Evening star., 1916-05-14
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

IN THE STAR
In the long course Of legislation in
Congress affecting the District few
measures prop
Ril1 IN Renea1 have so stirred tho
o local community as
oAty OAoA seA' the bill introduced at
the first session Of the Thirty ninth
Congress to repeal the city charter. In
The Star Of May Q. 1866. is the follow
ing item relating to It:
''Mr. Morrill,. from the Senate District
committee. reported back today with
amendments the bill in addition to the
several acts for establishing the tenn
porary and permanent seat of the gov
ernment Of the United States and to re-
sumo the legislative powers delegated
to the cities of Washington and
Georgetown and to the Levy Court in
the District of Columbia The bill pro-
vides for taking away the charter of
Washington and Georgetown and for
appointing the following executive Of
ficers for the District: Three Commits
sioners. private secretary of the Presi-
dent for the District, solicitor. assessor.
collector. treasurer, controller. clerk of
the Commissioners. engineer, board Of
health, superintendent of weights and
measures. board of police. superinten-
dent of streets. supervisors of streets.
fire department and water department
Salaries of Commissioners, $2,500: COL
lector of taxes. one-half Of l per cent:
controller of treasury of District.
$1,000; engineer. $1,000: taxes. poll tax.
hrp nf IN a
property. The amendments provide that
the District shall have a delegate in
Congress, to be elected on the first
Monday of September. 1866. and there
after every succeeding two years.
In The Star of May 10. 1866 is print
ed an interesting affidavit. affording a
curious supplementary
An Insistent chapter in the history of
the Merchants National
OopoSIIoi. Bank. which had just
a depositor in the bank and upon the
closing of the institution had on de-
posit 5000. On asking for his money he
was informed by the officers. the 4th
of May, that no business would be
transacted that day and asked to call
again. The next day he called and was
informed by an officer of the bank that
he would be paid for his lost time If he
mixed with the people outside and en-
next Monday. failing to obtain any sat
isfaction from the president of the
bank, he decided to adopt a different
course. and Wednesday morning he ac-
costed the bank president on the lat
ter's arrival, following him into the
bank. and denounced him as a swindler.
the president sending for an officer. who
advised the affiant to leave the bank,
which he did. and waited for the presi
dent outside, pursuing him when he ap
peared from one store to another. TAX
ing up a position in front of a store
where the president had taken refuge.
he declared in loud tone of voice that
unless he was paid his money he pro-
posed to kill the bank president,
whereupon the proprietor of the store
appeared and proposed to the aff1ant that
if he ceased his vociferationS he would
himself draw a check for the amount of
the deposit and it would be cashed. which
was done and the check was cashed. 1T ap-
pears that this fortunate depoSitor was
a timer. and the deadly weapon with
which he was armed on this occasion
was a soldering iron.
The work of cleaning up the city a,
this time fifty years ago was attended
with many difficulties. from
Clean.Up the Indifference of few OF
the residents. In The Star
"oAh. of May ~, 1866. is the fol-
lowing news item:
THE officers of the sanitary detail
have been busily engaged this week
and seem to be more vigilant as the
summer advances. 1t is creditable to
our citizens that but few decline to
abate the nuisances complained of as
soon as the officers notify them. This
week. up to yesterday, not fine ha6
registered over 100. There are some
places which are a source of constan,
complaint. most of them the property
of wealthy men. In these cases the
law did not apply in such a way as to
secure the abatement of the nuisance
Such is the nuisance in Tiber creek. be-
tween Indiana and Pennsylvania ave
nues; also the lot in the rear OF
Growers Theater. between 18th and
1ith streets, where is deposited all the
cupied by colored families in that vi
cinity. The deposits here are made al
night. and though the officers have
watched the place for weeks past, they
have been unable to detect the guilty
parties. The neighbors, we under
stand. have proposed to the owner OF
this lot to inclose 1t with a substan-
tial fence, upon condition that if it be
sold within short time he will allow
them to remove it. He declined the
offer. saying that anything placed upon
the lot is his property
announcements were made unofficially
relating to the
Indictment Against prosperity
Jefferson Davis. Iarorsan no,;s
Finally an Indictment was returned by
the federal grand jury at Norfolk and
1t was expected that the trial would
take place in that city early in June
In The Star of May Is, 1855, is printed
the full text of the indictment, the
language of which is interesting. 1t
charges that Jefferson Davis did stir,
move and incite insurrection, rebellion
and war against the said United States
of America on the 18th day of June. in
of Richmond - and with force of
arms. unlawfully. falsely. maliciously
and traitorously, did compass, imagine
and intend to raise levy and carry on
war. insurrection and rebellion against
the said United States of America and