Evening star., 1909-05-15
CAR CR0WD|NG CASES
Charges Against Each Railway
System in Police Court.
TO BE FILED NEXT WEEK
Details of Offenses, as Alleged, With.
held by District Attorney.
BEGINNING OF PROSECUTION
On Result Will Depend Whether
Other Accusations Will Be
Brought to Trial.

o4OuHAL " 4AAoAs
Ten cases charging the Capital Trac-
tion Company and the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company with violating
the act of May %. 1908. prohibiting the
crowding of street cars will be filed in
the Police Court Monday or Tuesday
morning of next week.
Ross Perry of counsel for the Capital
Traction Company was notified to this
effect this morning by Assistant United
States Attorney Ralph Given, attached to
the Police Court. The same notice is to
be served on Charles Douglas. counsel
for the Washington Railway and Electric
Company, either late this afternoon or
Monday morning.
The charges will allege the violation of
section 16 of the law In question. Five
cases are to be filed against each of the
railway companies.
Details Are Withheld.
1t was impossible today to learn the
dates or on what streets the crowdine
is alleged to have occurred, and what
inspectors in the employ of the inter
state commerce commission specifical }
filed the complaints.
1T would be improper for me at the
present time to divulge these facts.
said Mr.. Given in an interview today.
They will be public property. however
Just so soon as the ten cases are taken
into court.
There are FIVE cases now against each
company. 1 believe the evidence we
have is exceptionally strong.
Upon the outcome of the presen,
cases will rest what action is to bs
taken upon a number of other com
plants we have here of similar ma
ture."
Form of Information.
The following is a copy of the in
formation upon which the charges are
to be filed:
"In the Police Court of the District
Of Columbia.-The interstate commerce
commission, by Daniel w. Baker, es-
quire, attorney of the United States il
and for the District of Columbia, who
through Ralph Given, esquire. one OF
his assistants, proSecutes for and on
behalf of said interstate commerce
commission, comes here into court, Il;
the District aforesaid, on the - day
of May in the year of our Lord one
thousand nine hundred and nine. in the
said term. and for the said interstate
commerce commission gives the court
there to understand and be informed OF
the oath of one ---- that at the
--. a body corporate, late Of
the District aforesaid, on the------
in the year of our Lord 1909, was cor
1i,,n nd Q
certain street railway in the District o1
Columbia, and en- the day and year las
aforesaid, and at the District aforesaid
did then and there unlawfully fail tt
operate and control a certain street rail
way car over and upon the lines of the
said body corporate, to wit, on-----------
in such maner as to prevent the crowd
ing of said railway car by persons using
the same, against the form of the statute
in such cases made and provided an,
against the peace and government of The
United States of America.
"Whereupon the said attorney for the
United States who in this behalf prose
cutes for and on behalf Of the said inter
state commerce commission, in the man
ner and form as aforesaid, prayS the con-
sideration of the court here in the prem.
ises. and that due proceedings may bs
had against the said name of the charged
railway company, corporation as afore-
said, in this behalf and to make such cor
touching and concerning the premises
aforesaid
Baker May Appear in Court.
Because of the fact that the present
charges are the first of the kind TO be
filed against any of the railway corpora
tions of the city it is deemed most likely
that Mr.. Baker will appear in the court
room at the trial and personally conduct
the prosecution, with the assistance OF
Messrs. Ralph Given and Mangan.
Importance of Suits.
The cases are of exceptional impor
tance. and their outcome will be taken as
a guide in future proceedings. That a
vigorous legal battle will develop when
the cases come to trial there is little
doubt because of the nature of the
charges, and the fact that the entire al
legation of the government rests upon
the meaning of the word "crowding"
The various definitions of the word will
open the way for extended and prolonged
argument, involving numerous technical
tiles.
1t was stated today by the prosecuting
attorneys that the cases to be filed next
week represent the result of long labor
upon the part of the interstate commerce
commission and the Office of the United
States attorney. During the past sever
months no less than thirty-five com.
plants of crowding have been called Il
the attention of the prosecutors the testi
mony submitted being of various grade.
and character, and but comparatiyel,
few OF which were of sufficiently def
mite nature 10 warrant the filing O.
charges.
1t was said that the greatest trouble
was experienced in obtaining speciti,
data as to the numbers of persons il
the alleged crowded cars and other nee
essary facts essential for a successful
presentation of the matter before the
courts. The ten cases to be filed, it il
understood, are the strongest in posses
sion of the prosecuting attorneys.