Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-09-16
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FEARING UP A RAILROAD TRACK.-At the
a., meeting of the City Council an order was
.,3 requesting the Board of Public Works
I',aL, mn the railroad track on Henry street
IT, ,5 i" M, that street in good repair The action
- ,he City Council was communicated to Mr.
II Inward, the General Solicitor of the Pennsyl
r,n;a Central Railroad by Mr.. Beach, the
S s''T,: of the A. & W. Railroad and
~, latter obtained an i:juuction from Judge
K1;th restraining the City Council from
:s,rytering with the track in question:
rb, INJUNCTION was not filed, however, as Mr..
Rn.,h and COL Stuart the Corporation Attor-
NV made an agreement by which the track was
NM n r. be molested until further preliminaries
r. r, settled and in consequence of this argree-
,,anr the Board of Public Works suspended
".ri,u. This morning for the first time in
many months, the track was used in the trans
n,rration of the circus by the cars of the w. 4
O. Il. r., and about three or four hours there
qf;sr train OF cars belonging to the A. 4 w.
Il L. came down the track as far as Duke street,
when about one hundred cclored laborers, who
were on ii olsen barkcd and commenced tearing
nm the track. Hardly had they begun their
work before the news spread throughout the
n,iehhorhood. and 10 short time some three
or four hundred residents of the city had as
srmbled and were loud in their denuncaions
Of the proceedings in progress. Col. Stuart be-
;gr apprized OF what was IN progress, FASTENED
n the scene. and was there Informed that the
work was being done under Instructions from
Nr. Beach, but disbclieving this, in consequence
cfthe agreement he had made with that gen
tlcuan he ordered the laborers to desst, aud
his orders not being complied with, he with
Lieut. Smith and Il squad of police at once ar
rested f. l.. DuBarry, Superintendent Of the
road aud Joseph Wood and L. w. Esh, his
assistants, who We're experimenting the work
and carried them to the station house, where
Trey were locked up iu the cells. The work
OF tearing up the track ceased as soon as this
arrest was made, for several of the citizens had
bv that tine become very much excited, and
threats were made Of dire vengeance upon any
who should renew it. About two clock, the
arrested parties, accompanied by S. +. Beach,
+. l.. Smith and +. L. Smith jr., their
counsel, were brought before Mayor Berk-
ley and Justice May, but were released
Colonel Stuart agreeing to withdraw his
charge of disorderiy conduct and attempt,
ing to create a riot. if Mr. Beach would
allow the question to be decided upon legal
grounds Mr. Beach having stated that ne
had given no instructions to tear the track up,
done until after the arrest had been made and
that since then he had been Informed that the
work had bceu done under instructions from
Nr. Howard, filed his bill Of injunction, and
the large crowd who had collected in the
Mayors office dispersed While the case was
in ;rogress petition for a writ OF habeas cor
pus returnable Instantly before Judge Lowe,
was prepared for the release OF the parties in
arrest. aud would have been issued had not the
Mayor concluded to discharge them. In the
meantime the crowd of citizeus on Henry
street had torn up some Of the rails on the
north side of the traiu which had been sent
down to carry away the rails, but did not sue
ce.i in doing so. until the locomotive had made
its escape, and it was closed by men armed with
stones.
During the trial at the Mayor office two more
men employed by the A. & W. r. r. Co.
were arrested by Officer Ogden aud brought
to the station house for tearing up the rails
on the north eud of Il track, aud their
arrest having been reported to the Mayor,
ne ordered tie police force to guard the
track and arrest all parties interfering with II.
The whole proceedings created great excite
ment throughout the city, and at times when
the locomotive was chased, and when the labor
cr> dropping their picks were chased up Henry
street. Dy tnc ponce Win uIa"u Ie'oiseis'
ii was thought that blood would be spilled.
The citizens who tore up the track and cap
turcl the cars were commanded by Mr.. j. T.
B.ckham, a member of the Board Of Public
Works.
Alter the settlement at the mayors Office the
laborc>S, had their tools restored to them, and
al fur clock this evening were reiaylng the
pat ot the track torn up by the citizens SO that
the capturcd cars could be recovered
Jhe supposed agreement entered into at the
Mayors Office was not observed, for after the
track north of the captured train had been re-
laid the locomotive backed down, the iron
torn up from the south end Of the track
was put on the cars, and the laborers having
gotten aboard, the whole train moved off, those
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