Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-22
GEN. COxEY GOES TO JAIL
Carl Browne and Christopher
Columbus Jones Go Too.
TWENTY DAYS AND A FINE OF SIS.

|
| For Stepping on the Capitol Grass the Com
monwea1 Leaders Are to BE Sent to the
District Jail For Nearly a Month-The In
dustrials Depressedsby the News.
| WASHINGTON. May g2.-Judge Miller, in
| the police court, sentenced Coxey, Browne
and Christopher Columbus Jones to 20
| days imprisonment in Jail for displaying
| a banner IN the capitol grounds on the oc-
casion of the May day demonstration.
| Coxey and Browne were also sentenced to
IS fiue or 10 days imprisonment in default
thereof for trespassing on the capitol grass.
| The proceedings preliminary to the pass
ing of the sentence occupied over two
hours. The three defendants were on
hand early and responded to Judge Mil
ler's question as to whether they had any
thing to say why sentence should not be
imposed. Messrs. Hudson, Pence and Hy-
man of the counsel and Coxey and Browne
all submitted remarks.
Representative Hudson went over many
features of the case already brought out
in the argument. He asserted that JUS
tice Brewer of the supreme court had once
decided, in keeping with the defendants
contention, case similar to the present
one, where the information on which the
ueIenQanCS were CrlGu was not supported
by affidavit.
Thousands of people, Mr.. Hudson said,
had stepped on the grass on that May day
with impunity, and yet these defendants
were selected as objects of prosecution.
Mr. Hudson was bitter against what he
declared was the jugglery of the metro
politan press and said there was a demand
by the money power for the punishment of
the men.
Mr.. Pence contended that an imprison-
ment of the defendants would lead the
people to believe they were prosecuted for
their political opinions.
Browne Was Defiant.
Colonel Browne tried to make one of his
aorid roadside speeches, but was soon
called down by the Judge. He had been
compelled to be passive in this defense,
Browne said. He had made a mistake in
asking for a jury trial. He had started
from Massillon knowing that there existed
a cobweb of law that prohibited the peo-
pie from assembling, and he came here, he
declared, with the intention of defying
that law. If he was found guilty, he
ought to be sentenced. 1t was only by
such means that the people could be shown
that there were laws that trod on thei1
rights. He asked no mercy and would &C
cept the punishment given him and then
walk forth into the sunlight of the good
feeling of his fellow men, which would
inaugurate a movement that would do
away with cobweb laws.
Mr.. Coxey declared that it was the first
time he had appeared in a court for SEN
tence, and it was pleasing thought that
he was innocent of the charges on which
he was convicted. He was not surprised at
the verdict. He did not appeal for mercy,
because he had committed no crime, but
he did ask for justice.
Justice Miller said before imposing sen
tence that it was the courts duty to keep
we'll in line with the law in causes like
these and to exclude all other considera-
lions. Persons had come here simply in
pursuit of Il dream of Mr.. CoXey that some
thing would turn up when they arrived
here. The very first act Coxey did was tC
violate the law gle had set an example to
the laboring men of the violation of the
law under the guise of constitutional rights
that every schoolboy knew did not exist
Had Mr.. CoXey come to the capitol and
made an honest effort to amcliOrate the
conditions of the working people he would
have met with a generous and manly re
spouse, but he did not do this. He Judge
Miller) could not imagine case where the
court was more justified in imposing the
full penalty of the law. He then imposed
the sentences OIL ~ days imprisonment on
CoXey, Browne and Jones on one charge,
and of So or 10 days on Coxey and Browne
on the other charge.
Coxey Issues a Bulletin to Patriots.
Coxey, before his sentence, issued a man.
ifesto i'll the shape of bulletin No. to the
american patriots of 1894"
The bulletin reviews the recent storm OF
financial an, industrial distress, which, it
is claimed, has been gathering for a dozen
years.
The bulletin concludes with an appeal
for aid both material and moral for the
commonweal. "Send money and sup
plies, and above all write to your congress.
men and senators and encourage them to
vote for the bills. Hold mass meetings,
write letters and telegraph sentiment to
them. Let congress know that you are
emphatically with us, and the bills may
be passed by July /, and if they are not
and congress adjourns let every Fourth OF
July celebration throughout the land be
turned into reading a new Declaration of
Independence. Then petition the presi
dent to call an extra session to pass the
bills. In the meantime each of the under,
signed holds himself in readiness to go in
any direction near Washington city tc
lecture on our purpose, if we are not in
JAIL for the benefit of those who assemble
here at commonweal camp"