The Washington critic., 1885-10-01
BLAKE FINED.
The Result of Obsiructing the Side
walk with TrnnSpnrcnCic-.

The Result of ObStruCting the side
walk with Transpnrcncics.
The chief attraction at Judge Smells
Court this morning was large transpar.
cucy that stood in the corner and pro-
claimed that the Columbia Typographical
Union had boyoottcd Gibson Bros, printers.
Edwin Blake, chairman Of the special COM
mittcc Of the Union, was defendant on the
charge Of obstructlng the sidewalk In front
Of Mcssrs. Gibson Bros printing house.
corner Of Thirteenth street and Pennsylva-
mia avenue. The courtroom was crowded
with spectators Lieutenant Arnold was
the first witness called, and stated that
transparency, carried by colored man,
had been broken by Mr. Vim. Gibson about
noon IN front of the luttcr's office, and that
large crowd assembled 4 police call was
sent out over the wires, and he aud his men
responded. No one was arrested then. The
crowd fingered around waiting for more
excitement, There had been several com.
plants Ivy merchants In the neighbOrhoOd
Of the printing Office to the effect that the
crowd ntcrfcrcd with their business. Later
IN the day, about 2.iO o'clock, another
transparency, borne by colOrcd man,
came along, and largo crowd assembled.
lie asked the defendant If he was re-.
spousihlo for the asscmblugc aud he said
lie was and witness ordered him under ar
rest.
Mr.. William Gibson. ono Of the propric-
tors Of the printing house, stated that the
transpaicncics have been paradcd in front
| Of his doors and windows and the entrance
| 10 his place Of business was obstruCted
| When the colOred man stopped In front of
| his house with the transparency and the
| crowd swellOd, one of his employees drove
! him of the sidewalk. lie said there were
! f... 1. al. .tfrt.
| was offensive and insulting to them. II. T.
| liicstuu stated that the banner caused his
! horse to stamp and become uuruly, Mr.
| W. Il. E0stOu, q statiOucr on the Avenue,
| stated that the crowd Ohstructod his bust
! ness. William b. StcinmetZ, the halter on
| the opposite side Of the street, said that
! customers were impcdcd in getting into his
! store. :. Wilmington, q merchant, swOrc
! that the crowd iutcriCrcd with his business.
For the defense, Julian $. Wright, a
| printer was put on the stand. lie said
| there were about fifteen or twenty persons
! on the Avenue near Gibson's when the
! transparency came along. Lieutenant Ar
! mold came along and said to Mr. Blake:
"Do ycu acknowledge your responsibility
| for thisE pointing TO the transparency
| Mr. Blake said he did, and the lieutenant
| put him under arrest. Mr.. Padget, the
| prosecuting attorney, said the object Of this
| was TO provoke an assault and moro than an
| ordinary fine should be imposed. lie said
| that Just such things as these had caused
| murder and Hpinc, and the court should
! put its foot down on II in the beginning;
! that this is one of the cases that the court
could not let 90 by with passing notice.
IN disposing Of the case His Honor said;
| "1his is simply question of obstructing
a sidewalk. We do not allow persons to
Congrcgatc in crowds on the sidewalk in this
District. tits usual for the police to tell
| them TO move ON, and If they obey that Is
the last it. IT seems that on this occa-
sion the obstruction had been kept up until
| two transparcnciCs had been smashed, Now
| they had caused two breaches Of the peace.
| 1t was evident that he was determined to
keep it there regardless Of the obstruction.
| 1t was an obstruction, In legal sense of
the word, and nothing more than the usual
fine 5-is necessary
An appeal was noted by Mr. j, II. Rails
ton.
The Transparency was logged out of
court by the ColOrcd man in the employ of
the committee, and the attorney and mem
her Of the committee said it was going on
the street again and would be kept there.