Evening star., 1909-04-22
Ready to File Charges Against
Electric Railways.
EVIDENCE PUT IN SHAPE
Announcement by Assistant At
torney Given.
COMPLAINTS OF CROWDED CARS
Prosecution Will Be Brought Under
Authority Of the Act Of Congress
Of May 90, 1908.

practically all of the evidence we
deem necessary has been furnished us by
the interstate commerce commission pre-.
paratory to filing charges against several
of the local electric railways Of the city
for overcrowding. I cannot say exactly
when the charges will be filed, probably
in the course of q week or so: but due
notice will be given to all persons inter-
ested. / am now working on the evil
dence, getting 1t in proper shape to SUBJ
NIT to the court
The foregoing was the announcement
Of Assistant United States Attorney Ralph
Given at the Police Court this morning
when asked relative to the status of the
contemplated prosecution for the over
crowding Of the street cars. 1t was stated
the evidence which has been gathered
from time to time by the interstate COM
merce commission through its agents.
was formally turned over to the prose-
cutting attorneys Monday afternoon. but
formal announcement Of the fact was not
made until today, owing to desire on the
part of the prosecutors to ascertain It's
general character.
Evidence Highly Satisfactory.
"It is unnecessary to say" remarked
Mr.. Given, that positive and accurate
evidence must be in our possession before
we feel that we could push the cases with
any hope Of success. may say that the
evidence now in our possession Is entirely
satisfactory from our viewpoint.
1t could not be ascertained how many
cases would be filed nor what nor how
many roads were involved. 1t was init
mated, however, that the number OF orig
inal complaints which were taken up by
the authorities cited no less than thirty
or thirty-five separate instances OF over
crowding II the testimony warrants the
filing of charges under all Of the original
complaints, it is not expected that more
than one-third or one-half OF them VIII
make their appearance at first. Question
ing failed to reveal what road or roads
"When the informations are fled." Mr..
Given said. "they will reveal all such
matters. l couldn't with propriety give
out the name of the company or COM
panies at the present time.
Authority for Prosecution.
The prosecutions will not be filed under
the regulations promulgated last spring
by the interstate commerce commission
which were intended to govern the run
ming and crowding of the cars, but In
stead will be filed, 1t was stated. under
the sixteenth section of the act OF Con-
gress approved May o. 1903. which COW
ers the subject in general way
The particular part Of the section which
the prosecutors say applies to the present
cases Is as follows: THE interstate COM
merce commission Is hereby given power
to require and compel obedience to all
of the provisions of this section, and to
make. alter. amend and enforce all need
full rules and regulations to secure said
obedience; and said commission Is given
power to make all such orders and regu-
lations necessary to the exercise OF. the
powers herein granted to it as may be
reasonable and proper. and such COM
panies or corporations, their officers or
employees, are hereby required to obey all
the provisions Of this section, and such
regulations and orders as may be made
company or corporation. or its officers
or employees. violating any provision of
this section ar any Of the said orders or
regulations made by the said commission
or permitting the violation. shall be pun
ished by fine of not more than thou
sand dollars"
It was explained that charge hled
under this section rather than under the
regulation prohibiting crewdinE will give
more freedom In the conduct of the case
and allow greater latitude In the pres
entation of testimony.
II is the purpose Of District Attorney N
Baker to take a prominent part in the
prosecution Of the cases. ii it 10 possible
for him to get away from one of two i'm
portant cases which are consuming q
large part Of his time. The other prose
cutting attorneys who will participate in
the trials are Messrs. Ralph Given, who
is at present preparing the cases. ana
Mangan. 1t was explained that the pros
ecution will be conducted In behalf OF the
interstate commerce commission, the
prosecuting attorneys acting as their rep
resentatives.