Evening star., 1925-11-29
THE MITCHELL COURT.MARTJAL
BY FREDERIC J. H1SKIV

You might expect the place to be
dignifed and impressive It is not
From your perusal of the newspa per
columns and your experience with
news reels, YOU might expect TO see
cheering throngs, flags. bunting
mounted policemen. perhaps a band or
two. and all that goes with a gala and
highly important oCCa sion. but YOU
would not see that. You might EXPECT
to find all Washington gaping at
news bulletins and breathlesSly await
ing information as TO how Col Mitch
ellis case is coming on, but YOU would
not find that
When the Mitchell trial opened
Washington really was excited Some
said that the Capital had been look.
Ing FOR years for something-eXclud.
ing base ball-to get excited over
and finally had found It. But Wash.
inston gets used 10 such things
quickly. and interest waned, or rather
the trial took its place beside many
other interests. And when II did the
Mitchell court martial although 1t is
still much discussed became more or
less commonplace viewed as a show
or spectacle.
OF course, it yet attracts many. The
courtroom is crowded. Interested per.
sons attend daily. There are in
Washington many women whose do.
mestic duties do not call upon them
for much time. and who become in.
Veterate attendants of hearings and
trials and investigations. Manv of
them attend the Mitchell trial daily.
The Courthouse"
The place is at First and & streets
at the foot of Capitol Hill, and in the
shadow of the dome that marks the
pinnacle of Americas S olympus But
b street is a side street 1t has the
quiet of secluded residence street
1t is lined with trees that in the Sum.
mer form green archway, but which
In their November nakedness. cast
shadowy streaks on the street and the
old building which is the courthouse
Ih1s building. known as the Emery
Building. is rather shabby. Its red
bricks are little dingy i'm the shadows
cast by trees, and the keystone over
the doorway, which bears the legend
u. ;. Census is worn and weather.
beaten. 1t was built more than a quar-
ter or q century ago, and named in
honor OF q candidate for the mayoralty
OF Washington in the days when the
Capitafs citizens could vote That
was long time ago. 1t was made
the headquarters of the Census Blu
reau and served for many years in
that capacity
Inside the dinginess increased. The
moor Is worn and the splinters jab
| If they were lined with cardboard.
One feels, in fact. that this edifice
has long since given up all evidence
of life and that the trial within it
might be some sort of spectral gather
ing.
On the walls are signs directing
the interested to the courtroom. They
point down the corridors of the first
| floor and then lead up the stairs.
There one comes to the courtroom
and its environs. The room for wit
| nesses, the pressroom and the room
for the judges are designated by
signs. Then there is the courtroom
| itself.
Like an Old Schoolroom.
1t is something like grade school.
room of many years ago. There are
posts in 1t. The windows are long.
1t is Stuffy one moment and then,
should some one open one of the long
draWn-out windows, the place as
| sumes the temperature of a refriger-
ator. And to make the common
placeness, of the surroundings more
Soihpiete there WAS. the otner morn
ing. family washing Tapping on a
clothesline just outside the window
back Of Maj. Gen. r. L. Howe, pres
| ident of the court. The seats Of the
mighty are often set in simplicity.
Around a curved table in one end
of the room sits the judges, four
major generals, five brigadiers and
| a colonel. At one end of this table
sits counsel for the defense and at
the other end sits counsel for the
prosecution. And between them sits
the man they are battling over, gaz-
| ing straight at the president of the
court and its law member apd right
across the stenographer table which
| bears the records of his amazing trial.
Next to him sits Mrs. Mitchell, smil.
| ing. confident and a little defiant.
| Col. Mitchell is right in the center