The Washington times., 1902-10-10
RAILROAD COMPANIES
VS.. TICKET BROKERS
Interesting Fight Begins in
Judge Hagner's. Court.
TRANSFER OF G. A. r. TICKETS
Railroads Claim They Were Sold Under
Contract and Are Non Transferable
Brokers Dispute 1t.

The fight between four of the railroad
companies having Offices in this city and
the members of the American Ticket
Brokers' Association concerning the
right of the latter to traffic in the re-
turn coupons of Grand Army encamp-
ment tickets. which will. be resumed
this morning before Justice Hagner OF
the Supreme Court of the District.
promises to be long, fierce and inter
esting. The proceedings against the
ticket brokers were begun yesterday
by the railroads asking the court to is
sue an injunction restraining them from
purchasing and selling tickets sold by
the different railroad companies at
special rates for the encampment.
Parties to Issue.
The railroad companies which appeal
ed to the court for protection are the
Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake and
Ohio. represented by Attorneys McKen-
ney and Flannery; the Baltimore and
Ohio. and the Southern, represented by
Hamilton & Colbert.
The defendants named are members OF
the American Ticket Brokers Asso-
citation. Those who are doing business
in this city are Messrs. Milton NJ. Beck
man. Frederick D. Coale. William NJ.
Frank. Harry Garfinkel, Fred liable, w.
". Marmaduke, L. A.. Callahan, George
r. May, and Jacob spliedt. Twenty-sev-
en- nonresident members of the asso-
citation are also named as defendants.
The petitions filed by the different
railroad companies are practically iden-
tical in substance. It is set forth that
return tickets for the encampment were
issued at little less than the cost of
single fare. from the point issued to
I Washington. This was done on the con-
dition that the return coupon is not
transferable.
Contract Not Recognized.
The railroad companies claim. fur
ther, that the tickets were issued to
persons to visit Washington at reduced
rates to aid the purchasers as well as
to help the encampment. While doing
this each purchaser was made to sign
a contract which made the ticket bought
non-transferable. and in the event that
the purchaser did not perform his part
of the agreement the ticket was for
feited
In spite of this, however, 1t is claimed
that the members of the American
Ticket Brokers' Association have been
traflckirg in the return coupons OF
many OF these contract tickets.
In explaining the situation to the
court Mr.. McKenney stated that in one
instance colored woman purchased a
ticket, of the Grand Army encampment
issue, from ticket broker, good for
a single passage from Washington TO
Charleston, S. c.. for 81. When the
ticket was presented to an agent of the
railroad company a difference between
the signature of the original purchaser
and the person who presented it for the
return trip was noticed. The woman
firally admitted that she had purchased
the ticket from broker. and ii was
taken up by the railroad agen. and
held. 1t was made an exhibit in The
proceedings.
Ticket Brokers' Side.
The ticket brokers are represented
by Attorneys Henry E. Davis, Charles
c. Tucker, Arthur a. Birney, and Henry
F. Woodland When Mr.. McKenney pre-
sented the petition for injunction to Jus
tice Hagner yesterday morning many CT
the, defendants and their attorneys were
present. Mr.. Davis, on behalf o. The
defendants. opposed the granting Of .he
restraining order, on the ground that
the defendants are carrying on a icgiti-
mate business, for which they are ch1>S
ed and pay license, and which is rec
ognized by the District authorities as le-
gal and legitimate.
MIR. McKenney stated that the charac-
ter of the business conducted by the de-
PENDANTS is not questioned. II Is only
their right to deal in the special non
transferable contract tickets issued by
the railroads, for the accommodation OF
persons wishing TO visit Washington
during the encampment
Without hearing argument on the mat
ter Justice Hagner postponed further
hearing until this morning.
Mr.. McKenney objected to delay in
considering the matter on the ground
that it gave the ticket brokers an extra
twenty-four hours to traffic in the en-
campment tickets.
II is quite probable that the entire
session of the court today will be taken
UP In hearing argument of counsel on
either side. This will virtually give
the ticket brokers another day 10 do
business. even should the hearing result
In the issuance OF an injunction asdins.
them. Unless the time limit of Inc an
campment tickets is extended, they will
expire by Limitation on Tuesday ncx-
HARVEY PARKER WINS.