Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-01

nay M stewart, eighteen years Ola,
convicted of attempted robbery. after
being denied the privilege of the proba-
ton system. had drawn a loaded revolver
from his pocket and discharged three
shots in a crowded courtroom at the ma
tion's capital. The boy was overpowered
the bullets went wild and luckily no one
was injured. On the theory that he was
attempting to Kill two policemen who had
testined against him Stewart was in
dlcted Tor assault to kill. and after a.
recent trial was convicted. He is now
awaiting sentence.
The leading law case OF 1913 was the
new man custer proceeding. On the
claim that Oliver p Newman was not
a resident of the District for tnree
years ibefore his appointment as Dis
tr1ct Commissioner. W. ]. Frizzeil. tax
payer, sought writ In quo warrante
against Mr.. Newman. Justice Wright
allowed the writ to issue, but at a hear
Ing before Justice Anderson the writ was
quashed and the petition dismissed, the
court holding that the taxpayer had not
sumcient interest in the Office to main
tain the proceeding. and also that the
action Of the President and Senate on
the appointment was conclusive on the
courts. Mr.. Frizzell has noted an ap-
peal from this decision. which is pending.
Another interesting law case was the
mandamus proceeding brought by Sam
uel L. kalbfus, a deposed member OF
the permanent board of assistant as
SCISSORS. who sought to compel the Com
missioners to reinstate him. He lost in
the lower court, but is prosecuting an
appeal from the decision of Justice Bar
nard.
Criminal Cases Disposed Of. :
The past year has been a record break
er in the matter Of the disposal OF
criminal cases. A total OF $50 convic-
tions were secured by United States At
torney Wilson and his assistant prosecu-
tors, Hawken, Proctor and wampler OF
these 40 Were tried in Criminal Court
No. 1 and 137 in Criminal Court No >.
since October but two acquittals were
secured in the criminal courts and dur
ing the year less than ten escaped con-
viction. Fourteen cases were appealed
to the District Court of Appeals; OF This
number eight have been heard and de-
cided, one has been argued and is under
submission in the court five remain To
be heard in the appellate tribunal or
these appeals the government has lost
only one case, being the reversal of the
murder charge against William II. Sa-
bens. in which the court held that drunk
enness affected the power of a mans
mind to deliberate.
Probably the most important case
finally determined this year was that OF
treasurer OF the defunct First CO.
operative Building Association of George
town. convicted Of embezzling the funds
Of the association and destroying its
records. Miller's third conviction was
affirmed by the Court of Appeals and a
petition for review denied by the
United States Supreme Court Miller
was taken to Baltimore this week TO be-
gin the service of term OF twenty years
in the penitehtiary.
Bucket Shop" Cases Ended.
Tho ,a,ohr, tod hucirat Shov ~ Coz uyt;~S
grew out of raid April 1. 1910. by order
of the Department OF Justice, in seven
cities of the Union, were finally disposed
Of during the year. Fines aggregating
$1,000 were paid by the defendants. in
GLIDING Louis Celia, Angela Celia. VIII
liam B. Price and Joseph f. Gatins and
their associates.
The land fraud cases. which had been
before the courts since 1904. were termi-
mated last fan. The trial of these cases
i'm 1908 occupied the attention of the
court and jury for eleven weeks and was
the second longest trial in the history of
local criminal trials. Witnesses were
brought from the Pacific slope at a cost
of So, 00o-to the United States Frederick
A. Hyde of San Francisco and Joost Ii.
Schneider of Tucson, Ariz-, the only two
of the men convicted. recently began to
serve sentences committed by President
Wilson. Schneider was allowed to serve
sixty days at Occoquan in lieu of a SEN
tence of fourteen months in the peni-
Tertiary and a fine of S1,too. The sen
tence of Hyde was reduced from two
years in the penitentiary TO one year ana
one day. His fine of $4,000 was not coIa-
muted.
Two men paid the pena t. % death "a
the gallows during 1913. On. was white
and the other colored. Samuel II. kalesl.
an ex-soldier. who killed his wife and
brother, was executed last spring. Ne
thaniel Green. colored, was put 10 death
following his conviction Of q feionle0s
assault on a woman clerk in the office
Of the District assessor.
Nine Guilty of Murder.
Nine men were adiudge6 guilty OF muir
der in the second degree during the year
and seven were convicted of man.
aughter Those serving time for muir
der are William Sabens. Nathan Johnson
and Theodore Norris. each thirty years:
Leo Thomas and Alonzo Stevenson,
twenty-five years each; Richard Light-
foot, Ernest NJ. Neil, Landon Bean and
Albert Proctor each twenty years, the
minimum penalty.
The ongest sentence imposed this
year for manslaughter was twelve
years, given to Frank Dougherty, one
Of four young white men convicted or
killing John Spencer, colored, on the
Benning road in July. John j. Patten,
Joseph O'Donnell and Joseph Needham.
his companions. Were also sentenced
Patten was given eight years and has
noted an appeal The others were SEN
fenced to six years each. Clayborne
Adams, indicted for murder, pleaded
guilty to manslaughter and was sent
to prison for seven years. William
Johnson is serving term of fve years