Evening star., 1913-06-17
DECLINES To RULE
ON THE. .HURD CLAIM
U. S. Supreme Court Unwilling
to Review on Plea of
Mrs. Cramer.
LOWER COURT DECISION
CONTINUES IN EFFECT
Many Cases on Docket Undecided
When Tribunal Adjourns-0pin-
ions Handed Down.

The supreme Court of the United States
yesterday declined to review the ruling
of the Court OF Appeals which has de-
cided that Mrs Laura Cramer, clerk in
the State Department, must repay to the
estate of the late Fenton j. Hurd of
Greenwich Conn. the sum of $4,000. The
refusal of the Supreme Court to take
action in the case leaves the ruling of the
Court of Appeals In force.
The original suit was brought by the
executors of Hurd's estate, who averred
that Mrs Cramer. by means OF alleged
spirit letters had induced Hurd TO give
her. in various sums, total of $40. ooo
Mrs Cramer entered a vigorous denial,
declaring she had never shown Hurd any
spirit messages Of any kind: that she had
treated him as she would a father, and
that all the money he ever gave her was
n return Tor the care she gave him.
Tho case was first tried before Justice
Gould in the Probate branch of the Dis
trict Supreme Court, the verdict being IN
favor of Mrs CTamer. The Court OF APP
peaIs reversed the finding of the lower
court, placing Mrs. Cramer in the position
of being compelled TO repay sum OF
money which she declared she did not
y
was made Il co-defendant with Mrs
Cramer. was declared by the trustees of
Hurd 5 estate TO be the custodian of the
money, which, however, has never been
located
Shortly before his death Hurd was re-
moved from the alleged influence of Mrs
Cramer and was taken TO sanitarium
in the north, where he died.
Gases Undecided.
twenty five or more important cases
were left undecided when the court ad-
journed for the summer yesterday.
Among these are the contempt cases
against Samuel Gompers, Frank Morri-
son and John Mitchell. officials of the
American Federation of Labor, which
nave been pending in the District Su-
preme Court and the Supreme Court OF
the United States for nearly three years
The effect OF the failure to hand down
decisions in the cases in which the labor
leaders asked that the decision of the
Supreme Court of the District of Column
bia be reviewed. will be to defer eXecu-
tion of the sentences against MeSsrs
Gompers, Morrison and Mitchell at least
until next fall.
Other cases on the leftover list include
the intermountain rate case, the citrus
fruit rate case. affecting the Florida East
Coast railway oversea to Key West; the
kentucky and Indiana state rate cases,
the Nashville-Atlanta reshippins privilege
case. the New York harbor sugar light
erage case and the California oil land
suits by individuals against railroads.
Among the state laws whose conStitu-
uonally remains undecided are those of
New York. giving the right to city Off
cials 10 tax national bank stocks regard
less of debts OF the owners. the Georgia
law, regulating headlights on locomotives;
the Kentucky law, taxing those who fur
nish information to commercial rating
houses; the Vermont law. taxing saving
deposits in national banks, and the Mas
sachusetts foreign corporation tax law.
Decisions Handed Down.
The Supreme Court also rendered
opinions as follows:
Decided that the United States is not
responsible for the flooding of a num-
her of plantations on the lower Mis-
sissippi river by reason of levee con-
Struction on the opposite side of the
river. Efforts had been made by plant
ers TO hold the government responsible
and 10 collect damages to total of
about $1,000, ,00o.
Upheld the federal courts OF Kentucky
in enjoining the city of Owensboro, KY.
from ouStIng the Cumberland Telephone
Company from its streets.
Affirmed the validity of the franchise
of the ArteSian Hot and Cold Water
Company of Boise, Idaho, the city hav
Ing attacked the cOmpany'S right to use
tue SlIottS anu ~ w III tlle
city.
Annulled Il city ordinance of Omaha.
Neb. passed IN 1908, which directed the
city electrician to disconnect wires of
the Omaha Electric Light and Power
COMPANY. The court held that the
company'S original franchise had not
expired. by reason of a grant in per-
petuity. and that it was not limited to
twenty years. 1t was also held that
the city had treated the franchise as
including the right to do an electric
heat and power business, and by such
treatment had abandoned the power to
stop the company from doing such
business.
Mrs. Seaman Denied Mandamus.
Denied a petition of Mrs. Elizabeth c.
Seaman. better known as Nellie Bly,"
for writ ot rnandamus TO have the
case of the American Steel Barrel Com
pany returned 10 the court from which
It had been removed on allegations
OF bias and prejudice on the part OF
the judge.
Held in favor OF the right OF pri-
vate individual to sue TO prevent stream
pollution. the case being one brought
by W. y. Gillespie OF Arizona against
the Arizona Copper Company.
Directed Il peremptory mandate sent
down in the case of the Curtis Turbine
Company against the Cramp ship
building Company. both of Philadelphia