Connecticut western news., 1894-05-24

The Commonweal Leaders Sent to the Dis
 trict JaiI For Twenty Days and Fined s5.
 Industrial Armies Stm Pushing on To-
 ward Washington.
 WAsHINGToS, May .2.-Judge Miller, in the police court, sentenced CoNey, Browne and Christopher Columbus Jones to 2u days imprisonment in jail for displaying banner Tn the capitol grounds on the oc. casion of the May day demonstration. Coxey and Browne were also sentenced to s 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 Fly 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, a case similar to the present one, where the information on which the
 
 by an affidavit.
 Thousands of people, Mir. Hudson said had stepped on the grass on that May day with impunity, and yet these defendants were selected as objects of prosecution Mir. Hudson was bitter against what he declared was the iugglery of the metro politan press and said there was demand by themoney power for the punishment oi the men.
 Mir Pence contended that an imprison ment of the defendants would lead tho people to believe they were prosecuted foi their political opinions.
 Browne Was Defiant.
 Colonel Browne tried to make one of hi. forid roadside speeches, but was soor called down by the judge. He had beer compelled to be passive in this defense Browne said. He had made mistake ir asking for a jury trial. He had started from Massillon knowing that there existed a cobweb of a law that prohibited the peo pie from assembling, and he came here, h' declared, with the intention of defyinl that law. If he was found guilty, h, ought to be sentenced. It was only by such means that the people could be showI that there were laws that trod on theil rights. He asked no mercy and would ac cept the punishment given him and ther walk forth into the sunlight of the gooc feeling of his fellow men, which would inaugurate movement that would d, away with cobweb laws
 Mir. Coxey declared that it was the frs time he had appeared in a court for sen tence, and it was pleasing thought tha he was innocent of the charges on whicl he was convicted. He was not surprised a the verdict. He did not appeal for mercy because he had committed no crime, bu he did ask for justice.
 Justice Miller said before imposing sen tence that it was the courts duty to keeI we'll in line with the law in causes lik' these and to exclude all other considera tions. Persons had come here simply ii pursuit of dream of Mir. Coxey that some thing would turn up when they arrive, here. The very first act Coxey did was ti violate the law. He had set an example t' the laboring men of the violation of th law under the guise of constitutional right that every schoolboy knew did not exist. Had Mir. Coxey come to the capitol an' made an honest effort to ameliornte tn conditions of the working people he woul, have met with a generous and manly re sponse, but he did not do this. He (Judg Miller) could not imagine case where thu court was more justified in imposing tn, full penalty of the law. He then imposed the sentences of 20 days Imprisonment or Coxey, Browne and Jones on one charge and of s5 or 10 days on Coxey and Brown, on the other charge.