The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-11
REDUCING VANDALISM.
Tie Mass Meeting at Evansville to Protest
Against Hot-Headed Action BY the Council.

Report in Yesterdays Evansville Journal.
The rumors of Thursday afternoon and yester
day morning to the effect that a citizens indig-
nation meeting would be held to protest against
the action of the Common Council In cutting
down the telephone wires and poles, were con-
firmed yesterday afternoon. by wide distribu-
ton of handbills announcing that such a meet
ing would be held in the Superior Court room at
s P. NJ. that evening. In response 60 the call
large assemblage Of citizens, representing lib
eral number Of the large business and manufact-
uring interests of the city, gathered there. The
meeting, which was of an hour and thirty min
utes' duration, waxed exceedingly hot. It was
plainly evident that some of the participants
were very indignant, and that they meant to
express their feelings by a bitter denun
citation of the infringements on their rights.
Messrs. Caldwell and Swormstedt were loudly
called for, whereupon the former gentleman re-
sponded. He said he realized the unpeasantness
of the task to criticise and condemn the action
of the highest officers of the city, but there were
times when such measures were absolutely neces
sarv, AS in this one. They committed a great
error, he said when they ordered the telephone
wires and poles to be cut--one that cannot be
remedied. The telephone was worth $40 week
to him. It has become Indispensable, and to rob
the users of it is an outrage that should not DO
tolerated.
tric-light contract, and from that he turned his
battery on to the Council making pointed al
lusions to the alleged outrages that had been
committed by members Of that body in past
times. He thought the taxpayers should arouse
themselves and put stop to these outrages. We
have, he said, our families. homes and interests
of the city at stake and if Evansville is to pros
per then let US unite and check the Cauncll In
its mad career
Messrs James Scantlin, Capt j. A. Lemcke,
Tarn A Z A Rrho Ru9
ton were loudly named, the latter responding
81 came here one of the users of the tele-
phone to express my Indignation at the high
handed treatment which we have received at the
hands of the City Council Now that our con-
uections have been cut off. we suffer deeply as
consequence. My Office is and half mile
from the mill, hence my business is seriously
affected. The Council has destroyed property
through which business interests are greatly in
jured. 1t is as if man enters my house and
destroys my property. By this foolhardiuess
the telephone company and the citizens lose.
Steps should at once be taken to recover the
losses sustained thereby He said that it ap
peared to him that there were other ways TO
compel the company to give service. Some
thing seems back of this. Such actions by our
head officers is a shame and disgrace to the COM
munty.
Mess+s Swormstedt. McFerson and Archer
called. The latter responded: Nobody
can do Ghis subject justice, unless it be a lawyer
who has studied the matter carefully. We want
somebody who is able to denounce the outrage
to speak am not a user of the telephone, but
| am positive that the business men have been
wronge1. 1t is hard task for the telephone
company to give first-class service at So per
MONTH They can't do it at those figures. There
is no sense in acting as the Council has, The
telephone company had some excuse for cutting
off night service 1t extends over the Sou tn at
rental of So or So a month Had 1t continued
regular service, trouble would have arisen
in the South, with demoraizing effect.
W. r. w. 4 -
Gibson and Posey counties, and were SD
charged in and S. in another, the effect would
be bad Day service is furnished at $3 here and
in the south S. is charged for both day and night.
Had the company been allowed to hold out until
the next Legislature meets, the matter could
have been amicaby adjusted. There was no
sense in the Council cutting the wires and thus
wiping the exchange out of existence The citi-
zens ought to have stopped the cutting of the
wires when work first begun.
Capt, J. A. Lemcke said the service which had
been given of late was satisfactory to the ma
jority of subscribers, and even those who were
not perfectly satisfied did not uphold the Coun-
cilin It's action. BY the loss of the telephone
Evansville is reiegated to the rear, while she is
second in population in the State and first in
manufacturing interests. The company is handi-
capped by a big monopoly and can not afford to
give day and night service at reduced COM
pensaton. He spoke of the money that
would be lost to the merchants and manufacture
ers through the loss of business with towns trib-
utary to Evansville.
Maj. N. NJ. Booth spoke at some length, and
brought some strong points to bear the sub
iect The substance of his remarks was of the
same nature as the preceding arguments. He
said, however, that the cutting down of the
wires was nothing more nor less than mob
work.
Mr.. G. L. Roberts suggested that a committee
be appointed to draft resolutions of condemna-
ton. Messrs. T. r. McFerson VIM. Caldwell,
H. A. Cook and Robert Ruston were appointed,
and they repaired to side room for consulta-
ton. As they were leaving the room Mr.. Archer
asked them to remember that the members of
the Council were elected as our servants, and not
as masters, and that mo bulldozing goes
Laughter and applause.
During the absence of the committee the time
was occupied by Messrs. @. L. Roberts and f.
NJ. English. The committee reported at 9:35
O'clock and the resolutions were adopted. They
were:
Resolved That we, as citizens, in mass meeting as.
sembed do hereby denounce the action of the City
Council, whereby the property of the Cumberland
Telephone Company was wantonly vandalized and de-
stroed without authority of any court of law of this
land.
Resolved further That the telephone subscribers
business interests have been outraged and damaged
and steps should be taken at to damages
for the vandalism committed July 8, 1886.
Resolved further, That in view of repeated usurpa-
tons of power by the Common Council and their
necessity has arisen for the employment of a COM
mittee of safety whose duties shall embrace only
a surveillance OF public servants, but to closely
watch all necessary local legislation.
A Libel Suit Growing Out of the Trouble.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
EVANSVILLE Ind. July 10.-In the Superior
Court, this Afternoon Jacob Eschel a local
capitalist filed suit for libel for $50 900 against
E. P. Huston. the local stakeholder of the Cum
berIand Telephone Company. The trouble grows
out of the Council having removed the telephone
wires and poles from the streets.
Shot Dead by His Wife.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. July I0-The domes-
tic troubles of George w. Chatterton a promi-
nent farmer living north of this city, eliminated
last evening in homicide, his wife shooting him
dead. The pair had been married for many
wears and divorce proceedings were recentlv hs-