Evening star., 1923-09-02
Heard and Seen

What do you know about your
courthouse?
In most American cities the court
house is the main building of the
town. especially in places of $4,000
population or under.
Around it center most of the mu-
nicipal activities. Usually there is
soldiers monument in front of it, and
maybe a fountain.
The National Capital of this Coun-
try, on the other hand. is so crowded
that the local courthouse is apt to be
lost to the sightseers gaze in the be-
wildering shuttle.
Yet no stranger or local resident
should miss making a careful exami-
nation of the courthouse. Merely as
a building it offers architectural
beauty in some respects second to
none in Washington.
1t is set in as lovely park as
there is in the city, park filled 10
overf1owing with the greenest Of
green grass. the tallest and biggest
of trees and bright flowers. Here
every day little children come to play
and mothers to bring their littleSt
ones.
Pigeons huttcr by the score through
the air. attracted by food brought to
them by frequenters of Judiciary
Square Squirrels abound in the park.
too, adding their lively bit to the
! other beauties of nature.
= ::
/ The courthouse is distinguished
from many other public buildings in
Washington by reason of the fact
that it has only few watchmen sta
toned at doors. At most public build
| ings man wearing a badge confronts
! you at every door.
At the courthouse. however, there
are only few watchmen. The build
! ing is wide open. Children pass
through the basement floor. which is
really on a level with the street, and
/ 7 would not he surprised If some OF
them speed through on their roller
! skates.
! There are so many lawyers and
! others hurrying around the building
! at all hours that the whole place is
| wide open. Yet the privilege is not
abused Quiet and order seems to
maintain itself
x :;
Justice Siddons. with his genial in
tellectual face is presiding these days
! in the Supreme Court. When one
opens the door to Circuit Division
. and looks in he sees the full majesty
of the law in operation.
There sits Justice Siddons. in his
! black robe, while below is the clerk
and crier. If one is fortunate to be
in when the court opens. he Will see
the judge march in, stand at his chair.
the lawyers and spectators arise, and
a sort OF droning commences. 1t is
the rite of opening court.
After this is done-and everybody
seems glad to get 1t through with
/ court opens in earnest. A lawyer
arises from his chair in front OF the
table down below the Judge.
Your honor" he begins. Some
times a woman lawyer appears.
The business Of the court is con-
Quoted with a curious lack of dis
tinctness of speech. Undoubtedly the
justice can hear the lawyers. and the
lawyers bear the judge, but the audi
tor back on the mourncrs' bench has
to crane his ears.
The various courtrooms are inter-
esting places to visit, especially
Circuit Division 2. where there are
seats for seven judges, ranged in a
row like chessmen, the tallest seat
in the middle of the seven.
In this room there are some fine
paintings of former justices. There
may be seen the likeness of Justice
Andrew Wylie, who sat on the bench
from 1853 to 1885. The portrait of
Chief Justice Edward +. Bingham,
1887 to 1908, also appears.
other paintings are of Chief
Justice william Cranch. 1906 to 1855;
Thomas H. Anderson. associate justice
from 1901 to 1916: Chief Justice Harry
M. Clabaugh, 1903 to 1914, and Justice
James S. Morsell. 1915 to 1858.
On the top floor the courthouse
has a dandy little restaurant. run by