Omen on the High Court?

The entrance beneath the damaged area was closed to the public, and court-watchers and tourists were led inside through side entrances. The Supreme Court went on as usual, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.

It was unclear how much the broken piece weighed; marble typically weighs about 160 pounds per cubic foot. Officials said they were attempting to determine what caused the chunk to fall.

"As recently as two years ago, a contractor surveyed that pediment," said Eva Malecki, spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol, the agency that cares for the 1935 court building. "We still don't know why this happened."

The court is undergoing a $122 million renovation that includes an underground annex, a new security perimeter and electricity and plumbing upgrades. Arberg said it does not appear that the construction had anything to do with yesterday's incident.

After the pieces shattered into about four dozen shards, some of the schoolchildren nearby tried to grab the bits as souvenirs. They were stopped by police.

But Lippmann was craftier -- and a little more subtle. He slipped a piece into his pocket, even though his wife often lectures the kids against such actions.

"I've got a piece of the Berlin Wall at home," he said, out of earshot of the kids. "This is another piece for the collection."

Staff writer Charles Lane contributed to this report.