Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-09

ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
Litigation Probable Over For
ty Acres of Reclaimed Land.
OWNERSHIP IS IN. DISPUTE
The Federal Government Asserts
Title-United States Court
Proceedings.
OWNERSHIP IS IN. DISPUTE
Special Correspondence. Of The star.

Special Correspondents. Of The star.
ALEXANDRIA. Va, January 9, 1912.
Forty acres Of reclaimed land on the
river front in the extreme southeast
ern section Of the city. of what is
known as old Baptizing cove. is now
being fenced in by the government.
much to the surprise Of abutting prop
erty owners. The work on the part
OF the government, which claims the
land, will doubtless result in litiga-
ton. Several owners Of the abutting
property have already asserted own
ership.
Several government engineers came
over to Alexandria yesterday afternoon
in tug with load of posts to begin
the preliminary work preparatory to
erecting a fence along the line. There
seemed to be misunderstanding re-
garding the location of the line. and
one of the residents in that neighbor-
hood removed some Of the posts be-
cause they were not properly placed.
The tug returned this morning with
Of placing additional posts in position
is in progress without interruption.
The opinion of : most of the abutling
property owners Is that the property Is
theirs. The government, however. claims
to the contrary, as lis evidenced by its
work of fencing in the reclaimed section.
1t is expected that the property owners
will act jointly in the matter as to test
Ing the right of ownership by employing
legal counsel The reclaimed land is re-
garded as valuable, and part Of it has
already been suggested for the use OF a
public park for the city.
1t is also believed that the land would
make splendid sites for manufacturing
establishments.
Chamber Of Commerce Election.
Officers chosen by the chamber OF COM
merce at its annual meeting held last
night follows: r. IS. Jones, president;
Carroll Pierce. vice president; J. T. Pres
ton. secretary and treasurer. Directors
were elected as follows: A. D. Brockett.
w. A. Smoot, jr., j. Y. Williams, Carroll
Pierce, Marshall L. King.
ARRANGEMENTS were made for banquet
which will be given the latter part Of
this month or early next month. A COM
mittee of arrangements was appointed
as follows: j. Y. Williams. A. D. Brock
EFT. Harry Hammond. J. NJ. Duncan, ].
jr.. Carroll Pierce, William Jorg, E. H.
Gentry J. III. Trimyer, w. w. Ballenger,
c. s. T. Burke, P. e. Gift, Marshall l..
King and r. s. Jones.
Inc cnamDer Qec1OeQ 10 extend an IN
vitation to DR.. Flanagan, head of the
state board of health. to deliver a lee
ture In Alexandria in the near future his
theme being 1.-The State Health Laws"
and committee, composed Of j. Y. Will
liams, Worth Hulfish A. D. Brockett and
]. M. Duncan. was appointed to arrange
for the same.
Robinson Moncure, representative from
this city and county in the state legisla-
ture. made a brief address before the
members on legislative matters.
The meeting was largely attended. The
various officers of the organization SUBJ
mitted their annual reports showing no
little amount of development during the
year 1911.
Two Accidents, One Fatal.
Angus Madison, twenty-four years of
age. fiving near Burke's station, sixteen
miles south of Alexandria. was struck
and instantly killed yesterday by north
bound passenger train No. IS over the
Southern railway.
According to the report received here
by the railroad authorities Madison at
tempted to cross the tracks and, falling
to notice the approach of the moving
train, was run down. Madison's widow
and two children survive him.
John Kercher, an employee OF the
Southern Railway Company, was struck
way roundhouse late yesterday afternoon.
His arm was broken and he was badly
bruised about the body Kercher was
taken to the Alexandria Hospital, where
his injuries were dressed by DR.. NV.
O. Brien.
In United States Court.
In the United States court for the east
ern district of Virginia yesterday after
noon a jury gave verdict for $3,6j1 .61
in the case of the Emerson Engine Com
pany, Incorporated, of this city, against
Edward Hatch, jr., of New York. This
represented the full amount sued for, to-
gether with interest to February 8, 1911.
The object of the suit was to recover
an amount alleged to be the balance due
OH an engine purchased by the defendant
from the plaintiff company.
The complainant was represented by
Judge c. z. Nicol, and Attorneys Hugh
Gordon Miller Of New York and William
NICK. Woodhouse of Norfolk, Va, repre-
scented the defendant.
Arguments will be made tomorrow
morning before Judge Waddill in the
United States court on the question of
whether or not w. H. Thorpe, resi-
dent of Virginia, already divorced from
Margaret ]. Thorpe. can be taken back
to Washington on United states war
rant to answer a charge of alleged nom
support. Thorpe was released following
his arrest on a writ of habeas corpus
filed before Judge L. c. Barley Of the
corporation court Of this city. Thorpe
will be represented by Attorneys r. c. L.
Moncure, and the government will be
represented by Judge Lewis.
Frederick Marks Fined $50.
An echo of the shooting Of Andrew
Lomax and Charles Gaskins. colored,
who were shot and badly. wounded De-
cember % last by one OF party of
white men. was heard in the police court
today when Frederick Marks, a white
youth, was arraisned as suspect
Neither of the compliments saw him
do the shooting, although one witness,
named J. Watts. colored, tesuned tnat
Marks had q brick in his hand following
the shooting. The court fined him $50.
and in default of the fine he Will spend
the next ninety days In jail.
One Held, Two Sentenced.
Charged with robbing cars at the :Poto-
mac freight yards, Alexandria county.
John Hall, colored. was yesterday after
noon held for the action Of the grand jury
following q preliminary hearing before
Justice Louis De Albert OF Alexandra
county.
Samuel and Charles Sorrell, white. and
Jim, alias Epps, Waters and Jim Mason.
both col0red, entered pleas or guilty to
robberies on two counts eacns and were