People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1894 — DEBS GOES TO JAIL [ARTICLE]

DEBS GOES TO JAIL

With Three of His Lieutenants the Labor Leader Is Locked Up. They Are Held to Answer to the Charges of Contempt of Coart—Declining to furnish Bail They Are Sent to Prison. BEHIND THE BABS. Chicago, July 18. —Four of the principal officers of the American Railway union are in the county jail, where they will probably remain until next Monday. They were in the United States circuit Tuesday charged' with contempt in refusing to obey the injunction restraining interference with interstate commerce traffic, and elected to be locked up rather than give $3,000 bail for appearance. The ’prisoners are:

Eugene V. Debs, president of the American Railway union. George W. Howard, vice president of the American Railway union. Sylvester Keliher, secretary of the American Railway union. L. W. Rogers, director of the American Railway union.

Before they were committed there was a legal controversy in court. Information against them had been filed by United States District Attorney Milchrist charging them with violations of the orders of the court, and producing telegrams and copies of orders by Mr. Debs to show that he and his associates had openly and repeatedly violated the injunction, and that they were, therefore, guilty of contempt and liable to punishment for their acts. The bill of information first reviewed the character of the American Railway union, alleging that it was an organization formed in such manner that one of its objects was by united strikes to cripple and paralyze commerce by rail. After the issuance of the federal injunction, so runs the bill, the association continued the organization of branch assemblies for the purpose of accomplishing what had been forbidden by the United States court. Further, the union had issued orders to employes of the Illinois Central and those of other roads with the object of hindering trains engaged in interstate commerce and the transportation of United States mails.

District Attorney Milchrist was accompanied in court by Edwin Walker, who made the original presentation to the court as to the facts alleged by the government, and the district attorney read the text of the information. Judge Seaman, of Milwaukee, presided,and E. S. Gregor}' and W. W. Erwin represented the defendants, all of whom appeared in court in the afternoon and listened to the arguments on the question of their commitment.

Mr. Debs’ attorneys asked for a continuance of the hearing for ten days in order to allow them time to prepare a proper answer to the information and oossibly to test the question of jurisdiction. Mr. Gregory called attention to the fact that the defendants are already under bonds for appearance in court, and declared that it would be a hardship for them to give additional security’ for appearance. Mr. Walker desired a prompt hearing of the case upon its merits. Judge Seaman said he would set the hearing for Monday. Upon th • question of bail he added that the court was disposed to fix only a limited sum in view of the fact that the defendants are under bonds, and he said that he would make the bond $3,000 in each case. Mr. Debs and Mr. Rogers were holding a whispered consultation when the clerk of the court addressed the president and asked him if he was prepared to give bail for himself and his companions. Mr. Debs’ reply was that they had decided not to give bail but to go to jail and await the advice of attorneys as to future action. Their declination to furnish bail was based on the ground that they were already under bonds of SIO,OOO each to answer to an indictment charging them with conspiracy, and that their bondsmen in the other cases had been so bitterly attacked by the press that they felt a great deal of hesitancy in asking any more citizens to go additional bail for them. Going up to the group in company with two of his deputies Marshal Arnold greeted the prisoners and arranged to take them from the government building to the county jail. At the jail there was the formality of a search of the prisoners, and then they were assigned to cells. Mr. Debs said he and his brother officers would remain in custody until Monday, and would not make any effort to secure release o ; habeas corpus. The court directed that all necessary opportunity be given for conference between the men and their attorneys, and the marshal was instructed not to deprive them of any of the privileges o| ordinary prisoners. Mr. Debs was surrounded by his friends in the lawyers’ cage in the county jail and said:

“This means a few days of rest and quiet, ■which I have not had for over a month and which I need. We are not posing as martyrs, nor are we asking for sympathy. We will remain in jail, while others outside will look after the strike. All I have to say about our arrest to-day is that matters have come to a point in this free country when it is held to be a crime to advise a man what to do when he seeks your advice. We are guilty of no crime unless the simple expression of an" opinion is a cr me. We are not responsible for this strike, neither is the American Railway union as a body responsible for it. George M, Pullman, by his absolute refusal to in any way arbitrate or have anything to do with the committee appointed by his oppressed employes, brought all this trouble upon himself and others. Down in Pullman were 4.200 persons living in slavery. They cried out for help: we investigated their cause and found it just and took it up. Pullman, by his obstinacy, did the rest.” Mr. Debs denied that the strike was over or that the strikers at Pullman or elsewhere were disposed to return to work. He said the people of Pullman would not agree to any terms without consulting the officers of the American Railway union. Then he said: ’‘As for Grover Cleveland, his name will go down in the annals of history as infamous. There will be a quiet revolution in tjiis country before long. It will be at the ballot box and the people will thea secure their rights.”