Debs Contempt Case

Chicago, July 24.- The Debs et al. ' empt case carne up bef ore Judges Woods . ' ind Gros-soup. The court room was early j , illed by fnends and members of the { , kmerican Railway Union s well as a arge numbcr of attorneys. Debs, Keliher, Uoward and Rogers were brought over j rom the jail and placed in the United ! States marshal's office. The attorneys for I he defendants included S. S. Gregory. ' W. W. Erwin, C. S. Darrow and Lawyer ' jeeting. The answer to the Information )f the United Stutes district attorney was aot filed until at the time of the opening )f court. It is a long document. Tlie governmeut was represented by } striet Attorney Milchrist, Eilwin Walksr and Judge Hand. The preliminary s larri ug and the reading of the answer of i he defendants consumed some time. 1 [he parents of the president of the American Railwayinion had uot forgotten ,hat their son would be arraigned for üontempt of court, and from their little lome in Terre Haute they telegraphed the ollowing: "Deakkst Eugene: We are with you ahis day and alwMys. "Yoüe Fatheis and Mother." Points In the Answer. The epsential features in the defeudants' inswer to the inf ormation filed is as folow6: They declare that by the terms of ;he organization of the American Railway auion they had no power toand did notorier a strike on any of the railroads tied up: that a strike could only be declared or liscontinned by a vote of the majority of the members of the A. R. U. on each road, and that the only power of the general nfficers in the matter was to notify mem bers oL the umon in the service concerued in such strike of the action taken bj such a majority; and deny that at iny time orders were issued to the employés of the railroads mentioned in the complaint to strike, but that they merely informed the employés of the result of the votes on these railways where a majority voluntarily determined to strike. They deny that the said employés in leaving the service of said companies did so for the purpose of preventing or delaying such companies in the operation of trains engaged in carrying the United States mails when transacting interstate commerce. Oreanization Before the Strike. Defendants admit tbat prior to and during the strike nianv local unions of the A. R. U. were organized covering substant'ally all the roads from Chicago to the Pacific coast, but deny that after the Bsrvice of the Djunction that they carried on the work of organization other than generally advising the railroad employés o become members and receiving applicants tor membersbip. Defendants deny iat any of the telegram set forth in the nforination against them were sent or ithorized by any of them, except one ated July 6, saying they had assurance hat within iorty-eight hours every labor rganization in the country would come íO the rescue and advising all to quit and emain out till the fight was won, and dearing the cause saining ground daily nd success ODly a question of a few days. ,No Hand in Violence. Tbis, it is admitted, was sent by Debs, but that the defeudants have no knowle ige whatever of sending other telegrams meutioned. They admit violence occurred on some of the raiiway lines tied u[, but deny tbat any members of the American raiiway union participated in such acts. They deny they knew violence u cessarily followed from strikes, but allee on the contrary. as far as the American Raiiway union is concerned, that said Birike and all similar strikes contémplate Duthing more than peaceable and lawful cessation of work. They deny expressly that thev at anv time directed, advised or approved acts of violence or unlawul acts of any kind; but on the ontrary, at all times they had couniled abstention from violence, threats and intiinidation. They declare that in sending out a cominunication to the railway managers July V offering to cali off he strike they exceeded their authority. Chey iurther declare that since the service of the injunction order on them they have een governed in all acts by the advice of eminent counsel as to what they might egally do thereunder; that they intended n no way to viólate the injunction or act n defiance or contempt of its authority. The answer is sworn to by Debs, Howard, Keliher and Kopers.