Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-02-10
The Clifford Trial.


On the morning of July 9th, was placed on
trial before Judge Slsgle last Thursday.
Several witnesses were called that day,
and then Capt. Cooper, who commanded
one of the barges, and who said that when
the Pinkertons surrendered, Clifford was the
man came who down the bank and snnonne-
I'd the terms Of surrender. Attorney Bren-
nan questioned him closely and was stop
ped by Judge Stowe, who wished to know
the import of the questions, and said that
the Pinkerton men were going to Home
stead on q lawfnl errand and had a right
10 90. These rioters had no business there
Even if the Pinkertons had been going
there to take that mill by force they were
justified in doing so,and no one had right
to dispute it. You nor your assistants can
dispute it in this court, and you may as
we'll understand that just now. Such ideas
as you attempt to advance never have been
the law, are not the law, and hope never
will be the law. 1t is anarchistic to ad-
vance such sentiments, and will not allow
you or no one else to advance such ideas
here.
On Friday the western cyclone" came
into contact with Judicial resistance oi
adamantine frmness.
The "cyclone,' suffered; he whlstled ana
roared and beat against the rulings, ana
was beaten back and quit wnlstiing anu
roaring. And it is in this submissive SPIT
it that Judge Stowe. who IS conducling
the trial of Jack" Clifford, the homesteao
striker. for murder, means to keep Lawyer
Erwin and his ideas.
= The court and the lawyer came togelneI
in steam pressure collisions and the court
went on uninjured. Judge Stowe PLAINLY
declared himself dead set against the plea
sf Justification for the acts OF the strikers
because the men resisted were Plnkerton
detectives. When Mr.. Erwin made refer
ence to the Critchlow trial and the meth
DDS pursued by the defense the Judge cut,
r;noIv answered that the Critchlow trial
was disgrace to any court OF justice, and
be did not propose that it would De repeat
ed.
One of the attorneys, talking over tne
flashes FROM the bench and the numbering
from the "cyclone," offered IN exPisntion
story that particular explains. IL goes
that during the Critchlow trial, over whlch
Judge Kennedy presided, when Mr. Er~ln
began throwing out the justification theory
the Younger Judge asked the advice oi
Judge Stowe in the matter of allowing the
western lawyer to make anarchistic utter
ances in court Judge Stowe had not then
heard Erwin. He told Judge Kennedy 10
give him unlimited latitude"
This the latter jurist did, and 1t was De
cause Judge Kennedy accepted Judge
stoves advice literally that Irwin was
allowed to make that famous speech at the
close of the trial which the friends of
Critchlow say acquitted the prisoner
Judge Stowe heard part of this. he GRIM
| ly determined, the veracious attorney re-
lstes, that Mr.. Erwin never should have
such an opportunity in trial wnere ne
sat on the bench. The developments IN
the trial Of Clifford show that his determl-
| hation has not waned.
| Barring the comings together Of the
court and Mr. Erwin the only sensational
features in the case was the testimony ot
two witnesses beside the Pinkertons, who
| said they saw Clifford prepare the dyna-
| mite bombs that were hurled at the men in
| the barges Mainly the testimony was
| but a repetition of the first Homestead
| cases.
| Captain John Cooper, the Pinkerton who
| was on the stand when the court adjourned
| Thursday, was again called and his cross
| examination was continued by Mr.. Bren-
| men. Asked who else be saw in the CROW d
90 the bank when the boats made their
| landing he said he saw Hugh ODonneti
| and Hugh Ross When Clifford came dow
| to the boat to arrange for the surrender ne
| said they (meaning the Homestead mem
Tad held meeting and decided the aiialf
| had gone fer enough and said for the PinH-
| n Ia dnrr1 RI air arms and he won III
protect them.
| Mr. Erwin then announced that be would
| ike to submit line of questions regard
| ing Pi1kertonism to the witness. judge
| Stowe refused to permit this, and said the
| nffer must be- put III writing. Mr.. Erwia
| began to cite from the Crlrchlow trial
when Judge Stowe again stopped him say
ing:
| II know nothing of that case but what
have read in the newspapers, and have a
very strong opinion regarding IT,.
Mr. E,win-But, your honor, there was
a misunderstanding The newspaperS--
Judge Stowe-I do not care for news
papers but from what l have heard OF the
| Critchlow case I consider it a disgrace Ia
any court of Justice. and no such line oi
procedure will be permitted in this court.
W. 81. Burt, a Pinkerton detective, ives
| the next man called. His evidence was
only corroborative Of that of Capt Cooper
He was subjected to a rigid cross examina-
ton by Mr. Erwin who made great effor'
to confuse the witness, but it was unsuc
cessful.
In the afternoon W. b. Rodgers who
commanded the famous steamboat Little
| Bill the day of the fight, described the tril
MP the river from Bellevue to Homestead
and gave an interesting but we'll knoWr
description OF the events that took plac'
there as he saw them. He said that Capt
Cooper and Mr.. Burt got the boat at Belle
vac with the Pinkerion men about II
o'clock. Col. Gray. the Deputy Sheriff
was with them They immediately start
ed up the river
Had any crowd collected when yoI
made your landingf' asked Mr.. Burleigh
"A crowd followed us up the river banl
and gathered at the landing after we go
there. They refused to let us come ashore
say ing that they would kill Us if We did.
"How did they keep you from landing 7
"By shooting at u.s."
Capt. Rodgers was cross examined bJ
Mr.. Erwin, and said be had license a
captain Of the Little Bill, or any othe
boat, and was one of the owners. He ask
ed other questions as to the preparation
for the trip, which the court rel ,cted a
Irrelevant.
At the opening of court. Saturday, Mr.
Erwin presented long offer OF what j
was proposed to prove in the way of justi
fying the action of the steelworkers, bs
Judge Stowe overruled it.
Mr. Erwin also tried to have witnesse
to the riot who did not leave at once. o
try to restore peace, declared accompliee
and as such tainted witnesses whose testi
mopy should be currohorated In overrul
ing this Judge Stowe said it would hav'
been unhealthy for any one TO have inter
fered.
The Jurors wanted to attend church Sun
day, but Judge Stowe would not permit ii
They we're locked up all day and guarde'
by two tipstaffs
J. n. Davidson, one of the cooks VIII
confessed to being implicated in the alleg
ed poisoning plot. and who afterward trie'
so hard to shield himself while testifyin.
against the Others, is now in Jail. Hi
boncsman, J. Molamphy, foreman EN-
ployed by the Carnegie Steel Company
surrendered him. 1t is said that Judg
Stoves intimation that he would not shoy
leBiency TO accoDplices who turn State
evidence made both Davidson and hi
bondsman uneasy, and he was thoup ht t
be safer in Jail.
On Monday, the defense was opened b.
Atty. Brennan
Capt Coon was the first witness oalle'
for the defense. He said he was on t5
Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghioghenl
bridge when the barges with the tOwboa
Little Bill were about 100 yards from tn
landing The first shot was fred from th
barges. man ran down the bank an,
Tell upon the gang plank. He bad no fire
| arms in his hands at the time SOneou