After all the evidence of the prosecution had been presented they
realized that they had miserably failed. Not one particle of
incriminating testimony could the railroads produce with all the sleuth
hounds they had at their command.
Next came our turn. The General Managers were dumbfounded when they
were, one after the other, put on the stand. Eighty-six witnesses were
in court to testify as to the riots and fires. Assistant Chief Palmer
and other members of the Fire Department were on hand to testify that
when they were trying to extinguish the flames in the railroad yards
they caught men in the act of cutting the hose and that these men wore
the badges of deputy marshals. Other witnesses were policemen who were
ready to testify that they had caught these same deputies instigating
violence and acts of incendiarism.