The Washington times., 1922-12-22
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Mrs. Alma Smyths rIsads Qyss
Cause in 500. 900 I.
kiss Suit"

Never in the history Of the is-
trict Supreme Court until toQay
had a dog the honor Of being p}r-
mitted At the bar facing hs
bench as its owner was addrS3e-
ing the presiding justice.
The precedent was set today
when Mrs. Alma G. Smyths, sf
Alexandria, Va, accompanied sby
q well-groomed, harnessed fox
terrier, faced Justice Hitz, pre-
siding in Circuit Court No. i in
support Of her suit for $1,000
damages against Leighton Tay-
lor, former private secretary to
the late Boise Penrose, United
States Senator from Pennsylva-
mia. So
49,. Nd. ON Cfsk
q. ~, ~
her when she went to the Senators
office. May 1, 1921. to- obtain an
liptar1SieNa with Mr.. PenrOse.r
MFs. Bfnythe. her faithful dog
| sitting beside her on q chair, asked
the court to overrule the motion
Of the attorney for the defendant
to dismiss the suit.
Attorney J. T. Taylor. appearing
for the defendant, pleaded the
statute Of limitations. claiming that
az the suit was not filed until
October 8, 1922, more than . year
after the alleged attempt to kiss
her. 1t cannot be entertained by
the court.
Listening to counsel for the de-
fen6ant, Justice Hitz, In taking the
case under advisement, said: "Your
client kissed lady and now wants
to plead the statute Of limitations,
does ,he?"
Afraid Of Lawyers.
Declaring that she was afraid
that he might be bought off,"
Mrs. Smythe declined to have
lawyer assigned to take care of her
case. She informed the court of
employing Oscar Thomas. an
Alexandria lawyer, to bring the
original suit, which was filed
against Taylor last year. Mrs.
Smythe said she found everything
irregular about the suit and had II
dismissed. and filed a new suit
herself. Is =
The plaitiff, who is pretty, held
the attention of the lawyers as
she presented her side Of the matter
| and told the court that she had
been persecuted by Taylor ever
since "he' thought he would like to
kiss her and she did not think she
wanted to be kissed"
The court was also informed by
- a
Department of Justice had bounded
her and that she was not allowed
to leave Alexandria until she had
obtained protection here from Com.
missioner Oyster, who had promised
that the police, would protect her
from being harassed.
As a result Of charges having
been preferred against him for flirt.
ink with Mrs. Alma c. Smythe, who
assumed a role of prominence in the
press when she sued Leighton Tay.
lor. aide to the late Senator Pen
rose. for 100000, Charles Il. Petty,
Alexandria business man. today pre-
ferred counter-charges against Mrs.
Smythe. alleging that she totes"
gun. - Ns
A warrant for the comeIy WON.
ans arrest was issued today. and
she will stand trial tomorrow in
Alexandria's local police court.
Testimony taken at the "f1irta.
ton" hearing yesterday developed
the fact that after Petty had ac-
costed Mrs. Smythe on the street,
she flashed wicked looking re-
volver and kept Petty covered with
IL until officers arrived.
Petty was, assessed IS and costs
in court for his participation in the
Filtration and then hied himself to
Chief Of Police Charles T. Goods for
the warrant charging the woman
with carrying deadly and concealed