Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-11
TAX EN- INTO COURT
United States Electric Light Company
Apply for an Injunction.
The Work That Was stopped Yester.
Permit Was Granted.

The United States Electric Lighting Com
psny today filed a petition in the Equity
Court praying that the District Commits
sioners and Maj. VIM. G. Moore, the su-
perintendent of the District police force,
be restrained from in any manner interior
ing with or preventing the company from
placing wires in a conduit built by the
company from 131a street to the bureau of
er craving and printing.
AS stated in The Star, the company We're
arrested in this work yesterday, the police
taking four of the company's employees,
who were engaged in laying the wires in
the conduit on b street, in custody, and
requiring them to give collateral for their
appearance in the Police Court to answer
a charge Of unlawfully occupying public
space. The petition recitas that in 1887 the
company contracted with the United States
to supply the bureau with electric lighting,
and that the bureau has ever since been
wholly dependent upon such lighting.
About the 9th of November, 1887. it is
stated, the Commissioners granted the com
pany a permit to lay conduit from 13ie
and B streets. along B 20 18th. thence TO
the bureau. The conduit was built an
the wires placed therein: but, it becoming
impaired, the company applied the 18th of
last month for permission to replace the
conduit with a two-way one. Such per
permit being as follows: Permission is
hereby granted the United States Lighting
Company to replace electric conduits On
the south side of b street northwest be-
side of 18th street between B street north
and B street south. and located on the
line now occupied 10y the old ones.
This permit expires March %, 1885,
Work under this permit was carried on
as expeditioasly as possible. the company
asserts. the cid cables being laid tenn
porsrily on the pavement. and when the
rew conduit was completed the company
proceeded to place therein the new cables.
This work was interrupted yesterday 10y
the police. The company explains thar the
conduit has no connection with the prem
tSeS CT any other customer or consumer,
and that il is intended only for the pur-
pose of supplying the bureau Of engraving
and printing with electric lights. and that
the stoppage Of the work will greatly dam
dse the company ard be serious detri-
ment TO the business of the United States.
The petition was filed ny Attorneys Jos.
X. Reddington and Jere NJ. Wilson, who
represent the company.
Yesterdays Cases.
The trouble on 14th street yesterday after
loon between the authorities and represent
ativcs Of the United States Electric Light
Company about the stringing of wires in the
ocmpany's conduit, as published in yester-
days Star, resulted in the arrest of Superin-
tendent Frederick Chamberlain and three OF
his workmen. John J. Purcell, Charles Lang
ston and Thomas Edwards Sergt. Shilling;
and Policeman Warren, acting under orders
from TIE Commissioners. made the arrests,
and then, when the police station was reach
ed the company's agent deposited $50 col
lateral for the men.
The officers did not know upon just what
charge they had arrested the men, and so
they charged violation Of the police regu-
lations. Just what particular regulation
they charged had been violated did not ap-
pear upon the blotter, but this morning the
case was taken to court and Prosecuting
Attorney Pugh filed a charge of occupying
public space for private purposes, alleging
the stringfng of wires for electric lighting
purposes.
Although this charge was formally filed,
the case was not ready for trial. and was
continued until Saturday, when it may be
heard with the others.
The trials of the different cases, il is
thought, will prove Interesting. as able at
torneys will appear on either side and argue
the legal points involved.
Attorney Thomas and his assistant Mr.
Pugh. will represent the District, and Jere
Wilson and J. X. Reddington will appear
for the electric light company
Both cases, the erection of the pole on
18th street and the strinsing of the wires
thereon, and that involving the right of the
company to put additional wires in its con-
duit already laid, will be tried. The wit
nesses in the case Will include members of
the police department, District inspectors
and it is probable that the Commissioners
may also be called into court to give evil
dence.