The record-union., 1894-07-17
A Squad Of Soldier Witnesses A.
most Cause a Panic.
Nearly All the Trains Now Running on
Schedule Tine-IuIlin and Comp
Ion in The Yolo Jail


ing to work for the railroad company.
yesterday was not without its sensations.
The first was the arrest Of Mullin and
Compton, members of the American
Railway Union Executive Committee,
who are charged with felony in connec-
ton with the wrecking of the overland
train last week, by which five men lost
their lives.
The second sensation referred to was
caused by an inexperienced Deputy Mar
shal and an over-excited local official,
whose lack of discretion created scene
in the Superior Court which would have
been serious if it had not been so ap-
surdly ridiculous.
As stated IN the RECoRD-UNIoN yester-
day. the men Seyler, Tease and Heckle,
who had been arrested for grand larceny
in stealing the train at Dunsmuir which
brought gang of armed strikers to this
city to incite others here to acts of yio-
lence-were subsequently rearrested by
the regular soldiers near the City Jail,
for insulting and interfering with them,
and were shut up in the guardhouse at
the depot.
As matter of fact, the men were still
IL the custody OF the Police Department,
although at large at the time. This fact
was unknown to the military guards.
" no did not know the men, and naturally
regarded them as proper persons TO be
placed under restraint, in accordance
with their orders.
y Yesterday the prisoners attorney, A.
L. Hart, sued out writ of habeas corpus
returnable forthwith before Judge Catlin,
the object being to have the Dunsmuir
fighters returned to the custody of the
police.
l nited States Marshal Baldwin sent the
prisoners to the court iii charge OF several
deputies. When the cases were called
Attorney a. /. Hart appeared as their
counsel, and Assistant United States Dis
trict Attorney samuel Knight was on
hand TO represent Marshal Baldwin.
The hearing had been set Tor O'Clock,
but the prisoners were late in reaching
there, and the delay inspired some re-
marks by their counsel rejecting on the
manner in which Colonel Graham and
Marshal Baldwin have found 1t neces-
sary to conduct their movements. At
torney Knight calmly remarked that Mr..
Hart had evidently been listening to
street rumors.
The prisoners finally arrived and Chief
Of Police Drew and Officer Hardy testi-
fed TO the facts concerning the original
arrest of the men and their subsequent
arrest by the guards on other grounds.
THAT ''INvAsIoN.'
While Seyler was giving his version of
the affair a Deputy Marshal arrived at
the Courthouse with the ten soldiers who
made the second arrest of the men, they
having been ordered To report at the
Courthouse as witnesses. The deputy
was inexperienced in the business, and
made the first blunder by net having the
soldiers leave their muskets behind them
at the depot, their mission being entirely
a civil one.
He marched his witnesses to the door
of the Sheriff's Office, where Under
Sheriff Rooney and District Attorney
Ryan were standing. The Deputy Mar
shal inquired where the prisoners were
and Rooney replied they were upstairs.
The witnesses were about TO be taken
around to the front of the building, when
Mr.. Ryan told the deputy that he could go
through the outer office and up the inner
stairway. The squad marched up into
the corridor and to the door of the Court
room. There they were halted by
Sheriff O'Nel while he re-entered the
courtroom and fastening up TO the bench
whispered excitedly to Judge Catlin.
The latter. displaying considerable
emotion, announced that he was in
formed that q body of armed Federal
soldiers were about TO invade the court
room and take away the prisoners.
81 call upon the CHIEF OF Police, the
ITO resist any such attemptW
Attorney Knight partly succeeded in
calming the fears of all present Dy assur-
ing the court that he was certain some-
body had made mistake. Certainly The
Marshal could not have sent the men
there for any such purpose.
Sheriff O'Neil went back to the hall
way and told the Deputy Marshal III
charge of the squad that the court had
declared they could not enter. At this
the deputy marched the men out of the
building. He was so alarmed at the
scene he had created that 1t did not occur
to him to explain the purpose of his mis-
sion. and the soldiers, of course, had
nothing to do or say but obey orders.
In the meantime Attorney Hart went
on to declaim against what he called the
invasion of civil rights by military force,
and undertook to relate various rumorS
and statements that he had heard Of So
called s'outrages'' on private citizens.
Attorney knight called him down, and
JUDGE Catlin said that matters of that
kind had nothing to do with the cases OF
the men before the court. If any soldier
had been guilty of unbecoming conduct,
as alleged, or had exceeded his duty, no
doubt his superior officers would punish
hrm.
The attorneys then briefly argued the
issue before the court, at the conclusion
of which Judge Catlin made an order re-
nlan0lng the prisoners to the custody of
the police, IN which they were at the time
the soldiers arrested them.
ABSURD STORIES.
Immediately some of those present
went about the streets telling the most
sensational and ridiculous stories con-
cerning what had occurred.
Shortly atterward some cavalry APP
Deared on the streets TO see that railroad
employees were not assaulted on their
way home, in accordance with threats
freely made, and this incident was seized
lIuon to give a high color TO the Court
house episode.
one story started was to the effect that
Judge Catlin had committed two of the
soldiers to the County Jail, and that the
cavalry had been ordered out to take
the Judge prisoner!
THE MARSHAL EXPLAINS
shortly after the Courthouse incident
RECORD L MON reporter called on
Marshal BALDWIN and asked for a full
explanation concerning the visit of the
soldiers to the courtroom. After indulg-
mo in q hearty laugh the Marshal said:
SWhy. my dear sir, ii is the simplest
thing in the world 10 explain. The only
testimony we had to offer was that OF the
few guards who arrested the men along
side the track near the City Jail. and d.
reefed a deputy to take them to the
court 10 testify.
.srhe deputy made the mistake OF al
lowing the men to retain their arms, and
nobody thought TO ask him what the men
were there for. Why, any intelligent
school boy knows that in case OF this
kind Federal troops have no right 70 in