The morning call., 1894-09-14
DEBS' LAWYERS CONFIDENT
Can Be Cleared on the Contempt
Charges.
SURPRISED THE PROSECUTION.
On the Showing Made Judge Woods
Has Set a Day for the
Argument.

CHICAGO, Sept. 13.-Much to the sur
prise of every one the attorneys for the
defense announced this afternoon, when
the last witness for the prosecution had
been heard, that they would state their
case on the evidence before the court
Mr.. Gregory said the defense had some
witnesses who could modify the testi-
mony, but the cardinal points probably
would not be affec ed. BE said he and his
associates would therefore refrain from
putting witnesses In rebuItal on the stand
and would be ready, after a reasonable
time for the preparation of abstracts of
evidence. to 60 before the court with their
arguments.
This was apparently great surprise to
Mr. Walker and his associates who repre-
sent the prosecution. However. after
some preliminary stipuIations as to the
preparation Of papers Judge Woods ad-
journed court to Tuesday, September %.
when the arguments will be heard. Twenty
days after the defense will present its
brief and the whole matter will 60 to the
court Counsel for the defendant ex-
pressed themselves that the Government
could not make its testimony hold and con-
fident in the end of being able to free
Debs and other officials of the A. r. u.
from the contempt charges.
The Government attorney asked that
President Debs and other defendants be
called upon tc testify. The defense OBJ
jected. and Judge Woods allowed the
matter to pass without ruling.
Joseph ELDERS, night clerk at the Leland
Hotel. testified that he delivered numerous
kilograms TO Debs, and the latter read
them in bis presence.
Wallace Rice. reporter, who as dele
gate from the local union was present at
the American Railway Union convention,
told of the scenes during the consideration
of the Pullman strike. Witness said Debs
made fiery speech urging a boycott and
declaring that ne wonld rather see the
American Railway Union go to wreck in
so righteous cause than drag along use
lessly. Howard, Rice said, opposed the
ordering of a boycott.
Manager milford of the Western Un ion
produced message from Mrs. Leland
Stanford 10 Debs, July 2, asking him to
grant permission TO the trainmen tu take
her private car TO San Francisco. Mis-.
Becker, telegraph operator, testified thai
Debs replied to Mrs. Stanford that the
trainmen would take her car through
This was the first evidence that Debs per.
sonally sent messages relative TO the
| strike.
Most of the afternoon session was con-
sumed in the examination of witnesse;
in regard to violence committed along the
Santa Fe road. c. <. F. Resseguie, super
interdent Of the Chicago division of the
Santa Fe road. testified that ne was in the
Chicago yards from June q to July IL
He said that the company had no difficulty
with its employees, ana the switchmen had
told him when they went out that the
A. r. U. had ordered a boycott on Pull.
man cars, and as the Santa Fee would moi
| cut them off lis employees had gone out. On
cross-examination Mr. Gregory eliciied the
fact that the company was thirty or m ore
days behind In the pay to their men. and
| that there had been some complaints in re.
gard to this condition of affairs.
II. r. Bliss, an engineer on the Santa
Fe, then told how he had been prevailed
upon to strike. He said that a mob
had threatened to fix him.
"For fear they would fix me, quit work
when did not want to-" he remarked.
Fred Weinshimer, secretary of the Pull
man Palace car Company. was called and
iden tilted two contracts-one between his
company and the Eastern Illinois road.
and the other between mis- company and
the Santa Fe. They were the contracts
about which there was so much conjecture
during the strike.
After discussion regarding the argu-
ments, court adjourned until Septem Der %.