The times., 1898-12-06
READY TO TEST THE LAW
The Cabmen's Fight to Be Re-
newed in Earnest.
ANOTHER ARREST MADE
The Cab Drivers Relieved Them
selves Victorious All Previous
Cases NoIIe Pr0ssed-The District
Officials Determined to Fight A
Wight-Copy of the Orders.

The real fight between the public cab
drivers and the District Commissioners
over the right to occupy the cab stand at
the Pennsylvania Railroad station is ex-
pected to take place before Juge Scott
in the Police Court tomorrow, when a
test case will come up for trial.
| A single arrest was made by the police
last week, involving one of the cabs
owned by President George ii. Shanks,
of the Cabmen and Hackmen's Associa-
tion an organization which sprang into
existence four weeks ago, having been
formed very shortly after the Commits
sioners issued their order granting ex-
elusive use of the railroad cab stand TO
the vehicles of the cab service established
by the railroad company.
Numerous arrests have been made by
the police during the past month for
violation of the regulation prohibiting the
public drivers from using the stand The
cases We're taken to James l.. Pugh, the
assistant district attorney, who refused
to issue the information upon which the
violators of the regulation might be
taken before the judge of the court to
stand trial. Attorney Pugh maintained
that the law under which the cabmen
Were arrested was defective and claimed
that they could not be prosecuted He
therefore nolle pressed all the cases.
The cabmen We're exultant. The refusal
of the prosecuting attorney to permit the
cases to come before the court was con-
sidered a decided victory for them over
the District Commissioners. Finding that
it was futile to make arrests, Major Syl-
vester, chief of police. issued verbal or
ders, directing the police on the railroad
beat" not to disturb the cabmen until
further instructions were given.
The cabmen have. with ore exception
been using the cab stand since that time
without molestation. When this fact was
made known to District Commissioner
Wight he sent for s. r Thomas. the at
torney for the District, and asked for Ic-
gal advice upon the matter. \ conference
was held at the District Building last Fri
day afternoon between these officials and
an agreement reached to arrest one Of the
cabmen for the purpose of making test
case in the courts. Orders were accord
ingly given to the police. One of the
drivers, the president of the Cabmen and
Hackmen's Association, was arrested. the
arrest was quietly made and littlc-said o.
the happening. 1t WAS agreed TO take the
case into the Police Court and tomorrow
is set as the day for trial What the cab
men intend to do in the matter is not
known.
AT the meeting held last Friday evening
President Shanks brought the matter TO
the attention OF the members of the asso-
citation In view OF the fact that they are
saying little, 1t IS assumed that they will
be on hand when the legal battle is fought
tomorrow.
When seen by "A reporter for The Times.
Commissioner Wight admitted that an
agreement was reached during his confer
ence with Attorney Thomas to make a
single arrest for the purpose of testing
the legality of the regulation in the
courts. II do not myself consider the reg
ulation defective ne said 1t is elaine
by Mr. Pugh and others that such is the
case. | would prefer 10 have it so proved
in the courts.
In all probability the result of the test
case Will hinge principally upon the word
ing of the regulation Judge Scot, before
whom the case will be tried. has been
searching the law on the subject of cabs
for several days and will be fully prepared |
when the case comes up before him to-
morrow. He called at the District Build |
ing yesterday and obtained an official
copy of the regulation, which was promul-
gated and published in the local press ON
October 20 last 1t is signed by Commits
sioners Wight and Beach, and is as fol- |
lows:
Ordered that so much of secti N FIVE |
of article four of the police regulations |
of and for the District of Columbia as |
designates the following as hack stands |
namely. 'on Sixth Street near the Ea ii !
more and Potomac Railroad Company's |
depot on the south side of B Sue1t |
northwest. west of the Baltimore and |
Potomac Railroad Company's station. |
is hereby revoked; and that the space on |
Sixth Street. from the building line Of l. |
Street to the south line of the depot |
building is reserved as a stand for the |
buses of licensed hotels; from the south |
line of said building southwark in front |
of the train shed, for such use as the |
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore |
Railroad Company may desire to make |
of it for its business, including its cabs |
and the handling of freight baggage AMI |
mail; that the space on b Street north |