Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

District politics was lively enough
nifty years ago, when there were real
conventions and cleo
Livelv IncaI lions, and genui n e
4 -, parties in the field.
AOsAcs. The following in The
Star of April %, 1857. indicates that
political affairs did not lack for at
least verbal liveliness:
1T will be seen by the proceedings
elsewhere that the democracy. at their
convention last night. made the at
tempt to get their rickety, wheezy.
broken down old party machine out on
the track again. Everybody supposed
the twenty or thirty old fossils COM
posing that party to be comfortably
dead and buried, but it seems that I'M
quiet spirits are doomed to revisit the
earth whenever a municipal election Is
impending. Like the fine ould irish
jintleman' who couldn't stay dead
when the whisky was preached at his
wake, these old dodgers burst out OF
their sepulchre every year about the
time of the June elections, drawn out,
1t would seem, by the irresistible SAVIOR
of the offices. But they presently find
that they have no earthly business in
this busting business sphere. and after
hobblinE about for a season in every
bodys way they carry their rheumatic
old bones Off to their holes again. 1t
was all very we'll that they should
nominate Mr.. Frank McNerhany for
collector last night. for he is one of
the familiar old democratic twenty,
but we fancy that Messrs. Douglass
and Forsyth will hardly fancy the
DANA ging support of these gentlemen
| and the heavy weight of a democratic
nomination. We understand that some
of the younger delegates were opposed
to making democratic nominations, and
favored getting up strong conserva-
tive figure of the best men available.
but the old 'uns overruled them and
insisted upon running the crazy old
democratic machine again, hit or miss
To this end a bogus first waed delega
ton was admitted against the report
of the committee on credentials, and
when Mr.. Owen Thorn. who had ex-
pected to get the democratic nominal
ton for collector. failed to do So he
transferred his forces to Mr.. McNer-
hany. securing his nomination. The
whole affair was farce, as demo-
cratic nomination in this city is neither
ornamental nor useful to the person
receiving it. The conservative part of
the city, meanwhile, is not slow in ex-
pressing its disgust with this attempt
of the omnibus load of democrats to
boss things"
captured and brought to Washington,
the government was
Surrot+ SeaLs not in a hurry about
Day for Trial P Por shs h lincoln on 's as
sassination conspiracy. In The Star of
April 90. 1867, is an account of the
proceedings in court that day, when
counsel for Surratt made formal
motion that an early date be set Tor
the trial. 1t was set forth that only
inability to locate one particular wit
ness for the defense had prevented an
nouncement of readiness to go to trial
That witness had been located. but the
prosecuting attorney had resisted mo-
ton to set a date. Surratt's counsel
set forth that the prisoners means mad
been exhausted in seeking evidence
They concluded:
He is now ready. He challenges
the inquiry, and in the name of justice.
humanity and the due administration
of justice to all, whatever their condi-
ton in life, by the law OF the land
and under the bill of rights. the charter
Of our liberties, he demands speedy
trial-a trial at this term of court, and
that he shall not, if innocent. be held
longer in close confinement, rejected
and abhorred by men as though guilty
and day by day deprived of the means
by which he will vindicate his name
and establish his right to walk abroad
as a free man."
District Attorney Darlington rejected
the motion to fix a particular day for
trial.
In The Star of April 90. 1867. is
news story telling of the final decision
in case that had been pending in
the District courts for
Old Court Casa four years. One Pur-
- cell owned a farm in
Oeciueu. Virginia and one Cole
man owned house on Capitol Hill.
They verbally agreed to trade. but
Coleman, after seeing the farm, re-
fused to take it and moved back into
his house. Purcell resisted and secured
his custer by decision of Justices
Giberson and Ferguson, who fined him
for forcible entry and detainer. Cole
man refused to pay the fine and was
committed to Jail. Purcell filed a bill
in equity to compel an enforcement of
4. t.,l.