Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-02
DEBS TRIAL DRAGS.
Prosecution Rehearsing the Old
Strike Stories.
JUDGE eRossCUP REvERsEs A RULE.
All the Attorneys for the Defense To He
Permitted to Cross-Examine Witnesses
"A Fireman Who Was Promised . "Do-
Up" Which Was Done According to FRO
Pullmans.

gramme-Mail Train Forced to Leave Its
Pullmans.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2-The first witness
called in the Debs case yesterday by the
prosecution was Eli S. Perkins, an engin.
Ger on the Illinois Central The purpose
of his testimony was to connect the de.
PENDANTS Copper and Edgerly with the
conspiracy to obstruct the mails. He
said: Il was to take No. 23on July l at
SIP. m, but did n ot leave the depot until
1880. Tony Copper got on the engine, on
the fireman's side, and tried to induce my
fireman to quit work, stating that he
might be injured
Did you see Elgerly?" asked Milchrist.
"Ycs, ct the side of my engine. AS I
stepped off the engine Edgerly stepped
on, but heard nothing of the conversa-
tion between Eigerly and my fireman"
A company detective pushed them off.
Men Voted to Quit Work.
Crossexanination developed nothing of
said he met Oliver L. Myron at the Ford
ham yards June .6. Myron handed wit
ness written order giving Myron au-
thority TO order a strike on the Illinois
Central. 1t was signed by Dcbs, Howard
and kelihcr. Il put the matter to a vote
among the men and they decided to go
out said the witness. The men got
Oh the engine that had charge of and We
went 10 Grand Crossing with the en-
CINE"
WAS there n seal upon that paper?"
asked Walker. 1T bore what looked like
a seal of the grand lodge of the A. Il. o."
Said They Would s'Do Him Up
Edward Spencer, who was Eli Perkins
fireman ut the time of the strike and who
is now running an engine, corroboratcd
Engineer Perkins testimony and added
the threatening conversation of Edgcrly
and Copper. Il waited an hour before
would go out on the engine. They said
they would do me up and they did what
they promised to do said the witness.
Witness admitted having talked to Illi-
nois Central officers and some lawyers
about the attempt to intimidatc him. At
the suggestion of one of the former he
made written statement.
AT this point Attorney John Gecting
created a sensation He asked on behalf
Of defendants James Mcrwin, Edward I'D
gerly, Tony Copper, James Burke, J. Nc
Donald and Dennis Calvin, some of whom
he represented personally, and some by
proxy, the right To cross-examinc the wit
ness. The court refused to allow this cX-
ccpt through Darrow.
Defense Is Not in Combination.
Gceting objected and moved to strike
out the entire testimony of the witness.
Walker suggested to the court that Geet-
ing did have a right, under the circum'
| stances, to croSs-cxaminc the witness.
D n.
honor. as far rs my clients are concerned
don't care "A cent for the testimony of
| this witness No more than if he were a
| Hottcntot in Africa"
Isn't it the solid front of the defense to
tear down this cvidcnce?' asked the court.
No, sir" The court rcconsidcred his
| ruling that Darrow should do all the
cross-cxamination for the defense.
Detached the Pullman Cars.
| Thomas McGuirc, a detective, said he
went eat on an Illinois Central on the
night of June -. rhe train got as far rs
| Riverdale when it was stopped by "A crowd
| of $40 strikers The disturbers were
| informed that the train was n mail train,
and the crowd fell back. They detached
the Pullman slecpers, however, and side
| tracked them. After half an hours wait
the train proceeded on its way. The gov
ernmcnt then called more witnesses tn
| testify To acts of violence, and upon ad-
| journmcnt it was announced that the
case would net he on today owing to the
whisky trust trial before Judge Gross
| cup.
The Trial Drags Somewhat.
| Taking it altogether the Dcbs trial
drags. The testimony offered is practic.
| ally the same as that printed heretofore
in the inquiry made by the national COM
mission, and little that is new is brought
.