The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-08
TRAMPLED THEGRASS
The Charge Against Gen. Coxey
and His Iieutenants.
cowoaEssMeN As WITNESSES.


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WAsnrssros CfTY, Nsy THE trial 81
the CommonseAi leaders. which has
dragged sioag in the police court for
three dsys. uiff b conciudsd tomorrow.
Coxsys sxpIanation Of his plan for ~
deeming the eovsrnmens was the principal
feature Of the days proceedings, apart
from the speeches By the iawysrs. IL -
apparent the cass b bsing tested on the
broad ground Of justification Tor the
Coxsy movement. for the assistant dis
tFict sttorney in his opeaing address
called Brown crank. and did NOT hess-
tate 70 lnsinuats that Coxsy Vas knavs,
while the oppossng lawyers underworld 70
make the trial appear persecution Of the
people By the piutocrsts, and appealed 70
luminosity against Wall street. ATTORNEY
Hyman made the opening statement for
the defense. There uas no denial or de-
Tense for what the Commonvealsr had
dona. He stated that the defense would
consist In proving the lawfuiness Of their
actions. He could remember but one
similar occurrence In history, and there
upon he produced . bible and began to
read scriptural passage.
The eensIeman should confine himself
TO statement Of facts" inssrposed the
district attorney.
"Doss the district attorney deny that
this h fact p demanded the young attor.
ney. holding the Bible aioft dramatically.
He vss permitted to read the passage Of
the Old Testament rsciting that the Lord
commanded Moses to take OF his hat be-
canss he trod on holy ground.
From this dsscurDive statement Il was
gathered that the defense would b based
largely on the brutality Of the police In
clubbing citisena. II would DO shown
that Coxey had not walked on the grass.
and that Browne had been driven through
the shrubbery By the police.
Frank Harper. Newspaper man from
Alexandria. Va, testified that the police
had driven citizens on the grass before the
procession arrived, in order 20 clear the
path. Coxey walked % quietly to the
steps that he Was not recognized until the
people pointed him out Thirteen police
men surrounded the general whom he ar
rived. Witness was certain Coxsy had not
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ton he said there we're 5000 or 1000
people waiting. cheering for Coxey. dis
orderly. were they notf' inquired the
districs attorney. 's0h. NO: they had
right 70 cheer; they were American citi-
Sena" The police came nsar running
down little girl in front Of him. He had
been ordered off the asphalt streets two or
three times. but returned every time.
Then you disobeysd the poiice. " said the
district attorney. Tho police are not the
Law; they are the agents Of the people 70
carry out the law" was the reply. One
person In the crowd on the grass Was Sem
ator Allen.
Witness No. 2, Samuel L Perrick. col
orsd. when asked his business, explained,
Il am one of the army OF the unem-
ployed." Until tho beginning Of the
Democratic administration he had been
employed in the treasury. He swore
Coxey did not touch the grass Being
called upon to give ruling upon the ques-
ton asked this witness. Judge Miller said
there might DO mitigating circumstances
bearing upon the intent to violate the law,
and that the defendant was forced upon
the grass By circumstances. The judge
added that 100 violations Of the law did
not excuse. This witness had also seen
police drive people on the grass.
Coxey took the stand and said he vas
lobbyist IN behalf OF tho unemployed Tho
men who came with him did 90, Coxey
said. upon the principle that they might
a. vel be with him a. anywhere. Coxey
said he told Maj. Moore thar the armv
might break up and enter the capitol
URn nd . ma al -
said there was no objection. "My object
in going to the capitol, said Coxey, "was
to present to congress my two bills. the
good roads bill and the Neutrality-suspicious.
ing bonds bill. and to address the congress
OF the United States and the American
people on them. 1 demanded the protec-
ton OF the police, who seemed TO be Col.
Bright's right-hand bower, to present con-
gress . petition from labor organizations
In favor Of the BILLS" Judge Miller would
not permit the introduction a. evidence of
the speech Coxcy intended to make or the
protest issued. saying they had nothing to
do with The trial. Corey told the story of
the march to Washington City without
embellishments. Concerning the flags of
peace carried by the army, Gen. Coxey
said they had been provided for the men
in order to bring into notice the two bills.
which were designed TO bring peace on
earth and good will toward mon. The or
ganixstion itself was . minor affair.
merely an emblem of the bilis. He did
not know that Browne had the banner
when he started for the capitol steps, and
he did not consider the avenue leading To
the steps as part of the grounds.
Next came to the stand Representative
Bland. OF Missouri. After some vranyliny
over objections tn questions, Judge Miller
refused 10 permit the congressman TO tell
how the police had ciubbcd the citizens.
Representative Pence argued that the de-
fense wanted to show that all the trouble
Was caused by the police. and said they
hsd dozen members of congress 10 ,es-
tify to that effect. Finally the member,
OF congress were allowed 10 tell tha. the
police had driven women and children
and men over the grass in their charge.
W. F. Longstreet, of Worcester. Mass
aud Mr.. Steitsust, law student In Mr..
Lipscomb's office. testified that paths were
maize across the capitol turf by people vi 40
took short cuts.
W. Q. Shelby. a lawyer. described
BFosnes arrest, telling how the policemen
placed their clubs on people. and testified
that the officer who arrested Browne had
shown him the atick taken from Browne.
i, had no dag on il.
The defense closed its ease, and Mr..
Lipscorne asked Judge Miller to charge
she jury that the act of 1885 was NOT IN.
tended 10 restrict the right of citizens 10
peaeeahiy assemble and petition congress.
and also that the hammer carrsei Was dis
played and designed 10 bring the organ.