The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-26
THE CASE AGAINST DEBs EFT AL.
Arguments Of Counsel for the Govern
ment Began at Chicago.


Chicago, Ill, Sept. 25.-The case Of the
government against +. V. Debs and the
officers and directors Of the American
Railway Union for contempt of court in
/ violating the Woods Grosscup injunction
| postponed from Sept IA in order to allow
| counsel TO prepare arguments. the evil
/ dcuCe being all in, was resumed this
mOrning before Judge Woods. There
/ viii be three speeches on behalf OF the
government and for the Atchison, Topeka
/ and Santa Fe road making five against
the defendants, and there will be three
| By counsel for the defense.
Assistant District Attorney Milcnrist
opened the argument for the government.
He said he merely intended to outline the
case TO the court, ana not to make formal
plea. He claimed that organized labor in
Chicago was much more COntented with
its lot before the American Railway In
ion came upon the scene than afterwards,
and that the sole end Of the American
Railway Union was TO gain power for
itself at the expense of other labor or
CARNATIONS; also, that the injunction had
been repeatedly violated by employees of
the roads acting under orders
of Debs and other officers of
the American Railway Union. Mr..
Milchrist asserted that most of the vlo-
lence done during the strike and the loss
of life which resulted should justly be
laid at the door of these officials, and
that but for them interstate commerce
and the mails would never have been OBJ
structed. lie called attention of the
court to V. p. Towards statement made
to Blue Island railroad men that those
who did not strike would have TO walk
the plank"
The sympathetic feature of the strike
was then reviewed, Mr.. Mil
christ here stopping long enough
on his formal presentation OF
the evidence to interpolate: ''These
defendants claimed to be sorely distressed
at the straits of the Pullman company
said Mr.. Milchrist, but later on they
took an entirely different view of the
matter in their communication to the gen
eral managers, in which they offered to
end the strike without any reference
whatever to the plight of the Pullman
employees. They were willing at that
time TO leave the Pullman situation out
of the question in order to gain their
own ends"
QUESTIONS OF LAW AND JURISDICTION.
at will be insisted upon in the argu-
ment," continued Milchrist, that the
court has no jurisdiction to enter an
order on this information which we have
filed against these defendants. | believe
the counsel for the defendants will make
this their principal plea. | believe that
this bill is clearly a bill in equity. The
question is, did the acts of these defend
ants interfere with interstate commerce,
and thus violate the law on that point as
well as the Sherman antitrust act of
1890 In my opinion, it is clearly the right
of this court to pass on this case, and on
this point Mr.. Walker will argue more
fully when he closes the CASE
The speaker then quoted presidents
and authorities to show that the federal
circuit courts have Jurisdiction in cases
of, the kind now uLder consideration.
The next question is, he said, whether
these defendants are in contempt of this
| court whether they have violated this
injunction or not. | think we have
proved that the defendants are guilty by
the kilograms which have been intro
duced alone"