The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-08-01
THE CAROLINA
RAILWAY FIGHT.
PRESIDENT w. w. FINLEY PLAC
ED UNDER ARREST.
RELEASED ON HAEBAS CORPUS
Ticket Agent Wilson Was Also Ar
rested and Taken from His Post of
Duty-Passengers Board Trains
Without Tickets.

Asheville, N. C.-Suiting his action
to the word Of Gov. Glenn, who an
nounced that railroad officials high
er up" should be reached, Police JUS
tic Reynolds issued warrants for the
arrest Of President w. w. Finley and
for Ticket Agent Wilson. Finley was
arrested and leased on habeas corpus
proceeding while the ticket agent, who
was taken from his post of duty, thus
compelling numerous passengers TO
board trains without tickets, was ar
raigned in the police court.
Counsel declined to give bond, hop
ing that the court would turn the.
prisoner over to an officer and thus
pave the way for habeas corpus pro-
ceeding, but Judge Reynolds check
mated this move by saying that he
would take personal charge of the
ticket agent.
A few minutes later, however, it
became apparent that Judge Reynolds
simply meant that he would take
charge Of the prisoner constructive
ly," for he remarked that Mr.. Wilson
could "follow him around all day if
he desired to and then walked off
leaving the agent to go his way I'M
molested, but feeling very uncertain
about his legal status.
The warrant for President Finley
was placed in the hands of a police
man who went to the Battery Park
Hotel to serve the papers upon the
executive head of the Southern. In
the meantime arrangements had been
made for habeas corpus proceedings
before Judge Pritchard to secure Mr..
Finley's released.
The policeman did not succeed in
reaching the police court with his
prisoner. Just as he was ready to
leave the hotel deputy United States
marshal walked into the hotel and
took charge of Mr.. Finley. The
policeman stood aside and Mr.. Finley
was then taken to the federal court
room where he was given liberty by
Judge Pritchard.
President Finley and all Of The
other officers were examined as wit
hesses during the habeas corpus hear
ing and Judge Pritchard was APP
parently nettled when he discerned
disposition on the part of the cour-
sci for the state to show that he had
issued the writ for the release Of Pres
ident Finley before the actual arrest
of that gentleman.
"All right, go ahead and prove
THAT" observed Judge Pitchard, Us
MIR. Finley was questioned on this
point by Judge James H. Hartman.
Lit was the contention of Mr.. Merri-
han that Mr.. Finley was only teach
nically under arrest, but the police
man testified that he was under in
structlons to arrest Mr.. Finley and
take him at once to the police court
and as the warrant read that way
Judge Pitchard concluded, that the
executive heard of the Southern Rail-
way was being deprived of his lib
erty and ordered his release.
The arrest Of Messrs. Finley and
Wilson attracted especial interest
from the fact that the warrants were
issued before Police Justice REYNOLDS
who recently issued the warrants for
the arrest of District Passenger Agent
Wood and Ticket Agent Graham.
At that time there was considera-
BILE talk of contempt proceedings,
should there be further interference
with the jurisdiction Of Judge Pitch
ard, and Judge Reynolds and others
were summoned to testinfy before
Judge Pritchard relative to the charge
that these indictments were framed
up in local newspaper Office and
that the prosecution s witnesses were
not voluntary. Now this phase OF the
question is again rendered doubly
interesting from the fact that the
witnesses, whose names were affixed To
the warrants issued today were MT
voluntary.