The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-08
THE OLD UNION DEPOT
ATLANTA BOARD, OF HEALTH's
EFFECTIVE ACTION.
WAS TEARING UP FLOORING.
WHEN THE WORK WAS STOPPED
ny AN INJUNCTION.

Railroad officials aud Attorneys
Were Greatly Worried, but Had
the Luck to Find Judge Lumpkin
Eating Breakfast in the Depot
Restaurant-Thc Judge Very De-
Iiberate, but Finally Granted the
Petition with PrOvisO of His
Own-Matter VIII Now he Taken
Into the Courts.
Atlanta. Feb. Under command of
Lawyer Burton Smith and DR.. w B. Biz
eel OF the Board of Health and Chief
George NJ. Hope of the sanitary depart
ment, a force of nearly 200 negro labor
ers attacked the Union Depot shortly al
ger o'clock this morning and were pro
ceeding to make short work of the floor
ing OF the old shed, when they were stop
ped by temporary Injunction from Judge
Lumpkin, about o'clock.
The members of the Health Committee
also had on hand some thirty or forty
wagons and dump carts, ready TO haul off
the rotten flooring and debris when it had
been dug out. Starting at the Western
and Atlantic track. on the north side of
the car shed, the small army had sue
ceeded in tearing up about one-third of
the depot flooring before the injunction
had stopped the proceedings.
President c. A. Wickersham OF the At
lanta and West Point and chairman Of
the depot board of control arrived on the
scene shortly after the work was begun
He called on a policeman to stop the
e IN
men. Il can do nothing" the policeman
replied. There is a whole army of them,
and besides they are higher in authority
than am" Capt. Thompson of the po-
lice force came up and tried to stop the
work After a conference with Mr.. Smith,
however. he subsidized.
BY this time all the railroad officials of
the city and all the railroad lawyers were
gathered in "A council of war, and this
council quickly agreed that an injunction
was what they needed. While the town
was being secured for Judge anticipa-
tIon of such action entered the heads of
the officials of the Board OF Health and
they urged the negroes to stin swifter
efforts In the hope of getting the work
completed before the injunction was
served.
The lawyers finally found Judge Lump
kin, and by strange freak of circum
stance, they found him in Durand's res
taurant, and there. where the perfume
OF his oyster stew mingled with the odor
of the rat nests, where the fragrant
fumes of his coffee mixed with the scents
released by the removal of the depot
flooring. the petition for an injunction
was thrust beneath his nose by ]. Car
roll Payne.
Judge Lumpkin took the paper and
calmly perused it, while Mr.. Payne and
Mr.. Wickersham sat at the table tapping
the floor with the toes of their shoes in
uncomfortable impatience, He went slow
~ and judicially through it, did the
Judge. Then he called for a pen and
inserted clause providing that the city
should have the right to argue the in
junction before Saturday week, the day
set in the petition. If the city so desired.
And then he signed it. And Immediately
he did, Mr. Payne seized the paper. and
followed by Mr.. Wickersham. rushed down
the steps and into the depot.
The service of the injunction stopped
the work, but Mr. Smith ordered the men
TO haul off the rotten boards. This led
the depot people to seek Judge Lumpkin
again and he gave them permission to
put the boards back until the matter shall
have been determined. The action of the
Board of Health was taken in pursuance
of a threat made some time ago that this
would be done unless the railroad officials
acted promptly in repairing the old struc-
ture. The delay of the railroads exas-
persted the health board and they started
in. with the result stated
Cases were made against President G.
A. Wickersham, of the Atlanta and West
Point and General Passenger Agent of the
Western and Atlantic, and General Man
ager $. f. McGill of the Georgia Railroad,
at the police barracks tonight bv che
Board of Health. charging them with
maintaining a public nuisance. They are
adj members of the Board of Control OF
the union depot The cases will probably
be heard by Recorder Broyles tomorrow