Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1894 — DEBS UNDER ARREST. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEBS UNDER ARREST.

LEADERS OF THE STRIKE ARE INDICTED. Charged with Conspiracy Against the United States -Released In SIO.OOO Ball —Letters and Papers An Seized at the Union's Headquarters. Work of the Federal Grand Jnry. Four of tho genaral officers of the American Railway Union were arrested in Chicago Tuesday afternoon on the charge of conspiracy against the United States of America in interfering with interstate commerce, with the passage of the mails and with govermental officials. They are: Eugene V. Debs, president. George W. Howard, vice president Sylvester Kf.liher, secretary. L. W. Rogers, a director and editor of the order’s official organ, the Railway Times. They were indicted by the Federal grand jury, were taken into custody and afterward released on bail furnished by William Skakel and William Fitzgerald, and will some time next fall be placed on trial. It is under-

stood that the government will press the charge of high treason against the leaders of the union that is attempting to enforce the boycott against the cars of the Pullman Palace Car Company. The general offices of the organization were stripped of their contents which are to bo used in evidence against the prisoners. Mr. Deb 3 was teen during his temporary detention and, after expressing much indignation at the geizure of his private letters and papers, said for himself and his fellows: ’lf we have broken any law of the United States we will take our punishment like men. But this action is without parallel in any strike ever known in the history of the American people, whether on railways or ifot. We shall make no change in our methods, being convinced that they are perfectly legal, and the work will go on exactly as it was begun without reference to these unprecedented arrests.” Washington dispatches say the news of the indictment of Debs and his associates was received with undisguised satisfaction by the President and membow of his Cabinet. The position of the government is that officers of the body which ordered the boycott, Debs and others can be held responsible for whatever has or may grow out of it, whether any member of tho American Railway Unibn is directly involved in acts of violence or not. This much was clearly made known by the language of Judge Grosscup's charge, which, though setting forth in unmistakable terms the position of the Government, recognized the rights of the workingmen to organize for their better advancement. He defined insurrection against government and plainly stated the limit to which labor leaders should go. It is understood that Attorney General Olney himself outlined the plan of procedure. President Debs was not at all afraid of the threatened indictment.