The morning call., 1892-05-21
CHARGES OF FRAUD.
Chnrch.Street PrOperty.Owners
Against a Franchise.
They Claim the Market-street Gable Company
Has No Intention Of Constructing a
Road on the Street.

The Fairmount Mission Improvement
Club held a mass-meeting at Rolander's S
Hail. at Twenty y-eighth and Church streets,
last evening. and made arrangements to ap-
pear before the Board of Supervisors and
protest against granting a franchise over
Church street to the Market-street Railroad
Company The meeting was very well at
tended.
The clubs president. j. F. Broad, ca lied
the meeting to order, and stated the objects
of the assembage. He was op posed to the
granting OF the franchise TO the Market
street company because he did not believe
they intended to fulfill its require ments.
"Before the Omnibus Cable Company asked
for franchise over the street." said he, "a
number of property-0wners bes0u ght the
Market-street company and asked 1t to
build a road The request was refused,
but now when another company shows de-
sire TO build road, 1t steps in and asks for
the franchise"
Colonel J. II. O'Byrne was introduced as
the speaker of the evening. and he was re-
ceived with deafening cheers.
He said that last week ne appeared be-
fore the Street Committee of the Super
Visors and received the assurance from
Chairman Taber that franchise over
Church street would not be granted to any
one unless it was agreed that a cable or
electric road would be constructed within
specified time.
He said that on last Monday night the
Supervisors had passed to print an ingenious
franchise granting to tbs Market-street
Cable Company the right to build a road on
Church street, and he stamped it as cheat
and fraud.
FOR PURPOSES OF CHEATING.
'The franchise is worded for the sole pur-
pose of cheating us, said the speaker. ut
is not their intention to build either an cleo
tric or cable road. The first section of the
fro mo If from
perusal that the company would construct
cable road, but the second section saws moth.
ing about a cable road. n The fifth section
provides that within II months $4,000 shall
be expended ia building the line or pur-
chasing property. Now this Is very ingeni-
GUS. The company can maintain the fran
cnise for long time by purchasing property
along the proposed route aud certifying 10
such expenditures to the clerk of the Board
of Supervisors Then II saws the Market
street Cable Company, which in fact is the
Southern Pacific of Kentucky, may at their
option operate the road by cable or electric
device or by such other means as may be
authorized by law
"The sting is In the tail Of the section. No
one can say that the drawing OF car by
mule is not lawful method OF propulsion.
Evidently for the purpose OF throwing dust
into the peoples eyes this is repeated in the
next section by saying that the road may be
operated In any way known by custom or
law"
Colonel O'Byrne said he knew he voiced
the prOperty-oTneTs' sentiments when he
said that they entertained no specific hostil-
ity to the Market-street company, but as
they believed the company wanted the fran
ehise In order to keep out competitors, they
were opposed TO the granting OF 1t TO them.
"It would be very violent presumption tn
believe thar the Board of Supervisors had
been imposed upon by the corporation"
said the speaker. 'but for the fact that q
number of citizens who live on streets con-
tiguous to Church street protested against
the granting OF the franchise TO the Market
street railroad.
The citizens of this district subscribed
$500 TO purchase q strip of land on Church
street. between Seventeenth and Fifteenth,
in order to open the street and then decided
1t over TO the city. The people subscribed
the money because they wanted railroad
facilities and now the Supervisors propose
to rob them OF the money by granting q
franchise TO company that will never
fulfill it,"
THE RAILWAY CoMPANY's MAN.
At this point a contractor named NJ. C.
Hogan, who is said to be an employe of the
Market-street Cable Company, interrupted
the meeting by asking, Are you people
opposed to the Market-street road?"
Yes we are, yelled a hundred prop
erty-owners. Before Colonel OByrne could
answer him with facts to show why, Hogan
cialtbeu tD6 pIlNilepe Ol auutesSlng the
meeting.
Some one yelled Throw him out" but
Colonel OByrne waived his hand and said
he would answer him.
Everybody was on his feet waiting for
free fight, and Hogan was called all kinds
of things. A riot was imminent, when a
young map strolled up to Hogan and started
to drag him out OF the hall. Hogans right
hand went into his hip pocket as If to draw
pistol, butseveral men pounced upon him,
and in few moments Hogan was outside
the hall. He returned shortly thereafter
and started another row, but the presence
OF police officer saved him the pain OF be-
ing beaten into insensibility. The off Ger told
him to go home. but as he would not he was
arrested for disturbing the peace
Colonel OByrne then finished his re-
marks, urging the property-owners to stand
up for their rights.
Joseph Coffey. the next speaker. spoke in
the same vein as Colonel OByrne and said
the Market-stTeet railroad squeezed all it
could out OF Mission property owners until
the Omnibus Company began to compete
with them and forced the transfer system.
A committee was then appointed to draft
protest to be presented to the Supervisors,
and all property-owners in the district were
requested to appear in person before the
board next Monday evening.
In vain the eyes are filled wlthnght;
In vain the cheek with beauty glows