Echo Of Debs Strike

Chicago, June 1. - Judge Grosscup rendered a decisión Tuesday mornin upholding the liabillty of the city o[ Chicago for damages to railroad projierty by reason of the strike of 1894. The question was before him on a demurrer of the city to the suit of the Pennsylvania company for $50,000 damage at the Brighton Park yards' fire on the night of July 6, 1894, and a suit of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley company for destruction of $20,000 of property at One Hundred and Third Street on the same night. In his opinión Judge Grosscup said the action was brcugrht under the statutes of the state of Illinois, which provide that when damage is caused in any city by a mob cf twelve or more persons, the city is Hable for three-fourths of the money value of the property destroyed. liurrten Upon the Municipality. He said there was no allegation that the city had failed to do its duty during the strike, and under the statu te no such allegation was necessary. The court held there was no contract on the part of the city to preserve property. It was simply a burden imposed upon the municipality by the state, and the city was Hable because the damage was committed within its territory. The supreme courts of New Hampshire, New York and Pennsylvania, the court said, had held the validity of similar statutes, and the appellate court of the Second Illinois district and Judge Adams of the circuit court beneh of the state court had held the validity of the Illinois statute. "Under the unbroken authorities the court said he would have to hold the statute valid and dismiss the demurrer of the city.