The herald., 1894-04-09
Reception of COxey's Army al
Washington.
They Will Be Subject to the
Vagrancy Law.
The Penalty Is Ninety Days in the
WOrkhOuse.
Arrival of the San Francisco Reximeat
at Ogden-The Union Pacific
Refuses to Give Them
Transportation.
By the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, April 8.-The uncere-
monious way in which the freight car-
load OF unemployed from Cincinnati wa
taken in charge by the police last night
is forecast of the reception that awaits
Coxey's army. Tomorrow the men will
be brought into police court on charges
of vagrancy. The local law a9ainst VI.
grants applies to all men without visible
means OF support who are destitute,
likely to become charges upon the city,
and who have no vocation or means Of
gaining livelihood, or who solicit alma.
The penalty ia 80 days In the work.
house at hard labor, but it rests within
the discretion of the judge to accept
their promise to leave the city at once
or to accept $100 bonds as surety d, at
they will not become public charges or
beg. There is no doubt of the applica-
ton of this law to the band from Texas.
A search of the men in the police
station shows the total capital of the
company to amount to about So. They
have received two fairly good mesls to-
day and have been passably comfort
able.
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 books which was
passed in 1850 and has never been re-
pealed, which makes it an offense to
bring into the District of Columbia any
destitute people that are likely to be-
come public charges, with q penalty
from $25 to $50 fine for each offenss.
The police authorities are now consid er-
ing the sdvisability of bringing a charge
of violating the law against the leader,
in which case his fines. with the alter
native of the workhouHe imprieonme Mt,
would amount to very heavy punish
ment. The same charge may be brought
against General Coxey, If disaster d 1es
not overtake the army of the Comm, IN .
veal before it reaches here.
OF course, the vagrancy act NAV not
be brought into application against his
followers, and, besides, there are two
other laws which it is the avowed and
advertised policy of the Coxeyites to
break. One is the act of congress resu-
lating the use of the capitol grounds
which forbids any gathering for dem n
stration or parade; the making of any
oration or use of threatening LANGUAGE
the display of any banner or device to
attract attention. The other is a local
law which forbids men to congregate on
the steps OF public or private bnihi-
ing. 1t rests within the discretion of
the vice-president and the speaker Of
the house to suspend the capitol recu.
latlone for any proper purpose, and per.
haps Coxey's agents will apply to them
for permission to carry out their pro-
gramme.
Major Monra 0hiof nf pnffna
day in speaking of the march OF Coxev:
These laws arc on the statute BOOKS
and we have no discretion in the matter
We must enforce them if Coxey's army
arrives, unless congress should give
them permission to congregate on tLs
capitol steps,"
The details of the police movement
against Coxey are kept secret. n,
doubt he will be met at the district i'm.
its, and if the numbers of his army ara
too great for the police to cope with. the
local militia will be called to their aid.
What to do with the army when it ar.
rives and is taken into custody Ia diff
cult question. The station houses of
the city would not accommodate such a
crowd. To simply repulse the men and
forbid them to enter the district would
be to turn them loose upon the subur.
ban residents OF Virginia and MARYLAND.
and this is subject which gives tho
governors of the adjoining states much
uneRsiness
Mai,r Moore received q letter from
the cuief of police OF Allegheny City,
Pa, describing the Coxey men in the
must uncomp plimentsry terms. He de.
cIares there are several professional
criminals in their ranks; that four or
five burglaries were committed by them
while they were in the city, and that
there would have been more deprsda.
tions but for the close police survei!lsnce
over the army during it's stay.
Colonel Red5tone, the Washington
representative of Coxey, said concerning
the men arrested last night: This
body of men is not called the Common.
veal army, 40 no Coxey men will come
on until word is previously sent 10 our
headquarters, and none will come ii
disorder and without military flsci-
pline. There will be no resistance of
the law and nons of the men will enter
the city as body until the main line
arrives"
Many OF the labor leaders in this city
are incensed at the arrest Of the IL un-
employed, and declared the proceedings
were without lawful authority. They
say also that Major Moore has no right
to deal with these men as means OF q
horrible example" for Coxey's army.
1t is claimed that when the case comes
into court tomorrow morning there will
be plenty of friends OF the men, includ-
ing member OF congress. and if ths
law has been overstepped in this arrest,
the proper people will be- made to suffer
for it.
aru AHnA,rR - Rrr.r