The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-07-11

,Hons which it has undertaken to pass
lnpon by mere technicnlities was evinced
at the outset by the brusqueuess with
which 1t swept aside the plea of privacy
and privilege which the Western Union
Telegraph company was forced to put in
whom the jury called for the messages
from President Debs to the members of
his order which had been transmitted
over its lines The court held the public
safety was paramount to private right,
aud so ordered that the dispatches be pro-
duced.
That 1t is the intention of the govern
ment not to he too long about the work in
hand was shown from the fact that the
footsteps of the telegraph official who
brought the dispatches had scarcely ceased
20 echo along the corridor leading to the
grand jury room when that body filed into
Judge Grosscup's court and announced
shat IL had found true bills of Indictment
against Eugene V. Debs, president of the
American Railway union; George w, How
ard, its vice president; Sylvester Keleher,
secretary, and l.. w. Rogers, one OF its di-
rectors, and shortly thereafter the four
men were arrested. They are charged with
conspiracy to commit an unlawful act,
khat Is, to block the progress Of the United
with the four leaders OF the railway union
was James Murwin, the Rock Island
striker who threw the switch which de-
rallied mail train at Blue Island OH he
night Of june 30.
Debs, Howard, Kelcher and Rogers
were taken into the Office of District At
torney Milchrist Immediately after their
arrest, and after few hours detention
were released on bail by Judge Grosscui,,
Aheir bonds being SlO,0eU each. The bonds
men are Alderman William Fitzgerald,
who qualified to the sum of S250000, and
William Shakel, who qualified to the sum
of s50, ,000; the bonds being in the sum of
$40, 600 each.
The federal grand jury spent but short
fime on the case of Debs and the other
Headers. The case against them for con-
spiracy had been prepared some days ago
by Attorneys Milchrist and Walker, and
&he grand jurors had not been at work
two hours when the indictment was re-
ceiyed and presented in court. 1t was
based on some of the public ulterances of
Debs and the other leaders, and this was
ciin ched by the original orders in writing
sent out by Debs directing men on the
different railways to quit their work, and
fhis stopped the running of mail trains.
Marshal Arnold found Debs in his
apartment at tho Leland. The strike
Reader was sitting in an outer room which
he used as an office when the marshal APP
peared and there we're several persons
with him. When the marshal introduced
himself Debs stepped back into an inner
room, asking the marshal to go with him,
and then the marsh hal showed his warrant.
Il am ready to go with you, said Debs,
Into the outer room and reached for his
hat and walking stick,
81 have been indicted and arrested" he
said to those who were in his office, and
without any further remarks he hurried
away with the marshal.
While waiting for bail to be arranged
Debs lii an interview said:
''s;ince have been brought here have
been informed that officers of the court
have gone to our headquarters in the Ash
land and taken my personal correspond
snce and some of the records of the Amer
lcan Railway union. ! do not know by
what right this act has been committed. Ii
Ieems to me to be an infamous outrage.
Not only did they take my personal ef-
lects and papers, but carried with them
my unopened mail. have never heard
bf that before in this country, and do
sot wish to speak further about it until
I'm informed BY what right the act was
committed In Russia, and not out OF
that country, have such things been done.
It seems to me like the net of the car OF
Russia instead OF the act of free coun-
Try.
1.-THE seizures were made by an officer
pf the court and postoffice official. am
aot running a lottery, and cannot under
stand by what law the postofiice author.
tiles are a party to the seizure of my pri,
sate mail 1t is an Outrage, and you call
this free countryp 1t seems to me not
to be compatible with.the stars and stripes.
1t is no longer question of right in this
country, but question OF force, and alb.
solute force at that.
.'1.s w tnu .rrest have absolutely moth
ang to say; we have not committed any
offcnse or crime. We are responsible fol
our acts and will answer at the propel
time, and abide by the consequence. Tn,
arrest will not deter us from our work
We will go on just exactly as we hnv,
done. If we We're to do differently it woult
be an admission that wa have been in til,