Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-14
DEBS TO BE CALLED
Prosecution in the CONTEMPT
Case Wants Him.
APPARENT PURPOSE OF THE MOVE,

Tho A. r. U. Leader To he Put on the
stand So as to Fut Him i'm tho Position
OF Refusing to Incriminate Himself
Wallace Rice. the Reporter, Gives Tes-
timony.
CHICAGO, Sept. 14-Counsel for tho
government in the Debs contempt case
will call all the defendants to the witness
stand and interrogatc them rs to the part
they took in the strike and what they did
with regard to the inj junction aud its al
legged violation. This intention was made
manifest at the opening Of the proceed
lDgs. for Walker stated that such was the
purpose OF the government and Erwin
promptly replied that the defense wou Id
decline to produce Debs. The purpose of
the government seems to be to place the
defendant in the position of declining to
testify for fear Of discriminating himself
and thus in a manner admitting that he
has been guilty of the acts charged. This
would be effective before a jury, but hard
ly before judge. Judge Woods did not
rule in the matter. letting it 60 over for
time being.
Got Manifesto from Debs.
Ray Baker. a reporter for The Record,
was the first witness called. Mr.. Walker
handed to him clipping from The Record
containing a manifesto to the American
public, issued by Debs on July % Reply
ing to Mr.. Walker, Mr.. Baker said that
the manuscript to the article was handed
to him by Mr.. Debs in the county Jail.
Counsel for the defense objected to the in
PRODUCTION Of the article, but Judge Woods
admitted it, and MIR. Baker read the arti-
Gle, which was an attack on the Pullman
company, dcnouncing the cruel treatment
| of its employees and asking the American
people to refuse to ride in Pullman cars
till the company had done justice to its
employees. Debs was one of the signers.
Wanted to Show Debs' Authority.
J. H. Elbers. night clerk at the Leland
hotel. testified that many kilograms came
to Debs' address and We're handed to him,
| and that he opened and read them.
Walker offered letter signed by Debs,
Howard, Keliher, and Rogers, written to
General Manager Whitman, of the North
| western company. stating that John Doyle
was authorized to represent the American
| hallway Union, and askinS Whitman TO
give Doyle a hearing. Gregory objected
to the letter on account of irrelevancy.
1--WE offer it to show the power and
| authority assumed and exercised in these
matters by these defendants, - said Walker,
and the coure admitted the document
The Celebrated Wallace Rice.
The next witness was Wallace Rice, a
| Herald reporter. This witness is the one
| who was charged by Debs and the direct
| ors OF the A. r. Z. with having offered to
| sell the influence of The Herald to the
| strikers If they would deposit their funds
| in certain city bank. The charge was
sworn to, and Rice replied by an affida-
| Wit declaring the charge false. In view of
the fact that a direct issue of veracity
was raised in the case on oath it is strange
| that Rice is still q member Of the A. X.
u. During the strike Rice was both re-
porter and delegate to the A. r u. con-
| vention. He testified that Dsbs presided
| ut the convention and made the opening
address, in which he said the American
Railway Union was the first labor orsani.
zation that was perfect; that the others
had blow-holes In their armor; that the
| American Railway Union was built for
| war and its armament was trustworthy.
Dcbs Made Fiery Speech.
| Rice described the scene in the A. r. U.
convention when the Pullman boycott
was ordered. Debs had made fiery
speech in favor of the boycott and of vigor-
GUS action, and said that he would rather
see the union go to wreck in such right
eous cause than drag idly along. After
the report of the committee previously ap-
| pointed to investigate the Pullman
| trouble the convention passed motion
referring the Pullman boycott and all
matters connected with 1t to the officers
| and directors Of the American Railway
| Union, with full power to act. A commit
tee to wait on General Manager Wickes was
appointed by Debs and Howard. Witness
did not know what ha d passed between
| Wickes and the committee.
| What the \. X. u. President Told isice.
Witness related an interview with Debs,
in which the American Railway Uuion
president said that any railway which
employed men to take the places of strikers
would have the strike extended over the
entire systeEl Referring to another
interview witness said: mir. Del,s told me
he had decided not to make the boycott
operative the day originally set. for lack of
preparation, and he also said that he
| would extend the strike to the suburban
trains of the Illinois Central" The day
the injunction was issued Deb, told witness
that he had done nothing in violation of
| law, anu tuc iiiIuuCItOu "ouiu itldAc IL U
difference in hia actions. He had seen,
Debs sign u paper to be sent to outside
points promising protection to all VINO
| would quit. whether they were members
Of the American Railway Union or not.
The cross-examination of X &c bv Greg
ory developed the fac: that the govern
ment tried to find "squealer" in the
rank of the American Railway Union Of
ficers and failed.
Your carried a communication to Mr..
Howard yesterday" asked Mr.. Gregory.
II made Il suggestion to him."
"What was ~ II went to Mr.. Howard
if he would go over to Mr.. Walkers office
at his convenience and tell what he knew,
and then would come on the stand and tes
tify and say that he was sorry for what he
had done, the judge might deal more lin.
iently with him than otherwise"
Ibid you talk to Howard of his having
been ignored by the other American Rail-
way Union officers?" II said / understood
he had a pretty hard time with them"
Mr.. Gregory questioned Mr.. Rice al
some length as to his controversy with
Debs over the disposition of the funds OF