The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-10-10
Trouble among Telegraph Men.

AIMING hcHs
The Western Union Telegraph Company
figured as party defendant, year ago, in a
suit tried in the Circuit Court for this county,
in which DR.. George 7. Hays was party
plaintiff. The action, it will be remembered,
was for damages occasioned by the compa-
ny's erecting its poles upon the lands of the
plaintiff without his leave or license first had
and obtained, and destroying his trees, &c.
When the case came to trial, however, the
Company's counsel urged in their defense to
the suit that unless the incorporation of said
Company was established by proofs adduced
in court, the plaintiff must fall and no evil
dence of that fact being found in this State
and the Court concurring in that view of the
law-the verdict was accordingly rendered
adversely to DR.. Hays. The legislative of
this State, subsequently passed an act of as
sembly requiring foreign corporations to put
upon record in each county and the city of
Baltimore, as the case might be, in which
their business operations are carried on, the
proper legal evidence of their Incorporation
This being the present status of affairs, on
one day of last week the poles of the Com
pany's line were discovered to be down and
the wires severed where said line crossed
over the Doctors property. On Friday there
appeared on the premises one Of the Superin-
tendents in the company's employ, and a
force Of some six or eight workmen, ready
IN lap In linz IN,
working condition-ts interruption causing
loss of some hundreds of dollars per day to
the corporation. simultaneously, also, the
Counsel for the company, II. W. Archer,
Esq, also put in an appearance on the scene
of action, in behalf of his client. The Doctor
protested and forbade their trespassing any
further upon his premises, and appeared de-
termined to maintain the inviolability of his
soil. The Superintendent seeing so deter
mined resistance attached an instrument to
the wires and telegraphed 10 headquarters
for further orders.
Whilst matters were in this posture din
ner was announced at the Doctors mansion
and true to the instincts of hospitality charac-
teristic of the man, the Counsel and Supcrin-
ten dent were invited to partake with him
of the meal. This was checrfully accepted
by both gentlemen, and the Doctor and one
of his guests proceeded to the formers dwell
ing, to be followed by the Superintendent
when he should have heard from his supe-
riorS in authority, an event momentarily eX-
y, l.,
was done to the viands provided, by all
present, including the laggard Supcrintcn-
dent, who reported that his orders were to
proceed to repair. Truce, however, was
thought by the Doctor TO be the order of the
occasion whilst dinner was in progress, but
imagine his establishment on emerging
from his dwelling, the meal being at length
finished, to find the full force of workmen
busily engaged in planting poles and stretch
ing the wires, large part of the work being
already accomplished Whilst lie had been en-
gagged in dispensing his hospitality That
the Doctor regretted not having limited his
afternoon meal to "hasty plate of soup"
was of course, under the circumstances, per-
fectly natural ; but regrets were of no avail.
However, he obtained from tie employees
their respective names, and again protesting
against their action in the premises, proceed
ed to Aberdeen and lodged complaint before
Squire Harris, who issued his warrant for
the arrest of all said employees at once.
The next train that arrived at Aberdeen,
by singular coincidence brought Sheriff
ForwOod to that depot who served the war
rant on short notice and brought six of the
Here comfortable quarters were provided at
Mr.. George p. Cooks Hartford House, in
lieu of the Jail, and the party who considered
themselves "in durancc vile" remained until
Saturday on parole. On that day writs OF
habeas corpus were sued out in their behalf
and his Honor, Judge Waters, discharged
them all. On Monday also writ of iniunc-
ton was sued out and served upon Dr. H., TO
prevent furthur interference with the poles
and wires upon his land. A countcrsuit we
understand is intended to be brought by the
Doctor and thus at present the matter stands
call quiet along the tslegrapA line"
Whether n telegraph company has the
right to enter upon private property and erect
their line without any steps first taken to Sc
cure the privilege, is Il conundrum that the
Doctor avows his determination to find a
corrct answer TO-
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