Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-01

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ston, entered plea Of not guilty. Mr. Blake
was charged, under section 6, OF IAN act for the
preservation OF order and the protection OF
property"
The information charged "that Edwin n,
Blake, did on September 30th, on Pennsylva-
congregate and assemble at the corner OF said
avenue, and on the foot pavement. ana at the
entrance of a private building, to wit: house
ment." Mr.. Padgett said to the court that the
defendant was charged with obstructing the
foot pavement Of Pennsylvania avenue and the
entrance to private building.
THE TESTIMONY.
Lieut. Arnold testified that yesterday about
noon he answered q call, and upon going to the
scene Of the strike dispersed q crowd which he
found on the sidewalk. Later In the afternoon.
he said, another Transparency came up the ave.
ted the sidewalk ON the south side of the ave.
nue.. Another crowd stopped on the opposite
side. Business men had complained to Wit
business Witness made inquiries. and defend,
ant said that he was responsible for the trans
parency and directed the colored mans move
ments. Witness had the defendant placed un.
der arrest and he left $40 collateral at the sta.
ton. He then promised to stop the business
until this case was decided. The defendant, he
said, positively refused to remove the obstruc-
ton.
MR.. GIBSoN's STATEMENT.
Mr.. William Gibson testified as to the crowd
which was on the pavement and to the tran
sparencies which had been carried for two
directly in front of the office. The colored man
came up on the pavement with the tran
sparency, when one of witness employees put
him away. The neighbOrs, he said, had COM
planned.
On cross-examination Mr. Gibson said that 1t
was offensive to his employees to see the fact of
the boycott announced on the transparency.
Mr.. X. I. HestOn testified that his horse was
frightened by the crowd.
Mr.. W. b. Easton testified that the crowd was
assembled on account of the transparency and
the probability of its getting broken.
Mr.. w. B. StinemetZ, whose store is opposite
Gibsons', testified that when the transparency
came up the avenue the crowd which assem-.
bled INSTRUCTED the entrance to his store, and
he had to request them to leave.
also gave testimony This closed the case for
the prosecution.
Mr.. Julian L. Wright, q member of the Typo
defense. He testified that the last transparency
appeared on the sidewalk at the corner of 18th
street and made its way up to 18th street.
the square. The transparency, he said, was fol-
lowed along the square by two police officers.
When it arrived at Gibson Brothers, Mr.. VIM.
Gibson was standing in front of the Office and
the transparency was carried to the street and
carried along the square several times. There
sons. Witness said that Lieut.. Arnold then
came along and said to witness. "You &C.
knowledge the responsibility for this?" and he
arrest, but was released, and Blake was then
arrested. The transparency destroyed yester-
day had on the four sides the name of Gibson
Brothers, and it also stated the names of the or
CARNATIONS which were assisting in the boy
colt. The colored man who carried the trans
parency, he said, was employed by the defend
ant and was Instructed to stop for no one ex-
cept the police.
Chow many transparencies were destroyed?"
the Judge inquired, and witness answered:
destroyed but not suppressed added Mr..
Padgett.
81 hope not" said witness.
THE ARGUMENTS.
This closed the testimony, and counsel for
defendant argued that he violated no law.
Mr.. Padget argued that the case had been
made out and that more than the usual fine
should be imposed. He said: 1.-The charge is
assumes all responsibility for the consequences
of carrying the transparency. There seems to
be some business difficulties between the prin-
SO that no breach of the peace is committed
and SO soon as the parties violate the law they
must expect to suffer the consequences. The
defendants counsel says that the word 'boy-
cOtting' is innocent in itself and not calcu-
lated to excite q disturbance but it il we'll
known that such word and what it implies
have caused Outrages and murders in other
countries, and the court should, In the begin
ming, put Its foot down on demonstrations
of this kind, and In this case impose such
fine as will let persons know that they cannot
settle their private disputes by creating q
breach of the peace. This is free country, and
every man has a right to conduct his business
as he pleases, provided he does not interfere
with the rights of Others"
THE JUDGE IMPOSES FINE OF So
Judge Smell, in disposing OF the case defined
the charge, and said that in this District per-
sons are not permitted to assemble in crowds
OF the sidewalk. 1t is usual for the police to
at first notify the persons. On this occasion it
appears that the distractions had been kept
up until two transparencies had been smashed
1t was quite evident that 1t was intended to
keep up the obstruction. In the legal sense of
the word 1t was an obstruction, but he thought
nothing more than the usual hne-S5, was
necessary. A fine Of IS was imposed and an
appeal noted.
THE TRANSPARENCY MOVES ON.
After the proceedings in court the transpa-
rency was taken out by q colored man and
again started on its rounds. The colored man
marched up Pennsylvania avenue to 18th
street, then turned up 18th street and halted
at the printers headquarters. Here he was in.
structed by Mr.. Wright, of the printers COM
10Th, then to New York avenue, then by various
streets to the Government Printing Office and
return to 18th street. He was told to walk in
the roadway. The man started bravely forth.
He took the north side Of the Avenue rs he
passed Gibson Brothers. No demonstration
.as mads him Mr. Wright said the
consulted with Lieut.. Arnold, who said his men
would not modest the transparency-bearer IL he
parade in front of Gibson Bros. more than was
neces airy in passing over his route. Members
of the printers committee expressed little or no
resentment at Judge SHELLS decision in filming
Mr.. Blake.
WHAT THE PRINTERS SAY.
"Judge Smell was as fair as Judge Smell can
be-" said Mr.. Wright. "He is biased against
workingmen. He imposed the fine on the
ground that two disturbances had already oc-
Cured, and to send another transparency to
Gibson Brothers gave evidence of q malicious
intention to provoke a breach of the peace. On
this assumption his decision was fair. He i'm
posed the lightest fine possible. We hold. how
ever, that his assumption was wrong,
and that the act committed did not constitute
the offence with which Blake was charged
1--WE have agreed" continued Mr.. Wright, mot
to do anything in the way OF breach Of peace
the committee is assaulted with q pistol he will
stand and be shot before making an assault
BY such q course we would have the sympathy
on our side. We have had big, powerful men
volunteer to carryour transparencies and engage
to defend them against all corners, but have de-
clined the offers. We do not propose to adopt
any such policy"
THE COMPLAINT OF THE PRINTERS.
A member of the committee of Columbia
Typographical Union in charge Of the strike
made to a STAR reporter the following state
ment of the causes leading up to the present