Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-25
4. X. L. OFFICIALS.
The Court Held That Their Answer
Was Not Sufficient

bebs ana other officers of the American
haliway Union met with decided reverse
yesterday in their fight against the prose-
cut!oh lCr contempt in the United States
court at Chicago. The court decided that
the answer filed by the defendants is no,
surlicient reply to the charge of contem;,t
ana the motion OF their attorneys that they
De discharged was overruIej. The argument
IN the case was finished shortly before )
CLOCK yesterday, and the decision of the
court was announced by judge Woods af
ter he had conferred Iut' 4 few, n;n,,as
Win ms colleague, judge Grosscun In
substance Judge Woods said: The main
point alleged Is that a contempt case like
thlS Is a Grimm Il proceeding and the M
ton is to discharge the RESPONDENTS n, the
ground mat their answer DENYING tho CON
tempt is conclusive. IT. is true that a pro-
Seuure Ike this is criminal technicaiitv
OUT not essentially. Ii is an Incident in
the main case in equity under the hiu r,aI
by the government. No case has beco cited
here in which the federal courts have sus-
tanned the proposition put forward by the
attorney for the respondents II anythipg
should happen to change our minds during
the further course of the case the defen-
dantS VIII have the benefit of the change
AS 1t Is now. we are certain to rule that the
answer rs not complete AS the case is to
be further examined il IL well that all
questions be kept as free as possible from
opinions from the court and We Will there
fore not give any extended opinion
OPposed by Government Counsel.
Judge Woods then asked the attorneys
in the case TO state how long it would re-
quire to hear the'evidence on the charge of
contempt. AS he did not wish TO remain
in the city, he suggested that the matter be
referred to = master in chancery to take
testimony. The suggestion met with the
favor OF the counsel fer the defense but
the lawyers for the government opposed IL
Mr.. Milchrist said the evidence for the
government could be all presented in a day
al the most while Mr.. Gregory suggested
that the case be given to a master with
orders to report IN thirty days. The court
hnally decided to so on with the case this
morning, with the understandings, that If n
Old not make rapid progress it might be
sent 10 Il master a. any time. During the
discussion Edwin Walker special coIlnsel
Tor the government, made the suggestion
that ii was within the power of tho d.
PENDANTS TO end the trouble b. declaring
the strike eff. They are still in contemnt
ne said, and the government is in posses
sion or information that the injunction is
still being violated. Judge Woods saiJ tba,
If there are further violations of tho in
yuction. supplemental information can he
hled, and the guilty parties will find them
selves in much worse position than they
would otherwise be in Attorney Crayory
denied that it was within the power of his
clients to declare the strike off or that any
trouble which may exist on the railroads
is within their control. With that the sub
tect was dropped.
The indianapolis Cases.
In the case of Eugene V. Debs ct al. VS.
the United States OF America. pending in
the federal court in Indiar apolis yester-
day, Judge Woods ordered it recorded tina
the motion to continue the injunction here
tofore issued in this cause be continued to
the first Tuesday in September 1894, and
plaintiffs may have until that time to file
an amended bill. with leave for defendants
to file earlier action.
A ike order was recorded in the case of
the Louisville. New Albany and Chicago
railway VS.. T.. V. Debs.
Edward c. Weeks. charged with being the
leader of the Hammond strikers, went to
jail In default Of 5000 bond. If Debs is con-
victed at Chicago the case against him here
Will probably be dismissed.