disabled
were taken with the regiment on the
march. All officers of Camp McGrath
accompanied the regiment except Maj
or T. S. Bratton, medical corps, Cap
tain G. e. Stockle, and Veterinarian
H. F. Steel, Sth Cavalry.
Aeroplane Shed Contract.
Award of the contract for the con,
struction of an aeroplane shed at Fort
William Mckinley has been made by
the chief quartermaster of the division
Fort Santiago The contract went to
I Delmar Smith Clinton, whose bid OF
P. 1878 was accepted The contract
stipulates that the work is to be com
/ pleted within thirty days from date OF
award.
A aeroplane has been shipped from
the United States by the war depart
ment to the signal corps and is believ
ed to be aboard the U. S. A. T. Sheri
dan. 1t will be housed in the hangar
at Fort Mckinley
Great Court Cleanup.
CEBU, January 23.-For the frs
time in the history of this city there
is no case pending on the calendar o
of crime for the court of first in
stance.
At the time that Fiscal Andres Bar
romeo began as public prosecutor il
1909 on the arrival of Judge Whsle
genus, there were fifteen hundred
cases pending, some of them datini
, right back to 1903 Today there ar
none; all that is on record are som
: few cases that have been completes
and now await sentence. This give
Cebu clean criminal calendar for tn
first time in her history 1t als
, speaks volumes for the work that ha
5 hecn done here, Tor 70 take the dat
+ Hay 1909 to Dec. 1911, and know tina
li.r r9,ses have been cleared off th
, calendar in that time. it means thu
D ire court has worked off al ayerag
i II lrIee cases a day in addition
Y its UrGinary work.-Cobu Chrcn Gle