The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-02
FOR TAKING THE PIPE
The Mayor and Other Tacoma
City Officials Arrested.
Personal SUITS AGAINST THEM.


TacoxA, Sept. I. special - Sheriff
Matthews was ordered by she superior
court this afternoon TO arrest Mayor III. .
Huson. President Arid Rydssrom aud
member ID. L. Dsuoresf. Of the hoard OF
public works, and X. II. Lloyd. superin-
tsndent of the city water works. on
charge preferred by the Tacoma Light and
Water Company. asking for $50. 90 dam
ages. This IL the ouscons Of the midnight
raid made By the city upon the gas plant
Of the old water company. when sixty
tons Of water pipe. lot Of tools. boilers
and other property was carried of under
the supervision of the mayor and the
board OF public works. When the city
accepted the water and electric light
plants from the water company. IL was
claimed that there was 5000 worth Of
personal property and supplies on hand at
the tine of the purchase which was not
turned over. The board Of public works
secured private inventory Of the prop
erty, and, after listing IL. made arrange
ments 20 seize II. This was accomplished
between the hours of o'clock and mid
night few nights ago.
AZ the time 1t was claimed that the rep
resentatives Of the water company were
not In earnest when they denounced the
mayor and the board OF public works as
common thieves, who had broken The law
and who would be compelled to pay the
penalty personally and not as officers Of
the city, inasmuch IS the city was not re-
sponsible for vhn. they did as individuals.
Last night the city officials feared the
water company was about TO raid their
strongholds and retake the property that
had been secured during the raid. Ar
engagements were made 10 intercept the
water company's men, hut no move was
made. From the first Galusha Parsons,
chief counsel for the water company.
stated that no force would be attempted to
secure the stolen" property.
This afternoon. Immediately after fling
the papers in the suit for the $500 dam
ages. the water company asked for and
secured an order of arrest for the defend.
ants. who are sued personally for the dam
ages alleged to have been sustained. Bail
was also as once fixed at $4,000. and the
company fled its bond in the sum of
&c, 600 for the order of arrest.
The defendants attorneys say that tho
water company viii get off lucky If the
case does not cost 1t more than the amount
1t seeks to recover, They claim that the
arrest were unwarranted and unjustifable,
there being no law IN this state authoriz-
ing such proceeding. This claim is
based on tho theory that the city had a
right 70 remove its own property. The
attorneys also claim that the arrested
parties were put to needless annoyance in
being hauled about the city In the middle
Of the night By deputy sheriff, and they
claim that they could not obtain bail.
Tho public has no doubt that bail could
have been secured IL desired. A motion
70 vacate may take the place of habeas
corpus tomorrow.
Attorneys for the defendants had two
stenographers aud typewriters at work
on habeas corpus and motions to vacate
until after midnight, Preparations for
various possible moves TO secure the re-
lease OF the city officials have
been made. The defendants' attor-
mega say there win be no compromise
with the water company. 1t may be
prosecuted for false imprisonment. Presi-
dent Rydst-orn was watching all night for
nm expected attempt Of the water company
20 gain possession of the disputed
property. 1t was thought the arrest
ct Beard. OF the board Of public
works, and the mayor was for the
purpose of getting them out of the way, so
they could seize tho property. Rydstrom,
therefore. kent out OF tho way IN order 70
watch tho property. The police are on
guard aud ready TO give the alarm at any
attempt to ssixs tho pipe.
large amount of tho pipe which was
appropriated during the midnight raid
was removed by the board of public works
20 point near the city jail. This was
done before the suit wa. f,lad