The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-31
TO ANNUL THE CHARTER
STRIKERS ASK FOR SUCH ACTION
AGAINST BROOKLYN r. r.
Colonel Dennison +rgued That the Com
p.ny Had Violated Nection 1898 of the
Ccde-Over 800 Accidents.

| before Attorney General Hancock this
| morning on the application Of John Glib
lin. master workman of District Assem-
bly, 40. X. OF L., and Andrew Best, mas
| ter workman of District Assembly 70,
| X. of L., TO commence an action against
| the Brooklyn Heights railroad, was set
! for 10 o'clock this morning. Gibln and
| Best were present, attended by Congress
man-elect William Sulzer and James n.
Dennison. Raphael J. Moses was also
| present in the interest OF the strikers.
Editor Graham, of the Mercury; John II.
| Fife OF New York city, and 7. J. Nc
| Guire. Of Amsterdam, members Of the
| General Executive Board, were present as
spectators. The Brooklyn Heights Com
pany was represented by Thomas D
Moore. Of Brooklyn, and William j. Irulb
| OF New York. The application asheu NV
Attorney-General to begin an dcuon ~
annW the charter OF the coiip""'
failure 10 properly operate IT'S INES uuI-
ing the strike. ...--.o,.., Con
Nr Moses addressed the Attorney-Deih-
eraI saving ne did not appear as NV
netittoner. but he desired 10 pe pIe9cil'
bcing interested in the case as the couh-
sci obtaining the mandamus lssueu "
conyd the company to run It's cars
TO PUT IN AFFIDAvITs.
Mr. Moore asked an opportunity TO put
in answering affidavits for the 'oIIPa"S'
Thts would take two or three dd!S,
President Lewis was so busy ana cou'la''
co tied up with legal proceedings lhdl
nothing could be arranged IN the ""' "a
q reply on the short notice gwen
.trr.f a
conuoDv was only seeking delay. ne
Charges now lad were Identical WIN
thosa made before the State Board OF AT
bitratiOn and before Judge GayhoI' anu
the counsel had mad three distinct op-
uortunittes to answer. Every uay . 49,
meant hundreds of thousands OF doidl9
lost To the public and tremendous neon
yenience. 1t also involved DIG losses w.
merchants. The counsel were ho''Ieu a.,
the earliest hour Tuesday morn.hs' anu
t5.. companv's officials certainly had uIHe
to make denial ID.
Co,on4l Dennison said he would make
his case largely on President Lewis du-
missions. ..,-,oa
that he would hear the diSuiH',l,s, an,
if IL became necessary TO 6et adu''io
napers an adjournment could be taken
FOR TIE GENIRAL PUBLIC.
Colonel Dcunison then began MS arsu-
ueut which. he said, was on behalf oil
the general public. He asked no assist
aIce of the AttOrney-General IN tHe 81
fort to settle a question of wages. Inc
ground upon which the Attorncy-PeheI ~
was asked to interfere was found uhdeI
section 17gS of the Code. lhe company
had been guilty Of acts spccihed uHutI
this section, which made 1T poSslpie 10
aonul it's charter. The situation shOWed
rr-h ar
tbree-quarters of a mile OF track, had
leases of other roads which gave 10 about
300 miles of track, and, he understood, IL
claimed a capacity OF St3V0VN Inc coiI-
panv had been annually making agree
ments with its employees, but TINS year
the negotiations began in September hdd
not been carried through. one of the
main reasons of the disagreement had
been a refusal of the company TO agree
to a promise not to employ their men
more than ten hours a day, In violation
of State laws.
Colonel Dennison at this point read the
article presented to the officials of the
company bearing on this point, and snow
ed that the paper had been marked to
show that the company rejected the sec
ton.
COULDN'T WORK LONG HOURS.
The men, aside from the laws, needed
their fun faculties TO discharge their
duties with safety TO the public, and
could not have them and work lons
hours.
The company had wilfully put them
selves in position so that they could not
operate their road. This was done by dis
charging skilled electrical employees who
had refused, in the event of a strike, to
take motormen's places This act of the
company had made it dangerous for the
motormcn TO continue at work, and had
precipitated the strike This was "a diff
ferent situation from mere failure TO
operate the road. The company had en-
forced unlawful eXactions, which disre-
gar1ed the public'a interests in the run
ming of cars at so high a rate of speed.
In two years the trolleys had caused
ninety-fve deaths and over three hundred
accidents
VIOLATED PUBLIC POLICY.
The men might work for ten cents a day
If they chose; that was rot i'm the ques-
tion here The disregard Of lives and
property had resulted In drawing out ten
thousand troops. I'm view Of the wilful
Violat. ous OF the law, il was the duty of
the Attorney General 10 take such steps
"a were necessary I'm the public's behalf
The company had violated "a section Of
the railroad law Of 1892 which said the
company could employ any inhabtant of
the state. In order TO operate its cars
the company had established agencies I'm
many of the large cities of the country
TO get the men needed TO take the place
Of the former employees. This was a Vio-
lat.ou of the public policy Of the State
and Of the company's charter Judge
Gaynor had intimatcd that there were
matters for the AttOrney-General TO con-
slider i'm the situation.
When Mr.. Dennison had concluded At
torney Moore said the company wanted
time 10 put in answering afiidavits. He
would Ike TO have until Monday, and
might have something to say also to the
Attorney-General
Mr.. Moses objected to delay. He said
the counsel had a months time to pre-
pare for all the great questions which
have arisen.
TIRE srEIEFEs TO DLA,fF.
Mr. Trum, for the company. declared
that the papers furnished no ground for
action by the. Attorney-General against
the company. There had been no single
act Of violence committed during the
strike, for which the strikers were not
responsible. They had assaulted and car
ried away American citizens desiring to
work, and the answering afiidavits would
show IT,
Attorney-General Hancock said he
would adjourn the hearing ard serv-
ing of answering afiidavts until Mon
day al u. NJ, counsel for the petitioners
TO be served Saturday.
MORE TROOPS ORDERED HOME.