The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-25

p f. Coyne. a member OF the bor-
ough council of Old Forge, is not a
cheap man IL his own words are to be
believed. The man who insults him
by offering a bribe of 800 and street
car pass makes a mistake.
Coyne was the star witness yesterday
at the hearing in the injunction pro-
Ceedings of citizens Of Old Forge bor-
ough against the Pittston and Scranton
Street Railway company before Judge
+. w. Gunster. He made a brave
showing when his examination in chief
was en-, but after he was turned over
to Major Everett Warren for cross
examination Coync's reputation as a
high minded citizen who had an eye
single to the interest Of the people of
the borough was badly tarnished. Here
is a sample brick of what was dragged
out of Coyne on cross-eXaminatiCn:
THE understanding was that first
we would get what the people wanted,
and then If they (the street railway
people, wanted to pay our expenses
they would have to pay more than 500.
That was the understanding. l said
500 wasn't enough to pay any mans
(electiOn) expenses and as long as they
were willing to pay they ought to give
enough. JermYn asked what we would
be satisfied with and I told him we
were satisfied for $500, $1,000 or $1,000"
That was candid of Coyne to say the
least, even If the figure were not mod
est.
HISTORY OF CASE.
To get an understanding of this case
it is necessary to thrash over some
1npiant biCtprN- AEpt,t bp tho
Taylor line operated by the Scranton
Railway company, was extended to
Rendham it was the intention to run
| the road as far as the Luzerne county
| lire where it would connect with the
| Duryea line of the Wyoming Valley
| Traction company.
| The legislature some time before this
| had passed an act which made it neces-
! sary for a trolley company in passing
along the highways in townships to Sc
cure the consent of every person whose
| property abutted on the line of the
road. This law was invoked by prop
erty owners of Old Forge township VINO
objected to the trolley road and the
| road could not be built.
At length the demand for the accom-
modations a trolley road would give
| bN'tlllit 81 Sl'tNl NlIttN IL NdS uSNlbNh "
ask the court for borough form of
| government, under which the borough
| council, if it saw fit could grant 4
| franchise for the construction of the
road, the township law not applying
to boroughs. This would overcome the
obstacles put in the way of the i'm
| provement by property owners under
the township law. The borough was
s,,1Nr IN inCr
| of this year ard officers We're chosen.
The borough movement was strongly
| opposed and after the favorable action
of the court on the petition an appeal
! was taken to the superior court which
| appeal is now pending. The borough
council organized Immediately after the
| special election called to select borough
| officers and one of the first measures
| presented to it was an ordinance grant
ing the Pittston and Scranton Railway
company permission to lay its tracks
on certain streets in the borough. This
ordinance was killed because of certain
Objectionable features it contained and
a second ordinance was drafted which
modified the objections.
VETOED BY BURGESS.
This ordinance passed the borough
council but was vetoed by the
burgess, Andrew Kennedy, for the
reason that it did not proper
ly safeguard the interest of the
people of the borough. The council
promptly passed the ordinance over the
burgess veto and it became a law.
Work on the construction Of the
track began last week and the follow
ing property owners of Old Forge
thereupOn asked for an injunction To
restrain the work holding that the or
dinance is Illegal and that its passage
was secured by corrupt methods:
Charles ]. Keogh, r.. Willis Reese, John
}. Timlin. John y. Cooke, william
Repp, p. J. Fallon, r. j. Stewart, Geo.
Stafford, John A, Wood, Richard w.
Howard, Pattin Taylor, Frank X.
Coyne and Wallace Ormston.
on the petition of these men an in
junction was issued and the work of
construction was stopped last Wednes-
day by the sheriff The injunction pro,
ceedings came up yesterday for a hear
ing before Judge Gunster in the main
court room. Attorneys r. NJ. Hannah
of this city, and McCOllum, of Brad
ford county, appeared for the property
owners and Major Everett Warren for
the defendant company. The Scranton
Railway company is actively interested
in the matter because it viii operate
the road.
The first witness examined was p
+. COyne an Old Forge merchant. anG
also a member of the borough council
lie said his attention was called to the
first ordinance by Thomas Stevens, an.
other member Of council Witness
voted against both ordinances. Priol
tO the passage of the first ordinance
he had conversation with +. w. Gal
laeher, claim agent Of the Scranton
Hallway company About their frs
meeting which occurred at the resi-
dence of Rev. j. f. Jordan at OlC
Forge, Coyne said:
GAVE HIM 4 PASS.
He gave me a book, a pass TO rid
on the street car free, and ne told m
' he would pay me and each and ever!
one Of the counclmen 800 for election
r expenses when that ordinance woul,
7 be passed. The second conversation
! was at my store and Gallagher sal,
, lac would stand by what he said at ou
- first meeting, l did not see him afte
II that"
e When Coyna was turned over to Ma
I jor Warren for cross-eXaminatiOn h
+ was asked about a meeting in IN
RockawGy hotel at Old Forge whic
was attended by Coyne, William Mon
J, roe. Robert Staff and Patrick Gala
CHER, who constituted a majority O
tho hnrpuuh pouDp1 For n long tim