Evening star., 1901-12-13
IGLESIAS SENT TO JAIL
AGENT OF A. F. OF l.. IN TROUBLE IN
PORTO RICO.
Charged With Conspiracy to Raise the
Wages of WOrkinGmen on
the Island.

A dispatch from San Juan, Porto Rico,
last night says: Santiago Iglesias, presi-
dent of the federation of workmel Of Porto
Rico, together with nine companions, was
tried in the district court of San Juan yes
terday on a charge of conspiracy. Today
Iglesias was sentenced to three years four
| months and eight days imprisonment.
Seven Of his companions were sentenced to
four months Imprisonment, while two were
| acquitted of the charge Of being the foun-
ders of an Illegal association and conspi-
racy, in August of 1900, to, raise the price of
| labor in Porto Rico. 1glesias, as the
founder Of the conspiracy, gets the haav-
lest sentence. The other men were merely
his associates in the crime.
Under Spanish law, which is still in force
here, persons convicted of a crime have
to pay the costs. The local federation of
workmen of Porto Rico, which IS now a
part of the American Federation of La bor
under the presidency of Samuel Gompers,
has been ordered dissolved, as it has been
adjudged illegal because of this conspiracy
Mr.. Savage, Judge of the district court
dissented to the illegality of the local
federation, although he agreed that Igle-
slas was guilty of conspiracy to raise the
price of labor August /, 1900 when the
currency of Porto Rico was changed. At
that time nearly all the merchants and en-
ployers here raised their prices from pesos
to dollars, an advance of 40 cents. Iglesias
did the same, contending he only raised
wages in proportion to other increases. This
constitutes conspiracy.
The case has been appealed to the su-
preme court OF Porto Rico, where it will
probably be heard in month. Pending
TINS appeal lglesias is at liberty.
The mass meeting of the Federation Of
Labor called for next Sunday, viii proLa-
bly, be called off, as the plans of the fedora
tlon are temporarily derang I'd. Iglesias
says politics influenced the decision against
him, as the judges belong to the local re-
publican party, while Iglesias is a federal
lst. One of the acquitted men mas turned
republican, 1t is said, since the time Of the
conspiracy.
Since Iglesias has been here as the local
organizer of the American Federation of
LABOR he has been continually attacked in
circulars and threatened by certain repup-
ncanS VINO oppose his plans. Last Tuesday
night these republicans firAi several shots
at the building of the federation The pc
lice searched the rooms OF these men fer
arms, but found nothing. The men who
fired these shots have not been arrested up
to this morning. Iglesias has petition "a
Gov. Hunt, citing reported assaults upon
his men and asking for protecIion. IglesiaS
said:
IF the laws of Porto Rico are made
quate to punish these offend ars, if | cannot
continue my work of American.zing Porto
Rican laborers unmolested please inform
me so that l can return 90 the United
States, abandoning this county and my
mission here"
When the correspondent of the Associated
Press showed the San Juan cable to Mr.
Samuel GomperS, president of the American
Federation of Labor, who is attending the
convention at Scranton. he expressed great
surprise at the news. In answar as 10 what
the federation will do in the matter he
said:
IF Mr. Iglesias' conviction is upon the
charge that he has been guilty of conspi-
racy to increase the wages of Porto Rican
workmen, We shall leave no eff 1T untriec
to secure his honorable release ami also
the necessary change in the laws of :he is
land to conform to the American standard.
2 1T is an honorable ambition t. secure
better returns in the shape of wages for
labor The Porto Rican law IS evidently a
relic of the Spanish brutal cJic aud re-
g1me, and the American people wiz Dot toll
crate so gross violation of guaranteed
rights"