The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-09
COxey and His Followers to Be Shown
No Mercy by Major Moore When They
Reach the National Capital.
OLD LAWS TO BE REVIVED
Saturdays Arrests of Unemployed
Likely to Cause Trouble.
The COmmOnweal, 294 Strong, Reaches
Brownsville, the Birthplace of
Blaine, and Goes Into Camp.
oecial TO the Indianapolis Journal

WASHINGTON, April S.-The arrest of
the forty-one wanderers who arrived in
Washington last night a stolen freight
train and their prompt Imprisonment as
Migrants" must have been most disheart-
ening news to Mr.. CoXey, but Ii is only
an Indication of what Mr.. Coxey may eX-
pect when he reaches here. Washington's
laws are not only amply sufficient to cover
such cases, but they provide very severe
penalty for vagrancy and the district judges
are given a very wide discretion. There is,
moreover, a decided feeling in this city
against the threatened invasion, and Major
Moore, chief of police, has the support of
the great majority of the citizens of Wash
ington, only few hundred having sgni-
fed their intention Of welcoming the good
roads champion With popular sentiment
and strong laws back of him, Major Moore
who Is a most resourceful and competent
official, will see that no tolerance is granted
Coxey or his followers. Coxey himself will
be charged with bringing idle and disor-
derly characters into the city. a serious
offense under our laws and will also be
charged, with his followers, with being a
vagrant, a charge that has held good in
this city against good many characters
who have been able TO prove the possession
of an income sufficient to maintain them,
but who have been unable TO escape the
other provisions of the vagrancy law.
Major Moore has been making extensive
preparation for the reception of the army.
and is now assured that he can handle it
even If it numbers a thousand or more. He
is not only chief of police, but also in COM
mand of the First Regiment of the District
militia, which can be mobilized, as actually
demonstrated, in from two to three hours
With these combined forces back of him
he Is in a position to handle any reasonable
body OF men that can be marched TO this
city by Mr.. Coxey, and as he has shown
a disposition to act with little leniency to-
ward the army of the unemployed it NAV
be taken for granted that the entry of
CoXey and his legion into Washington
VIII not be triumphan one. Major Moore
mas greater responsibilities to bear than rest
upon the shoulders of the ordinary police
MAGISTRATE, as he is called upon TO defend
lhe chleI executive of the oountEu5 5sartl the
federal departments, among them the TNre.s s.
ury Department and its boarded thousands
PENALTY FOR vAGRANCY.
Tomorrow morning the men arrested yes
terday will be brought into police court
and charge of vagrancy entered against
them. The local law against vagrants an
plies to all men without visible means of
support who destitute, likely to become
charges upon the city, who have no yoca-
tion or means of gaining a livelihood, or
who solicit aims. The penalty is ninety
days in the workhouse at hard labor bur
it rests with the discretion of the Judge
10 accept their promise to leave the CITY at
once, or to accept 800 bonds as surety that
they will not beg or become public charges.
There is no doubt of the application of this
law TO the band from Texas under CAPTAIN
Primrose for the search in the police sta
ton of the men showed that the total cash
capital OF the company amounts to about
two dollars. They have received two fairly
good meals to-day and have been passably
comfortable, except for the ignomy of CON
fnement In cells usually occupied by crimi-
mails: Captain Primrose, the leader of the
band, may find himself in more serious
trouble than his followers. There is an old
law on the statute book, as noted above
which was passed in 1890 and has never
been repealed. which makes it an offense
to bring to the District of Columbia any
destitute people who are likely to become
public charges, with a penalty of from $25
to $50 fine for each offense. The police au-
thorities are considering the advsabity
or bringing a charge of violating this law
against the leader, in which case his fines
with the alternative workhouse imprison-
ment would amount TO very heavy pun
ishment The same charge may be brought
against General Coxey, if disaster does not
overtake the army of the commonweal be-
fore it completes its itenerary. OF course
the vagrancy act may be brought into ap-
plication against his followers. and beside
there are two other laws which il is the
avowed and advertised purpose of the Cox
eyites to break. One is the act of Congress
regulating the use of the Capitol grounds
| which forbids any gathering, demonstra-
| ton or parade, the making of any grafton
| or use of threatening language and the
| display of any banner or device to attract
| attention. The other is local law which
| forbds men to congregate on the steps OF
any public or private building. 1t rests
| with the discretion of the Vice President
and Speaker of the House to suspend the
| and perhaps Coxey's agents will apply tC
them for permission to carry out their pro
| gramme
WILL ENFORCE THE LAWS.
| Major Moore, chief of police, said, to-day
in speaking of the march of Coxey: "Thes
laws are on the statute books and we hav
no discretion but to enforce them Ii Coxey'
army does arrive unless Congress shoul
give them permission TO congregate on tn
| Capitol steps" The details of the polio
movement against Coxey are kept a secret
| No doubt he will be met at the District limits
! and If the numbers of his army too grea
| for the police 70 cope with the local militi
will be called TO their aid. What to do wit
| the army when IL arrives and is taken int
| custody, If il should be, is a difficult ques
! ton, because the jais and station houses O
| Washington will not accommodate such
| crowd. To simply repuise the men and Cor
| bid them to enter the District would be {
| turn them loose on the suburban resident
| aspect of the matter which gives rise {
! much uneaSineSS here.
| Major Moore has received a letter fror
! the chief of police of Allegheny City, Pa
| describing the Coxey men in most uncom
! plimentary terms. He declares that ther
| are several professional criminals I'm thei
| ranks: that four or five burglaries We're com
| mitted by them while they were in hi
! town. and that there would have been NOR
| depredations but for the close police SurVei
| lance over the army during its stay.
Colonel Redstone, the Washington repre-
| sentative OF CoXey. said concerning the me
! arrested last night: This body of men
| not at all connected with the commonwea
| army, and no COXey men Will come on unit
| word is previously sent to our headquarters
I and none will come In disorder or withOu
/ military discipline. There will be resist
| ance OF the law, and none of the men wi
enter the city as a body until the mai
line arrives"
| Many of the labor leaders in this city ar
| incensed at the arrest OF the forty-One un
employed and declare that the proceedn
was without lawful authority. They sa
also that Major Moore has no right to dea
with these men in a manner intended as
| horrible example for CoNey'S army. 1t
| claimed that when the comes int
court tomorrow morning there will be plen
" of friends Of the arrested men. includ
ing a constitutional lawyer and membe
of Congress. and If authority has been over
stepped in this arrest, the proper peOpl
Will be made to suffer for IL. 1t is held tina
a constitutional question is thereby RAISED
] which will be tested TO the utmost. an