Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-07

THE SCENE IN TT
witnesses In this case
On cross-examination he was asked by
Mr. Birney to whom ne first told what he
Knew OF these incidents. and he said ii
was Mr.. Lipscomb.
You are a regular client Of Mr. Lip
aCombs. are you notT'
We'll. sir, 1 may say that L am. unfor-
And then there was a general laugh at
MI Lipscomb's expense, In which the law
yer Joined as heartily as any one. The
witness explained that what he meant was
tnat the government had brought an out
rageous charge against him. and that he
had Mr.. Lipscomb to defend him.
You were acquitted, were you not?"
asked the lawyer.
II was, sir"
Well, 1 think am the unfortunate one
IN that deal. inasmuch there is still a
sn All balance due me-" remarked Mr.. Lip
scomb.
The laugh this time was on the witness.
and he looked tribe bored when he left
DIR. c. v. HerdIiska. an eyewitness Of
much that occurred last Tuesday. described
with great minuteness what he saw in his
efforts to follow Coxey to the steps in order
rong 81 be tns dIsy ss
not step foot upon the grass, and be-
haved throughout a law-abiding citizen.
Mr.. Pence asked that the jury be taken
Browne is said to have stepped. and from
which he jumped on to the grass. The
government objected to such a waste of
time on a trivial matter. and the objection
was sustained.
Mr.. Coxey himself was next placed upon
the stand and asked his business.
Il own stone quarry. manufacture sand
for making steel and run a stock farm for
breeding trotting horses. At present l am
engaged in lobbying for the unemployed
people Of the land. am trying to secure
employment to the workingmen Of the
land in making government improve
ments."
In answer to questions from his lawyer.
Mr.. Coxey said that his army had for Its
marshal one Carl Browne. and that the
army was made Up entirely OF citizens.
He said that the men felt that they might
as well march with the army, as they mad
nothing to do at home. The success or the
movement he knew. depended upon the
good behavior OF the army. Briefly he de-
scribed the march from Masslllon and the
hardships which the army endured. Not
single law had been violated from Ohio
20 the District OF Columbia. and not
single chicken theft could be traced to
their camp. 80
the Commissioners to get camping place,
and with Major Moore to secure permit
for their parade. He was told by Major
Moore that they must not enter the grounds
as an organized body. but they might break
ranks and enter the grounds as individual
American citizens. They must not carry
any banners into the grounds nor hold a
meeting there. He agreed TO leave all ban
ners in their wagons and this was actually
done before they left Brightwood. He had
o banner made of silk which had been
given to him by the labor organizations OF
Pittsburg and which he had promised to
plant on the steps Of the Capitol. In &C
cordance with this promise to Major Moore
he left this banner in the wagon
some Sarcastic Comments.
Mr.. Coxey described his march to the
Capitol The reason that they went to the
south Of the Capitol instead OF to the north.
a. had been originally intended, was that
they were led by a platoon Of policemen.
They supposed that they were on the
route that was laid out. The men did not
enter the grounds at all. as 1t was deemed
best by Coxey and Browne that they should
remain In line owing TO the vast crowd
that surrounded them. He said that he saw
Col Bright. the sergeant-at-arms of the
Senate. "the man who seems to own the
building" Speaker Crisp and the Vice Pres
tdent in an effort to secure permission to
hold meeting on the steps When he en-
tered the grounds that day he did not know
but what the permit was waiting for him
there until he was met on the steps by the
reception committee Of the United States
government" as he dubbed the policemen.
Mr.. Coxey insisted that on his way from
his carriage to the steps he did not go upon
the grass at all. The police were pushing
and showing In all directions and he thought
that he might be run down, but he paid no
more attention to them than he could help,
as he had important business on the east
steps Of the Capitol"
He described the scene on the steps and
identified a copy Of the protest which he
tried to read on that occasion. Mr.. Lips
comb offered this protest in evidence as
what Coxey would have said II he had been
given an opportunity. Judge Miller then
looked over the protest and ruled it out as
having no bearing on this case at all. 1t
made no reference to banners or the organ
t3atioE and should cut no figure here.
The junior member of the defense then
hit upon a happy scheme to get the paper
In evidence. He suggested that inasmuch
as witnesses had testified that he offered
protest II was only right that they should
put In the document as corroborative evil
dence-
why. Mr.. Hyman." said Judge Miller,
the rules on this point so clear that
even tyro ought to understand them 1t
- ruled out, of course"
The Army and Mr.. Coxey,
Mr.. Coxey was then taken In hand by Mr..
Birney and asked as to the details of his
trip from Massillon. He said that their
plans were to live by contributions, or, as
he expressed 1t. "as the officers Of the gov
eminent do. by the taxation Of the people"
The men were hard up in the matter of
clothing and suffered many hardships but
he admitted that he and his officers stayed
AZ uOleiS on lIe way ana naQ three square
meals day. In this city he was responsible
for camping his men over an old manure
heap. while he stayed at the National. His
men were clearing up the place at their own
expense and using his horses and he
thought, II they stayed long enough, they
would have a good effect on the city In
making 1t clean and healthy.
Mr.. Coxey admitted that he knew of the
statute which forbade meetings and pa
rades In the Capitol grounds. He had read
the first amendment to the Constitution
and. reasoning by common sense decided
that the statute was unconstitutional He
said that he had no intention of violating
the law. though he intended to deliver that
speech on the steps of the Capitol on the
LIST or May unless he was prevented by
force from doing II. The banners that
they carried on their sticks he said were
intended more to call attention to the two
bills which they desired to have passed
more than to the army itself, though no
one but members Of the army were allowed
to carry these flags or banners
Representative Blandps Testfmouv
Mr.. Coxey was excused from the stand
for a few minutes at this point while
Representative Bland of Missouri was CALL
Cd to give his testimony. He was on the
House steps, he said. and saw the crowd