The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-11
DEBs IN HOG,
Has Much to Say About Free Insti-
lions, But His Arrest and Seizure
of His Papers is Legal in Every
WAY.

of His Papers is Legal in Every
Way.
Chicago, July 1O.-The federal grand
jury. after receiving the instructions of
Judge Grosscup, this afternoon, re-
turned indictments against Eugene V.
Debs. president of the A R. u; George
w. Howard, its vice-president; Sylves-
ter Keliher, secretary, and L. w.
Rogers, one of its directors, and shortly
thereafter the men were arrested.
They are charged with conspiracy to
commit an unlawful act-an attempt to
block the progress of the United States
mails.
Joined in the indictment with the
four leaders of the railway union was
James Murwin the Rock Island striker,
who threw the switch which derailed a
mail train at Blue Island on the night
of June 80.
Debs, Howard, Keliher and Rogers
were taken into the office of District
Attorney Milchrist Immediately after
their arrest, and after q few hours de-
tention were released on bail by Judge
lGrosscup, their bonds being $4,000 each
But II Short Time.
The federal grand jury spent but a
short time on the case of Debs and
I
against them for conspiracy had been
prepared some days ago by Attorneys
| Milchrist and Walker, and the grand
jurors had not BEEN at work two hours
when the indictment was ready to be
presented in court.
1t was based on some of the public
utterances of Debs and the other lead
ers, and this was clinched '1y the orig
! inal orders in writing sent out by Debs
! directing men on the different railWa VS.
| to quit work, and this stopped the run
ming of mail trains.
| A large number of kilograms sent bv
representatives from his headquarters
giving directions which extended the
blockade Of trains, were submitted to
the grand jury by e. NJ. Milford, jr.,
manager Of the Western Union Tele-
graph company under d subpoena is
sued by the United States court, Judge
/ Grosscup overruling the telegraph com
pany's protest that the messages were
privileged documents and exempt from
seizure.
Mr.. Milford had left the grand jury
room but a fey minutes when the
grand jury filed out and walked into
Judge Grosscup's court.
Foreman Sanborne handed to the
court the Indictment, which was at
once taken to the office of the district
attorney. Marshal Arnold and a depu-
Debs a. Prisoner.
Shortly before o'clock. Marshal Ar
mold returned with President Debs as
prisoner. Debs was taken into Mr..
Milchrist's private office. He was &C
companied by Theodore Debs, his bro
Their, who was with him when the ar
rest was made. There were in the Of
flee. when the head of the American
Railway union arrived as a prisoner.
lr1-iy1 Vol ~.
these were soon joined by Judge Gross
cup, who had been summoned to take
bail.
1t was not long until Deputy Logan
appeared with Keliher, the secretary.
In a short time Theodore Debs re-
turned with Attorney w. L. Bisbee, who
had been retained to defend the pris-
oner.
AT o'clock, Deputy Logan appeared
with Rogers and Vice-President How
lard.
It was 7:3O before Clerk Burnham ap-
peared, and the bail bond was legally
accepted. The bondsmen were Alder
man William Fitzgerald, who qualified
to the sum of $250,000, and William
Skakel. who qualified for $4,000 the
bonds being in the sum of $4,000 each.
1T was some time later when the for
mality of signing was completed, and
the indicted ones left the building in
company with their bondsmen Mar
shall Arnold found Debs in his apart
ments at the Leland when he took him
into custody.
While the bail was being arranged.
Attorney John f. Geeting joined the
party in the district attorneys office
He was retained by the railway union
officers on Monday evening to assist
in their defense in case they were ar
rested. Mr.. Geeting said the defense
of the men will be directed by Clarence
S. barrow. who is the attorney Of the
union.
The Indictment against Debs, Kehli-
her Howard, Rogers and Murwin is
founded on sections 5,5OS, $500, 1886
and $685. of the federal statutes
Playing the Martyr.
While waiting for bail to be arrang-
ed. in an interview Debs said:
1--WE have been placed under arrest
to answer to an Indictment found
against us by the federal grand Jury
in which we are accused of conspiracy
to commit, and of committing offenses
against the United States by obstruct-
ing and intercepting the mails of the
country. Since l have been brought
here I have been informed officers Of
the court have gone to our headquar-
tiers and taken my personal correspon-
dence and some of the records of the
American Railway union I do not
know by what right this act has been
committed. 1t seems to me to be an
infamous outrage. Not only did they
take my personal effects and papers
but carried with them my unopened
mail. It is an outrage and you call
this a Tree country. It seems to me
not to be compatible with the stars
and stripes. 1t is no longer a question
of right in this country but question
of force and absolute force at that"