The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-21
COAL COMBINE FIGHT.
The Minnesota Trouble Is Growing
Very Very Warm.
Judge Egan of the Circuit Court and the
Legislature Are at Loggerheads-
Donneny Denounces the Court.

ST. PAUL, Mimi. March 20.-The coal
combine fight grows warmer. This morn
ing Judge Egan of the circuit court
ordered the detention of the sergeant-at-
arms of the House and had Representa-
tive Walsh before him and demanded
possession of the letter books of the coal
combine. Walsh refused to acknowledge
the authority of the court as far as giving
up the book was concerned, nor would he
tell where the book could be found.
Meantime the Senate was considering the
House joint resolution, instructing the
Investigating committee to retain the
letter book. Senator Donnelly made an
other scorching speech denouncing not
only the coal combine, but fiercely excor-
iating Judge Egan. whose personal
character as we'll as official acts he con-
demned. The resolutions were finally
adopted, "a to 8.
There was even a warmer debate in the
house, and threats of impeachment of
Judge Egan for OBTAINING an officer and
member of the legislature were freely ex-
pressed. Finally a call of the house was
ordered, and Assistant Sergeant-at-Ar1ns
Wells was instructed to bring into the
house the body of Representative Walsh,
illegally detained by the court. Several
speakers advocated passing resolutions
instructing the governor to call out the
militia to enforce tbs orders of the legis-
lature.
When the assistant sergeant-at-arms
appeared in the court, Judge Egan was
about to announce his decision on Re pre-
sentative Walsh's refusal to give up the
letter book. The appearance of Wells
ana the demand for the custody of Walsh
so disconnected the judge that Wells and
Walsh walked out without any attempt
to detain them, as did Sergeant alarms
Smout, who had been under arrest since
Friday.
This afternoon Judge Egan dismissed
the whole proceeding, and peace reigns
once more, although the temper of the
legislature is still very much ruffled. The
Judge read the decision on the case of a
representative admitting the power of the
legislature and the legislative committee
to retain possession OF the letter book,
and stating that Wslsh appeared volun-
tariiy and at no time had been under ar
rest. He further stated that everything
had been done legally; that too much
heat had been engendered. with which the
courts had nothing to do, and he held
that the sheriff should be held responsible
for any attempts to take the book from
the capitol.
O'Brien then moved the court to issue
an order to show cause why Basil Smout,
house sergeant at-arms, and j. w. Wells,
assistant sergeant-at- arms, should not be
punished for contempt OF court, the first
for putting books out of his possession,
after process was served, and the latter
for invading the court and taking there-
from witness off the stand, but both ap-
plicaticns were denied.
When the whole matter was thrown out
of Judge Egan s court, new proceeding
was instituted by Attorney O'Brien for
Mr.. Rhodes, of the coal combine, in the
shape of damage suit against the inves-
{ tigating committee and its officials for
seizure of its books and papers, in which
damages are laid at $50, 600. What fur
Their action viii be taken by the commit
tee is not known. A mass meeting to de-
nounce the coal combine is to be held
| Wednesday evening.