Evening star., 1922-01-01
THE COURTS.

The Court of Appeals Of the Dis
! trict of Columbia had it's peak" year
| in 1921. The three justices heard
and determined during the year 314
! cases. This volume of appellate
business was exceeded by only two
circuit courts of appeals in the coun-
! try, these being the circuits including
| the cities of New York and Chicago.
! There remain I59 cases for the be
! ginning Df the new year. These
| include eichty-nine appeals on the
| regular calendar. seven special APP
] peals and sixty-three patent appeals.
Power Company Decision.
The most important decisions of the
District Court of Appeals in 1921 in
volved the appeal of the Potomac
Electric Power Company from the
decision of the late Justice Gould
unfolding the valuation placed on the
company'S property by the Public IT'LL
tiles Commission and the decision in
the mlnlnum wage case. The ap-
pellate court reversed the power de-
cision, which had been in favor of
the commission, and declared that an
important element of value had been
disregarded by the commission. The
CeedingS.
The appellate court upheld the con-
StitutionaIity Of the minimum wage
for women, but fater granted a re
hearing. and another decision is "N-
pected early in the new year
When the United States Supreme
Court had sustained the validity Of
the Ball rent law and reversed the
decision of the Court Of Appeals The
after tribunal sent down its man
date to the District supreme Court.
Many landlords had secured posses
sion of propery under ;he decision ot
the Court of Appeals, holding the law
unconstitutional. but tenants that hah
appealed We're permitted TO retain
possession by the action of the high
est court in the land The tenants
We're aided by the justices of the Dis
trict supreme Court. who declared 7
sort Of moratorium by taking under
adviscment all motions of landlords
for summary Judgment. decision beins
reserved until the Supreme Court %
the United States had acted.
In the District supreme Court
strenuous efforts were made during
1921 to relieve the extreme conEt :
ton in litigation there. but. despite
the addition to the court hours and
the transfer of about 5oa cases 70
the Municipal Court last June, When
the jurisdiction of that tribunal Wa~
the business Of this court is regard
ed as ''deplorable The need of addi-
tional justices continues to be press
ing.
The death last May of Justice Ash
ley NJ Could proved a serious set
in some measure by the prompt ac-
! ton OF President Harding. who, on
the una animous request af the bar
association. named Adolrh A. ioeh-
ling. IA local lawyer. to succeed Jus
tice Gould. Justice Hoehling, after
spending two months in the Equity
| Court where he disposed OF num-
Der of cases. turned his attention
to the appeal docket of cases from
! the Municipal Court. on which were
cases of many years standing. lie
| has practically disposed OF this list
of more than 300 cases. The ether
justices have been sitting longer each
day and have been holding lawyers
to the assignment and requiring them
to try or dismiss their cases.
:; number of cases of national i'm
port were tried before the District
Supreme Court during the past year
Among these was the proceeding
brought by the Department of Jus
tice against the big five" packing
concerns of the country in which
consent decree was signed. divorcing
! the packers from all business not
allied 70 the meat industry
The Western Union Telegraph COM
pany filed injunction proceedings
against the Department of state, the
Navy Department and the war De
partment growing out of the inter-
ference by war vessel with the
mending of the company's cable at
Miami Peach. Fla. and coJimar, CUBA;
The Wilson administration claimed
the company was about to hook UP
the line with the Barbados cable
William Randolph Hearst secured an
injunction against the United states
Shipping Board preventing the sale of
the war vessels taken from Germany
during the war. and Charles w. Morse.
shipbuilder was placed under bonds
of $4,000 to await action by the local
grand jury on charges OF conspiracy
in connection with his dealings with
the shipping Board. Mr. Morse was
requested to return from France to
give the bond. Jules. alias Nicky
Arnstein of New York and others
were convicted of conspiracy growing
out of bond thefts.
The grand jury reported 1.210 in
dictments during the year. The two
criminal courts disposed of about 900
cases by trials or pleas of guilty. This
left about 800 cases to be added to
congested calendar of more than
1000 criminal charges untried. The
death sentence was pronounced only
once in 1921, and William II. Camp
bell. twenty-five years old. colored,
was nanSeu Mafcn IL on tne dnHlNef-
sary of the killing of Mrs. Gertrude
II. Mann near Conn. ave and Porter
place. Campbell was not apprehended
for several months after the tragedy.
New litigation commenced during
the year included 1918 lawsuits, lisp
equity proceedings. -siNty-four land
condemnations and forty-one bank
ruptcy petitions. In the equity courts
about 500 cases We're heard. and on
the law side about 500 cases tried or
dismissed No record is kept of the
dismissed equity proceedings.
In the probate division there were
filed during the year $50 wills. 1.142
petitions for administration and $50
applications for appointment of
guardian. The years record of orders
occupied 9.69S typewriter pages.
while 3.772 eXemplifica tions and 1909
certified copies We're issued
Marriages declined nearly Is per
cent during 1921. Col. W. A. Kroll.
! the license clerk. issued only 6104
licenses as against 1.031 in 1920
Maj Peyton Gordon was appointed
United States attorney for the Dis
trict of Columbia last August. follow
ing the resignation of John f. Laskey.
Charles w. Arth. Paul 3. Cromelin
and Lucian II. Nandoren resigned as
assistants.
| COR0NER's OFFICE.