The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-03-07
Fred Grant Jailed-Refuses
to Pay Nickel Because Car
Does Not Stop at Twen-
ticth Street.
POLICEMAN CLUBS
INTERESTED WATCHER
Schroeder Knocks Jeff Cox
Into Gutter, While Crowd
Threatens Violence to Po-
lice Officer.

Fred Grant, passenger on an east
bound Main street car at 6 O'Clock last
evening offered to pay his fare pro-
vided the car would stop at the corner
/ OF South Twentieth and Main streets.
Conductor Dickinson refused to enter
into such an agreement because no
had orders not to stop at that corner.
! He said his orders were to stop mid
way between the Jog" between North
and South Twentieth streets, where
upon Grant refused TO pay his fare.
I The dispute between the representa-
tive of the Terre Haute, Indiana polls
| & Eastern traction company and Citi-
zen Grant whether he should or should
not contribute five cent piece toward
the maintenance OF the corporation re-
suited in a street car blockade, the
macing OF Jeff Cox. an aged east end
resident, a near riot, considerable pro-
family, an arrest and a legal tangle
which resulted in Grants release from
durance vile this morning.
! 1t is also possible that Grants spec
tacular action will result in some
action by the city requiring cars to
stop at all street corners.
| Conductor Dickinson has police
powers and could have legally elected
Grant from the car, but Dickinson
/ once banished one of the company's
patrons from a North E street car
and was reprimanded for his action.
Calls the Police.
! Consequently Dickinson decided not
to lay hands upon Grant last night In
stead he stopped his car at Fifteenth
and Main streets and telephoned po-
! lice headquarters to send an officer 10
take charge OF the acute situation. BY
the time Officer Schroeder arrived on
the scene there was a blockade OF
three street cars and large crowd On
hand awaiting with interest future de-
velopments. The patrolman dragged
the calm but obdurate Mr.. Grant from
the car and sent in a call for the
patrol.
/ In the interim between the calling
for and the arrival of the patrol large
and eXhiliratine action took place.
Jeff Cox approached Schroeder's cap
tive, who stood on street corner puff
ing a pipe. and according TO one wit
ness. advised him that on his arrival
at police headquarters 10 telephone 10
some one so that his release on bond
could be arranged
Free Speech His Plea.
This witness states Schroeder ad-
vised Cox to shut up" whereupon
Mr.. Cox asserted his constitutional
rights as an American citizen to speak
his mind freely either in public or in
private and informed the patrolman
that he did not have TO cease his con
versa tion with Mr.. Grant. Also, anoth-
er witness asserts. Cox told Schroeder
he had no business arresting Grant.
Then, an innocent bystander asserts,
Officer Schroeder acted impulsively.
as is occasionally TO be expected OF a
cub copper with only two weeks eN-
Iperience of bearing up under the dig
nifty and Importance of wearing brass
buttons and toting a mace. And all,
the other innocent bystanders agree,
lie also acted brutally. which is not TO,
be expected of any officer, whether'
veteran or cub.
Schroeder requested some one to.
hold Grant for a minute. but Grant
said this was unnecessary and the of
ficer took him at his word. Next.
Schroeder assaulted the aged Mr. Coz.
either with fist or black Jack" and
he slipped and fell into the gutter
with blow on the shoulder. Then
Schroeder seized him and a number
OF men instantly made a rush for the
patrolman. Cool heads at this crisis
took a hand in the affair and by much
eloquence prevented an attack on the
officer and also induced him to re
lease Cox. who was half dragged from
the scene of the disturbance by his
son.
Stays in Jail.
A few minutes later the patrol ar
rived and Grant was taken TO police
headquarters. He did not ask for a
case with the chief, so he spent the
night in Jail, although Chief Goodwin
tried to induce him to give his prom
ise to return in the morning if he
were permitted to spend the night at
his home.
Today Prosecutor Keller sought
vainly through the statutes from man
slaughter down TO the most trivial Of
fense for some charge to place against
Grant, but in vain and the man was
discharged from custody.
Grant Informed reporters that he
had offered to pay his fare If the car
would stop at the corner of the street
on which he lived, but the conductor
refused to do so and he refused to
pay his fare.
} "Other men living on South Twen-
} tieth street have complained because
cars would not stop at that corner and
il Just determined to bring the matter
TO ALI issue 1 have not decided wheth-
er In the future l will make another
test OF the case" said Grant.
He added that frequently cars did
= not stop half way between South and