The morning times., 1895-09-10
MOVING ON THE TROLLEY
Rumor to This Effect Current
About District Headquarters.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ROSS
Com missioner Truesdell's Unbounded
as to Further PrOsecut tiOns-Majo jor
Respect for Judge Coles Suggestion
Times Case Postponed.

The impression is current in inside circles
about the District Building that there is
crisis near al hand in the trolley trust
litigation. The case of The Times against
me Eckington& Soldiers Home X Railway has
furnished the talk and speculation in court
circles, Notwithstanding the limping at
tempt of its newspaper enemies TO minimize
the Importance and gravity of the situation,
The rumor which is traced to the delib-
crate statement of a high official. is that
the trolley poles New York avenue
will come down" before c few days be
cause they will be taken down wi ct armis"
by order of the Commissioners. In this
connection il is pleasing 10 note that every
time The Times takes up this question there
is sudden expression Of desire TO do some
thing that ought to have been done pre-
viously.
IF MR. ROSS HAD BEEN HERE.
4 was stated yesterday that had Gem
missioner Ross been in the city since sat
urday there would have been different face
on the case of The Times now in the police
court, and ii is also confidently stated tnat
when a meeting of the full board can be had
here will be no more trifling with trolley
.echnicalities and its strain on the laws
delay
It was even whispered ever so gently, but
audib,y in the corridors of the ecircumlocution
office that Commissioner Truesdell thinks
that Commissioners Ross and Powell are
exceedingly obstinate in their opinions on
his rough shod drive of the trolley over
the District government. The situation
at the building appears to be that, only
Major Powell and Mr.. Truesdell being
present, there car be no agreement on a
plan of action on the new phase OF the ques
ton introduced by The Times.
Mr.. Truesdell's opinion is uneQuivocally
that he regards Judge Coles side remark as
a bar to further action by himself atany rate
He said to The Times yesterday that IN this
he only expressed his own opinion. Major
Powell said that the question of further ac-
ton as contemplated in the proceedings in
court was a matter of such moment that it
Ghould be considered by the full board.
a QUESTION OF HOURS.
This consideration may be given it t--day
or tomorrow, when the public Will know
how the Commissioners stand on the ques-
ton of prosecution, no prosecution, con-
tinuancc, or a tear down ofthe poles. There
is also the supposition, on fairly good
grounds, that the trolley people by specious
promises may gain an indulgence until the
time arrives when they may settle the whole
business in their favor in the marble room
of the Senate or the cloak room OF the
House.
In the meantime The Times viii push on
TO the front with its fight, skiTmish in
which was had yesterday in the police court.
The case was called at IL: 80 pm. Mr j.
H. Ralston, of Raiston & Siddons, was in
court watching the proceedings:
Attorney John Ridout appeared for Mr..
Gray and asked continuance on the
ground that the case had already been
heard when Mr.. Schoepf was sentenced
to the workhouse two months ago.
SECURED A CONTINUANCE
In that case a writ of habeas corpus had
been denied by Judge Cole, but the case
had gone TO the court of appeals, had been
put on the special calendar and would
come up early in October.
In rendering his decision, said Mr.. Ridout,
Judge Cole recommended that there be no
further prosecutions till the court of ap-
peals had occasion to review the case
and finally determine whether the writ of
habeas corpus would give Mr.. Schoepf re-
lief from the penalty imposed for his law
breaking.
The Times representatives, Messrs. NJ. F.
Tighe and Joseph o'Brien, were on hand
and all ready for the trial; but Assistant
Attorney for the Commissioners Mason n.
Richardson had not consulted all the Com
missioners.
He replied for the prosecution that he.
would consent to a brief continuance, but
for entirely other reasons.
He said The Commits SipDprS Jpere aruad
with keeping the streets clear, but had not
brought this case.
TOMORROW THE DAY.
He had been unable 10 get instructions
from all of them, and was willing for the
case 10 go over until Wednesday In order
that the Commissioners might take action
as board and give him instructions.
To this Mr.. Ridout agreed, upon condi-
ton that he might on Wednesday ask for
longer continuance, and make argument in
that behalf.
Commissioner Ross is in Illinois with his
father, who is very ill, but it is expected
will return here by tomorrow, and the
case will then goon. Ifhe should not be able
to come it may be that his opinion will be
obtained by wire.
Meanwhile the trolley wires, cars and
poles continue to occupy the peoples
grounds in plain violation of law on the
flimsy excuse that they make two minutes
better time than the horse cars would
make between Fifth and First streets, on
New Y FORK avenue.
In view of what CCs missioner Powell
said above il is not likely that Mr.. Richard
son will confer with the Commissioners
until the return of Maj oss
Another strange circumstance in connec-
ton with these latest developments is that
it was freely stated that private citizens
had the right of instituting such proceedings
as those proposed by The Times. Now it
appears that there was a proviso that was