The evening times., 1895-08-21
on PAPER
Workhouse Records Say Schoepf
Served a Term.
SOMEBODY'S BAD MISTAKE
Returns Indicate That the Trolley
Manager Was Committed, but
Never Released-Peculiar, Condi-
tion of Affairs In the District
Judiciary.

Mr.. w. Kcsley Schocpf, late vice presi-
dent of the lexington and Soldiers Home
Re.road Company, has been constructively
at the workhouse for the past month break
ing rock, and q day or two ago was re-
leased on five days good time because
he had behaved himself well during the
time.
AS matter or fact, Mr.. Schoepf has
been very spryly engineering the con-
stuction of The new trolley road from
here 10 Baltimore
The report from the washington Asylum,
as the workhouse Is called, made on
Monday shows the supposed result of
Mr.. Schoepf's conviction for obstructinS
the streets secured by Assistant Commits
sioners' Attorney Pugh in the latter part
of July.
The case is well remembered. Mr..
Schoepf, as the representative of the Eek
ington and Soldiers Home Railroad, was
constructlvely put under arrest and regis
tered at the First precinct station as locked
up charged with obstructing the streets.
Ofcourse, Mr.. Sciioepf was never actually
under arrest nor in durance. He was tried
in the police court, and, with the least
possible personal Inconvenience, was de-
pay $50 fine or go down for thirty days.
He did neither one A poor man in the
same condition would probably have gone
down He undoubtedly must have paid
his fine or gone 10 the rock pile. He could
not afford to do what Mr.. Schoepf. with
a wealthy. corporation behind him, did.
Mr. Schocpf had his attorney instructed
to apply for that writ, once dearest To The
hea rt of the conimoner, but ROW the special
defense ofthc wealthy and POWERFUL writ
of habcIs corpus.
The ordinary man rarely gets the benefit
of it, unless he has back OF him Il labor
organization, as the Railway Union was
behind Eugene Debs.
When Judge Cole de cided that Mr..
Schocpf was not entitled TO Ibis defense,
the corporations attorney had another
legal ba rrier between Mr.. Schoepf and the
workhouse, where another man would have
landed long before II he did not promptly
pay his fine.
He asked for an appeal TO the court ofap-
peals and il was granted under $500 bonds
This bond, which Mr.. schoepf gave in a
jiffy, docs not mean, of course, that he Will
pay $500 if he should finally be beaten but
that he will be present when the case is
called next month.
The cost of standing OFF, the Commits
sioners till the case is decided by The court
ofappeals will be very ligh; forMr. schoepf
He pays his attorney by the year.
Finally he may have TO pay the 500 fine.
But his object will have been accomplished;
the question whether the trolley poles must
go will have been postponed and the
rights OF the people trifled with for nearly
six months more, and a great many things
can happen in that time.
1t may be that among the happenings
something can be found which will post
pone the taking down of the poles another
six months
MAY WORK IT AGAIN.
1t may be that Mr.. schoepf will then pay
his fine, be arrested again, again go to the
workhouse cunstru ctively and be cred
tied with five days good time" for ex-
empiary behavior WHILE constructively
prisoner working out his fine on the rock
pile, get writof habea corpus nd through
it secure another delay of six months and
the retention of the trolley poles in their po-
sitions of danger To the people and profit
to the railroad company.
The iron foot of the millionaire trolley
syndicate VIII remain firmly planted in
the city till the enormous resources back OF
it have been able to wear out the peoples
champions, TO overcome or elude opposi-
ton, and then on the heels of some session
or Congress slip through a clause in some
bill which will give them the all-protect-
ing vested right.
q The niagnates can then snap their fin
gers at the people and build trolley roads
right and left. One trolley line once firmly
established will be an argument for an
other till the network is as complete in
Washington as in other cities.
The streets of the Capital City are too
broad and inviting to let them escape with
out tremendous struggle, And Mr.. Crosby
s. Moves and Mr.. Samuel II. Kauffmann,
with their large holdings the company that
owns the trolley line here, apparently will
be ready TO lend them the influence of the
Washington Star, when il will do the most
good.
Meantime Mr.. Schoepf has been to the
workhouse. served his time and got five
days off. That is what the records said
at any rate.
TROLLEY HANGS OVER US.
1t may be that his attorney will take ad-
vantage of it to secure q reheariDg or an
a ppeaI or something else when he is driven
to the last resort. Great victories have
hung on smaller mistakes. The trolley
may he fastened upon the city through
this error.
The Commissioners. who declare that
they have given no orders tn slacIen the
of the fight for the citys
rights in the removal of the trolley poles,
when asked why other cases
a re not made, fcply that they have not mad
time again TO take up the subject.
The poles are all the while still on duty.