The morning call., 1895-01-29
DONE By EUGENE DEBS
Planned the Great Boycott
Against Pullman.
HOWARD ALSO TOOK A HAND.
How the Battle Of Employees Against
Railroads Began.
A. R. U. MEN URGED ON By LEADERS.
Wallace Rice. Union Man and Reporter,
Gives Testimony for the Government
in the Conspiracy Trial.
A. R. U. MEN URGED on BY LEADERS.

CHICAGO, Jan. 2S.-The first witness
placed ON the stand by the Government IN
the Debs trial to-day was Wallace Rice,
reporter for the Chicago Herald and a
member of the local union 356 of the A. K.
e. at Pullman. His examination was
conducted by Edwin Walker.
Rice was led by the questions OF the
Governments counsel to relate the pro-
ceedings of the A. R. U. convention of
June % last, the plan of the prosecution
being to show that the conspiracy began at
that convention and every step taken by
the convention was link in the chain OF
the conspiracy. Rice said that Debs'
opening speech at the convention con-
graduated the union that its organization
was the first not of distinct class in its
character but included all branches of
railroad employees, and as such it was des-
tined to overcome and absorb all others
which were not adapted by the nature OF
their organization to successfully combat
railroads 1t would become so strong that
no corporation dare assail it and would be
able to dictate It's own terms.
The Pullman strike and the condition of
the workmen, the witness said, was first
brought to the attention of the convention
on June 10 by a member of the local union
at that place. Debs opened the subject on
the part of the union in a speech, in
which he denounced Pullman's corpora
ton as a monumental monstrosity-an
octopus-and said that the time had come
to stop it. Pullman had hoisted the black
flag of conspiracy and he proposed to sink
it and cut off the Pullman cars from the
railroad This speech was received with
cheers.
George Howard had followed Debs and
had thrown a wet blanket over the discus
sion by opposing the boycott proposition.
He said the union was not strong enough
to make successful fight. The result
was the appointment of committee to
wait on Mr.. Wicks to secure arbitration.
The committee reported that Wicks re-
fused to treat with them and said it had
nothing to arbitrate. The entire matter
was referred to the board of directors.
On the list of June the board reported in
favor of giving Mr.. Pullman five days in
which to arbitrate under penalty of cutting
out his cars from all the railroads.
! After the adoption of this resolution
Debs said that if any railroad attempted to
enioin the union from interfering with the
| Pullman cars the entire system of that road
would be tied up. On the evening of June
26 the strike was inaagurated at mass
meeting in the Empire Theater. Debs de-
| livered an address in which he again
referred to the Pullman Company as a
monumental octopus. Debs said the strike
was to be battle to the death, and it
meant either the extirpation CT the General
Managers Association or that OF the union.
Howard advised the men to take lesson
from the railroads combine, and said any
man who refused to stand by the strikers
was scab.
The witness then related the manner of
conducting the strike. A guard stood out
side Debs' private Office and no one was adj
mitted during the receipt of kilograms
until after the close of the days business,
when reporters were permitted to copy the
kilograms. The Government requested the
examination of this witness and Mr.. Oar
row took up the cross-examination for the
defense. The greater part OF the time was
taken up reviewing the proceeding of the
convention.
"You were witness before the Grand
Jury in Milwaukee, were you not?" asked
Darrow.
Eyes, SIR"
'Did you not travel to Milwaukee on a
pass?"
~ did"
''Do you not know that you and Mr.. Mil
Ter violated the interstate commerce law?"
~ do not"
Rice's cross-examination was continued
of+ no Co hoe h
penaed about eighty-six witnesses.