Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-12-22
SIX. MONTHS FOR DEBS.
Tho A. r. u. Leader Receives a
Jail Sentence.
Judge Woods Decides Him Guilty of Con-
tempt of Court - His Seven Com
panions Receive Terms of
Three Months Each.


Three Months Each.
CHICAGO, Dec. 15.-Judge Woods Fri
day sentenced Eugene " Debs, the
leader of the American Railway union
strike, to six months in the county
Jail, as punishment for violat-
ing the injunction issued by
himself and Judge Grosscup July
last. To the rest of the men with
the exception of McVean he gave three
months. In the case of McVean his
sentence is suspended Sentence iG not
cumulative, covering the cases of
the government and the Santa Fe rail-
road against the men. The same SEN
tence is imposed in each case, but both
sentences begin December "a. The de-
PENDANTS are: L. V. Debs, president; G.
W. Howard, vice president; Sylvester
Kelliher, secretary; l.. w. Rogers, NJ.
j. Elliott, James Hogan, William
Burns, j. ID. McVean, Leroy M. Good
win. The sentence is generally con-
sidered light one. The case will be
appealed
All of the defendants were in court
with the exception of Leroy M. Good
win, whose whereabouts are not
known, and who could not there
fore be notified. The contempt
for which the defendants were
arraigned was violation of
an injunction issued July 2 by
Judges Woods and Grosscup, which
forbade all men to interfere with
trains in any manner whatsoever. 1t
was claimed by the United States dis.
trict attorney that Debs and the 9TH
er officers and directors of the
American Railway union repeat
edly violated this order of the court
by issuing directions to their lieuten.
ants all over the country to call out
the men and advising the crippling OF
the complete railroad system of the
United States ifpossible. The defense
made was that Debs and his assistants
had a right to order strikes and to con-
tinue to conduct their side of the fight
against the railroads. Judges Woods
md Grosscup were both on the bench.
The judge skipped the preliminary discussion
OF the evidence and proceeded TO 20 at once to
the heart OF the matter. The question OF
whether or not the court had jurisdiction
was first discussed, and this question,
after citing numerous authorities, the judge
ence between nuisance and a perpeStuer,
which latter is particular form OF public nui-
Sance, was taken up: He defended the issuance
of the injunction ON the ground that eminent
authorities had decided that the courts had
right to intervene where irreparable damage
might result before the tardiness of the law
could remedy matters. Judge Woods refused
to decide whether he had jurisdiction under the
interstate commerce act, and took up the Sher.
man antitrust law, under which the action
nf,.gs nalN, ,l,fa n,,, 4.
sections of this law makes IL an offense to re-
strain commerce in any way. The judge de-
cided that United States courts had full
jurisdiction under this act 10 punish all such
offenders the directors OF the American
Railway union making new precedent
thereby.
What the conduct of these men was is the
question to be decided here" said the court.
Did they change their conduct after receiving
this injunction, or did they continue to carry
on the striker l think there is no doubt
these defendants had power to make the men
who looked up to them do they pleased
and that they continued to violate this injunc-
tion. believe the defendants deprecated any
extreme violence, but l do not think
they opposed such acts stopping
trains, throwing switches or intimidat-
ing worllmen. These men knew that
common laborerS would do these. things,
am unable to believe they were so ignorant
Us not TO know acts OF violence and Interrupt
tion Of traflic would epsue from their direc-
tionS"
uThe opinion went on to say that the right to
strike peaceably was not questioned, but that
IL an agreement was entered into to do thing
which could not but result in wrong and ille-
gal acts the agreement was conspiracy and all
those party to the original agreement were
responsible for the results.
The American Railway union 1t was stated,
entered into conspiracy on June % when it
agreed to boycott the Pullman cars Both
officers and men were from that date RESPONSE
BILE for all acts which were committed
Debs' utterances not to commit violence
were doubted by the court He did not believe
they were sincere. with all that has been
said about the American Railway union
keeping guard over property and being
the first to arrest offenders, not
one has been arrested continued
the court The court then reviewed the mass
OF kilograms in which Debs ordered men out
and declared these were utterly at variance
with the statement made in Debs' answer
that he took no part in continuing the strike.
After thus concluding that there WAS no doubt
that the men as individuals were guilty, Judge
Woods said:
whether these men were in conspiracy. II
they were, l believe there is no way by which
they can escape the moral and legal
responsibility for their acts" He then
gave it as his opinion that they
were and that therefore all the men
allied with them were also guilty. The
evidence left no feature OF the case in doubt
Then he said; 1.-The court therefore finds the
defendants guilty of the offenses as charged in
the indictments in both cases, and will fix the
punishment the same in both cases, but will
not make 1t cumulative"
All of the defendants present then
stood up, so the court could see them.
They did not appear to be agitated,
and several smiled from time to time.
II think will suspend any sentence with
regard to Mr.. McVean. / am OF the opin'
ion that Mr.. Elliott was actively engaged
In this strike Punishment should not be
vindlctive; neither should 1t be trivial. The
object of punishment for contempt of court is
to prevent future contempt My conclusion Ia
that the injunction was right. MIR. Debs is
more responsible than anybody else. He is
u man OF marked ability and OF strong
character and the Lender of these
men, 1t was in his power by
merely lifting his voice to stop all this disturb
ance, | shall therefore discriminate between