Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-14
GUILTY.!
A Decision Reached To-day by Judge
Woods In the Proceedings Against
Debs and the Other A. Il.
L. Officials.
A Sentence Of from Three to Six Months
Imposed - President Gompers
Gives His Views on the
Decision.

--eS SA~ S~AO
Decision.
Chicago, Dec. II. 4."Guilty as charged
was the finding announced to-day by U
S. Judge William Woods against Presi
dent Eugene V. Debs, Of the American
Railway union. The same finding was
reached against the other American Rail.
way union leaders who were on trial with
Debs. The finding of the court is that
the defendants are guilty Of contempt
but that any punishment inflicted would
not be cumulative. In ether words, there
we're two cases before the court, one for
contempt and the other for violation Of
the federal statutes, the latter being
merged into the former. Judge Woods
opirion, overruling
THE CLAIM OF THE DEFENSE
that the injunction against the A. r. U.
leaders was invalid on the ground that
the court had no jurisdiction to deter
mine a case in which an injunction was
ordered; and that even if possessed Of
such jurisdiction, the court lacked Or
ganic power to make the order in ques-
tion, was very long and cited many
authorities. The court held that the same
protection given commerce on the rivers
can be extended under existing law to
com merce on the railroads.
Referring to the condition that the act
Of July 2, 1890 was directed wholly at
trusts and not against organizations of
labor in any form, Judge Woods pointed
out that workingmen, if they conspired
with capitalists to prevent the moving of
Pullman cars, would be guilty of con-
spiracy and it would be absurd to say
that they would not be equally guilty if
talists. Judge Woods held that the de-
PENDANTS
DID DELIBERATELY VIOLATE
the order of the court by directing the
strikers to intimidate men from taking
their places. Admonitions against vio-
it was not intended that they be needed.
The disturbances at Blue Island were the
result of speeches made by Debs and
Howard. Judge Woods concluded as fol-
lows: "The right of men to strike peace
ably and the right to advise peaceable
strike which the law does not presume to
be responsible, is not questioned. But if
men enter into a conspiracy to de any
unlawful thing and, in order to accom-
plish their purposes, advise worklngmen
to strike, knowing violence and wrong
will be
THE PROBABLE OUTCOME,
neither in law or morals can they escape
The Pullman cars in use
upon the roads are instrumentalities of
commerce and it follows that from the
time Of the announcement of the boycott
the American Railway union was COM
mitted to a conspiracy in restraint of
Interstate commerce, in violation of the
act of July 2, 1890, and that the members
of that association and all others who
Joined in the movement
BECAME oRIMINALLy RESPONSIBLE
each for the acts of the others done in the
of the common purpose,
intended by him or not.
The actual conspiracy against the use
against transportation and travel by rail
roads. Upon their own authority, without
the local unions, the defend
ants converted the boycott into strike
Ind with the aid of followers, some of
whom stopped at no means between
lrawing couplings and undermining
,ridges, whereby men might be hurled to
leath, they pushed the strike to the CON
litlons which prevailed when the inter
'ention OF this court was asked and which |
q the end compelled the
EMPLOYMENT OF MILITARY FORCE
o re. establish peace and start again the
of commerce. Much has been
'aid, but without proof, of the wrongs of
he workmen at Pullman; of an alliance
'etween the Pullman company and the J
abroad managers to depress wages; and
OF corporate expressions, but
t is evident that these things, whatever
he facts might have been proved or
imagined to be, could furnish neither
Justification nor palliation for giving up
city to disorder aud for paralyzing the
Industries and commerce of tho country.
he decision of Judge Caldwell has been
eferred to, but while that decision rec
gnized the right of employees to quit
he services Of the receivers, it contained
NO WARRANT FOR 1NTIMIDATINa
i abusing those willing to take employ
,ent or for otherwise interfering directly,
3 the defendants and their followers did,
nth the management and operation of
he road. The court therefore finds the
efend dants guilty of con tempt as charged
n each of the cases. The same sentence
ill be ordered in both cases, but it is
OF intended that they shall be cumula-
ive."
SENTENCE IMPOsED.
Debs was sentenced to six months in
he county Jail and the others we're each
iven three months, except Mcyane,
ho was released because there was no
vidence against him.
Attorney Darrow, representing the de-
asked that his clients might re-
ire for consultation regarding what they
hould say and after a brief recess the