The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-10-31
THE INDIANA RAILROAD WAR.

Porter county, IND, as well us TIE Oni-
ted States Circuit Court, have decided
that the Michigan Central Railroad
should allow the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad to cross its track near the Lake
Station, still that company refuses to
abide by the decisions of the Courts,
and bids defiance to its mandates and
officers. To prevent the Baltimore and
Ohio from crossing its track, it has
taken the law in its own hands, and
way, and stationed there an army of
men to watch day and night that no
coup d'etat is attempted by the Balti-
more and Ohio. The latter road has
thus far acted entirely on the defensive,
believing that after the decisions of the
courts we're given the opposition to
their crossing would cease.
After the last decision by Judge
Drlmmond, the solicitor Of the Balti
more and Ohio requested Mr.. Gardner,
the chief engineer of the Michigan
Central, to name the time and day when
it would be most convenient to his road
for the crossings to be made. The. an
swer was that they should prevent the
crossings by force, and III no event per
nit it. Therefore the officers of the
Baltimore and Ohio, having arrived at
that point where patience ceases to be a
virtue, called upon the sheriff of Porter
county, Indiana, to aid them III making
the crossing. Early one morning about
o'clock the attorneys for the Balti-
more and Ohio, Judge Cowan, Of Balti-
more, Judge Anthony and Ex-Governor
Baker, of Valparaiso, and Mr.. Jones,
of Valparaiso, James Hamshire, James
L. Randolph, Chief Engineer James
Walsh, General Agent, and a cOnstruc-
ton corps of about fifty men, together
with Robert Is. Jones, Sheriff of Porter
county, Harvey Patrick, Deputy, and a
posse of twenty citizens, went to the
place where the crossing IS to be made.
On arriving there they found upon
the ground a force of about 800 men
placed there by the Michigan Central, to
oppose the crossing by the Baltimore and
Ohio. There were also standing upon
the main track of the Michigan Central,
just across the right of way, three con-
struction TRAINS. To allow the regular
trains to pass, side-track on the north
side of the main track had been con
structed Barricades of ties, rails, and
wood had been placed on each side OF
the crossing between the main track
and the fence, and each barricade was
manned by a number Of men ready to
annihilate any one who should touch the
pile. AS an additional precaution on
either side had also been dug deep
bitches, and inside the bitches camp
fires were brightly burning, with mum
bers of men around them.
Judge Cowan, the Solicitor Of the
Baltimore and Ohio, asked the men
under whose orders they were acting,
and the answered under the orders of
Chief Engineer Gardner. Not finding
Mr.. Gardner on the ground, the of
ticers of the Baltimore and Ohio, in the
presence of the Sheriff and his posse of
citizens of the county, climbed the
fence, and endeavored to storm the
barbados. But in mOment the army
of the Michigan Central was upon them,
and the attacking party was compelled
to fall back considerably demoralized,
without having obtained possession of
the track. This attempt to take possess
iOn'Of the crossing was not made until the
Solicitor of the Baltimore and Ohio had
publicly announced that they came III
the name of the Company, and after the
Court had decided they should cross.
1t was also announced that the Sheriff
vas present to put the Company i'll
possession under writ issued by the
Circuit Court of Foster County. The
writ was read to the crowd and atten-
lively listened to, and then.explained by
the Solicitor, who stated that to resist
the writ was a criminal oifense, and
punishable by a fine of 1000 and SIX
months in the penitentiary.
The Sheriff and his posse then en-
deayored to take possession of the or oSS-
ing, but they We're also routed, and
forced to precipitate retreat. The
Solicitor again begged the men tC
dispense and allow the law to take its
course, unless they would be prosecuted
for riot, rout, fOrcible detainer, obStruct
ing legal process, and other otfenses.
Horrible and long as this list Of crimes
| IS, the men did not care a snap for the
penalties, not budging an inch from
their position, claiming that they had
been placed there by their superiors,
and all they hadto do was to obey. The
| Sheriff then attempted to arrest the
! leaders of the army of occupation, and
take them before the nearest Justice, to
be dealt with according to law, but he
was not allowed to lay hands upon any
/ of them.
The next step was the procurement
of warrants for q number of the men,
and afterward an attempt was made to
serve them, but this was again prevent
ed by force, and legal process obstruct-
! ed. While the warrants were being
read, the crowd hooted and yelled, the
engines whistled, and snuffed, and
shrieked, creating such an uproar as to
drown the words of the person reading
! the writs. The assistant roadmaster
| Watts, OF the Michigan Central, then
mounted one of the barbados and pub
! licly proclaimed that he'd be id if a
! single man should be arrested from
that force. He acted under instruc-
tions to resist all process of law, and to
/ hold the crossing at I'll hazards.
/ One of the men of the Baltimore
and Ohio construction corps who was
/ called upon by the sheriff to identify
some of the ringleaders was roughly
! handled by the crowd, and Informed
/ that should he be seen again on the
] rrrc1,pI Of tho AIiobioo,, Ca1tro1 -