The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-21
IMPORTANT LOCAL DECISION.
Alexandria Railway Car Tickets
Must He Accepted In Town.

Judge Mills. in the District branch OF
the Police Court yesterday, rendered a
decision that is of considerable interest
to all OF the patrons of street cars in
Washington. The case that called 1t out
was one in which Columbus Brown. about
twenty-seven years old was charged
with disorderly conduct on a street car.
but another question of greater impor-
lance is involved.
Brown, it appeared from the testimony
given at the. trial. boarded a car on the
Metropolitan branch of the Washington
Traction and Electric Company at Ninth
Street When the conductor asked for
his fare he rendered a ticket issued by
the Washington. Alexandria. and Mount
Vernon Electric Company. This was re-
fused on the ground that it was not good
on the Metropolitan road. A dispute en-
sued between Brown and the conductor.
which resulted in Brown being put off the
car at the corner of Fourteenth Street
and New York Avenue On the COM
plant of the conductor to policeman,
Brown was arrested for being disorderiy.
Judge Mills yesterday dismissed the
case. The Government was represented
by A Leftwich Sinclair, and Edward G.
Niles looked after the interests of Mr..
Brown
Mr.. Niles commended in court that the
ticket offered by Brown was good on any
street car line in the District of Column
bia; that the law required that the va
rious companies should accept each 9TH
er's tickets for fare; that the refusal OF
the conductor to take the one offered by
Brown was breach of the law and that
his election and arrest were Illegal.
In passing upon the case Judge Mills
HAT ha ftta ion haf ,rra
the court was as to whether the defend
ant was guilty OF disorderiy conduct"
Judge Mills said: An connection with
that question arises the question of
whether the defendant was guilty of be-
ginning the alleged disorderly conduct.
whether 1t was something of his own
fault. or something caused by the fault
of others. A street railroad company Is
not quasi corporation, but it is abso-
lutely a public corporation. II is a COM
mon carrier, with a duty to the public.
and that duty Is to transport all orderly
and weIl-behaved people who are ready
and willing to pay the legal fare demand
ed for transportation
The question here is. whether that
man, being on that car, had legal right
to be there. If he had no legal right on
that car. the company's agents were right
in ejecting him. and il was right for them
to use sufficient force to eject him, If he
was there wrongfulIy. He was absolutely
right in refusing to get of the car at the
request OF the companys agent if he had
a legal ticket"
Judge Mills. continuing, said: ''All rail-
roads having an Office in the city. such
as the Washington, Alexandria and Mount
Vernon, the Metropolitan. Tenleytown.
and the suburban roads, which go beyond
the city limits. have a right to issue a
ticket over their route within the limits
of the District. and this ticket when is
sued Is legal ticket. and the conductor
of any other road is bound to receive it :"
1t was intimated during the hearing
that Brown on a former occasion had
rendered Washington, Alexandria. and
Mount Vernon ticket to a conductor on
the Anacostia branch of the Washington
Traction and Electric Company's lines.
and had met with a similar experience. 1t
was also said that he had brought suit
to recover damages in that case. for what
he contends was an fnfraction of the
law Mr. Niles intimated that an action
would be brought in the Supreme Court
of the District to recover for the alleged
i'll treatment which brought his client
into court yesterday.