The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-01
the penitentiary for one year, and Union Eler to
the work house for sixty days They stole lot
Of meat from David Wilkinson.
THE TELEPHONE SITUATION.
Nothing Definite Developed from the Talk
About the Leasing of the Plant.

The conference Of the judiciary and special
council committees with the telephone represent
atives will be continued at o'clock Saturday
afternoon, atathe Office Of Calvin Rocker. It is
the sense of several of the committeeman that
If the telephone company will continue its serv
ice until the last contract expires il September,
pending a decision of the United States SUI
preme Court, no recommendation will be made
to Council looking to repeal of the franchise.
It is probable that this ultimaturn will be the
basis of the conference.
While these committees seem to have their
dernier resort, the company is as well supplied.
There was some hope that the conference would
take place before the day fixed for the removal
of the instruments, but it failed, because some
of the committeeman notified Mr.. Rocker that
they could attend on no other day but next Sat-
urday. In the meantime the company's local
representatives were preparing, last night to re-
move the instruments, under expired contracts,
to-day. 1t was the purpose of the conference
with the city's representatives to either
prevent their removal, or to have
all instruments taken out at once, but
as the day of removing the first instruments
precedes the date of the conference it is hard to
say what will be the result OF Saturdays meet.
ing This phase of the difficulty was suggested
to Mr.. Waliick and Supe rintend ent Hockett last
night. both of whom said they did not know
what effect their action in removing the instru-
ments would have upon the meeting with the
council and aldermanic committees.
I'VE tried to reach Mr. Rocker to-day" said
Superintendent Hockett, I'VE thought it an
act of courtesy to tell him what we propose to
do"
'Then you are to begin without question the
work Of removall"
"Yes. We are arranging for it now. 1t viii
be long and troublesome affair. ! am acting
under the original instructions"
"You have received no modification Of the
first order to remove ali instruments the con-
tracts for which have expredp
mo. The instructions remain as they were
given. A force will be put to work at once. We
are acting under this clause Of the agreement
made with the citizens committee as the result
OF the agitation last July, and which is in
dorsed on the contracts: This con-
tract may be terminated by the Central
Union Telephone Company at any time after a
final decision by the Supreme Court of Indiana
upon said law and the Interpretation thereof, or
giving fifteen days notice of it's desire so to do
This notice has been given, as you know, to all
whose contracts expired the last day of March
and ~ is to be carried out. It affects between
$50 and 40 instruments
Mr.. Wallack said: I'VE will run right along,
If the city permits us, operating all tele-
phones under contracts that do not expire until
June 80. If there is any possible way to
make expenses we will continue to operate the
exchange, bur we can't run it under the law. We
would be glad to do so if we could"
HAS anything developed in the way Of a syn
dicate taking the plant and operating itl'
There has been nothing definite yet The
proposition has been that the syndicate shall
take the service and share with the company.
However, it has thus far amounted only to talk
ing over probabilities.
+ Yesterday S. D. Cushman, of New Lisbon, O.,
came to the city to utilize any advantage that
would come in his way in the interest of the
American Cushman Telephone Company. This
gentleman claims the successful invention and
operation Of telephone many years prior to
the Bell patents He offers afidavits to the eff
feet that he had telephones in working order in
1863, and also that he invented receiver SINH
lar to that of the Bell in 1851. The Cushman
company has had practical business in tele-
phoning, without it is claimed, being enjoined by
the Bell.