Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-08
cOxEY GIVES EVIDENCE.
His Answers In Cross Examina-
ton Ready and Logical.

His Answers In Cross Examina-
ton Ready and Logical.
THE JUDGES 0HARGRAaAINsTH HIM
| The Jury Told to Find That the Common
veal Leaders Walked on the Grass-Oth-
err Industrial Armies Are Closing In ON
Washington.
WASHINGTON, May S.-The. trial of the
eommonweal leaders, which has dragged
| along in the police court for three days.
will be concluded today. Coxey's explana-
4 ton of his plans for redeeaning the govern
ment was the principal feature of the days
| proceedings apart from the speeches by
| the lawyers It is apparent that the case
is being tested on the broad grounds of
! Justification for Coxey's movement, for the
assistant district attorney In his opening
address called Brownies crank and did not
hesitate to insipuate that Coxey was a
knave, while the opposing lawyers en-
deavored to make the triM appear perse-
cution by the plutocrats OF the people and
appealed to animosity against Wall street.
Representative Pence suggested that the
| jury should go to the grounds, but the
district attorney objected in the interest
of saving time. Then General Coxey HIM
self, in his gray spring suit, with creased
trousers, walked into the witness stand.
He gave his residence rs Massillon, o.
Coxey Testifies.
what is your businessf" was asked.
II have stone quarry, manufacture
sand for steel works and run stock farm.
am now engaged in lobbying for the I'M
employed people,"
"What is the object of your visit to
| Washington"
''To petition congress to pass laws to
give work to the unemployed on public
| improvements"
The general cIasped bunch of docu-
ments between his hands. He said he had
left Massillon on Easter Sunday with men
of all trades, all of them American citi-
zens.
what inducement was held out to them
to follow your"
''They might as well be with me as any
where. They were out of work, and their
families were destitute at home"
"Did you obey the laws of the state?''
'tNot one chicken feather can be traced
to our camp. We knew that the success
of the movement depended upon our law
fulness. Men were warned not to beg or
drink. For the second offense of drunken
ness they were expelled without appeal.
Two or three men were arrested at Cum
berland for drunkenness, and l told the
authorities they had better keep them, as
would not take them again"
In repeating his conversation with the
chief of police of Washington General
Coxey said that it was his purpose to keep
within the laws. He told Major Moore
that the army might break up and enter
the capitol grounds as American citizens,
and the chief said that there would be no
objection to that.
The General Under Fire.
"With how many men did you leave
Massillon?" asked the district attorney on
cross examination.
about 1907
"You camped your men here in Wash
ington on manure heap?" :
81 did 1t was the best place we could
find. We have been benefit to the city.
Myshorses and teams are cleaning it up at
my expense"
''The statute against speaking on the
capitol grounds was read to you?"
eyes, but 1 thought it was hardly. rea-
sonable that congress would pass law in
violation of the first amendment of the
constitution"
! care you a lawyer?'
mo, but can read and reason on the
lines of common sense"
"You intended to speak on the capitol
steps?"
''Most assuredly 1 did unless was
stopped. l considered it my right as an
American citizen"
"You did not wait for permission from
the vice president and speaker"
81 did the only thing left to me-"
''You did not wait to send messenger
to those officers?'
Taking my own experience as critic
rion, it would have required two or three
days to find them"
Next came to the stand Representative
Bland of Missouri, the famous silver ad-
vocate After some wrangling over objec-
lions to questions, Judge Miller refused to
permit the congressman to tell how the po-
lice had dubbed the citizens Finally the
member of congress was allowed to tell
that the police had driven women and
children and men over the grass in their
charges.
The district attorney then recalled Coxey
for further cross examination, eliciting the
fact that the leader had worn a small COM
monweal badge on his coat when he en-
tered the capitol grounds, and when asked
about the army's finances he said he was
$500 out of pocket.
what is the intent of this-to prove
UQdU ne Is du culUCLZlCI! esShCO AeCpIOSC1u-
alive Pence, but he did not object. Then
the district attorney inquired if after his
arrest Coxey had not declared that he in
tended to go to the capitol again and carry
out his intention.
81 never made such statement" was
the reply.
On redirect examination the general said
that his men came to him without food.
but had been fed and were better clothed
than when they came -
Told Of His Financial Scheme. .,
ssNow," said Mr.. Lipsconb, 'tyou have
been asked when you devised your f1nan-
cial scheme. Tell us what it isl
Thereupon the seer of Massillon ex-
planned glibly and with intelligent Ian
guage his now celebrated schemes.
When Mr.. Lipscomb asked how many
unemployed men there were in the west,
the Judge foreclosed on him, and Mr.. Lips
comb made some remarks about the at
tempt of the district attorney to make the
jury believe that everything was fair and
prosperous in this great land, and he scor-
ed some points against Wall street and Of
fered to place in evidence trunkful of pc
titions for the Coxey bill from the labor
organizations of the country-an offer
which Judge Miller declined.
w. F. Longstreet of Worcester, Mass,
and Mr.. Stet StuZ, law student in Mr..
Lipscomb's office, testified that paths were
made across the capitol turf by people who
took short cuts. - "a
Wv q. 6Shelby. a lawyer, described
Browne'starrest, telling how the policeman
piled their clubs on thef people, and thate
the oficermho arrested Browne had showme
him the stick taken from Browne 1t had
no flag on it.
The defense closed its case, and Mr.. Lips
comb asked Judge Miller to charge the
jury that the act of 1886 was not intended
to restrict the right of citizens to peaceably
assemble and petition congress; also that
unless the banner carried was displayed,
designed and adapted to bring the organi-