New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-01-10
Police Kidnap
Rail Official
In Car Fight
Detroit Places Municipal
Tracks as Company's Aid,
With a Court Injunction,
Is Spirited to Belle Isle
Workers Under Big Guard
Corporation Threatens City
With Contempt Action in
Series of Legal Battles

DETROIT, Jan. 9.--Guarded by about
200 city policemen, 100 laborers en-
ployed by the city early this morning
laid tracks of Detroit's new Municipal
Street Railway across tracks Of the
Detroit United Railway Company at
st. Jean and Mack avenues, after Cir
cult Judge Harry j. Dingeman had is
sued an injunction restraining the city
from crossing the tracks. While the
work was being accomplished, E. j
Burdick, assistant general manager of
the Detroit United Railway, who had
in his pocket the restraining order
was virtual prisoner on Belle Isle,
due, he said, to his being taken to the
park by the police.
When the work of crossing the De-
troit United Railway tracks was begun,
Burdick is said to have approached
Joseph S. Goodwin, manager of the
municipal system, and demanded that
the work be halted. He was about to
produce the injunction papers, it is
said, when he was taken into CUSTODY
by policeman and taken in a patrol
wagon across the Belle Isle drawbridge
to the island for investigation on g
charge of disturbing the peace. He
was soon liberated, but was unable to
return to the city because the tender
OF the draw bridge would not close the
span. The bridge had been closed to
permit the patrol wagon to cross and
later to permit the wagon to return to
the city after Burdick had been left
at the Island Police Station. Burdick
was unable to cross until daylight. as
the Belle Isle bridge is closed to ali
except police traffic at midnight each
night.
Burdick, in a statement TODAY. de-,
clared contempt of court PROCEEDINGS
would be started tomorrow bv his
company against the city and that he
intended to lie y personal suit against
the city for false arrest. The police
admitted burdick had been taken to
ene island station for investigation.
Detroit United Railway COMPANY fol. fol.
lowed a legal fight carried on betweer
the city. and the company since last
April, when Detroit voters at a regular
election authorized the city to expend
Sl5,00o,000 in the construction Of 3
municipal street railway system.
After the election the company start.
ed several suits against the CITY at.
tacking the validity of the election
Inc most important of these was
brought ON the grounds that deception
@ had been practised upon the voters
dne CITY won the case in the United
States District Court here. The case
then was appealed by the company tt
the United States Supreme Court
which heard arguments last week. De.
cision has not been announced.
The st. Jean municipal line, which
the city placed across the Detroit
United Railway Mack Avenue line early
to-day, has been one of the storm cen.
tiers in the controversy between the
city and the street railway company
In 1919, the eomWny claims, it con.
tracted with the city to construct the
st. Jean line and began the ,onstruc.
ton. The Detroit United Railway was
tion after the election, the city having
decided TO construct the line as par
Of the municipal system.