The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-20
COMP RS
PR||.'0||||'T''.E|::'.S;;,T|'S'
Asks Tampa Police to Protect X
Union Organizers. s.5I
HAVE BEEN THREATENED Il \ \ I \ I Il;
Two Members Of C'gartnakers' inter r
national Union Warned to leave
Tampa on Pain Of Death-Let- III
ter Signed by Committee. #

y tBy Associated Prcss.) {l&s
III WASHINGTON, March 10.--samuel
Gompers, president Of the American Fcdo do
ratIpn OF Labor, to-day sent tho follow :
4 ing telegram: jt35
Washington. March 10, 1909.
I The Chief Of Police, Tampa, Fla;
4 In the name OF organized labor, as well
as every lIloerty-loving cltlzen.SI demand
fun protection to olir organizers, james
Wood and James a. aoberts, and others,
\ whose lives have been threatened. These
Il mon I know to be law abiding citizens
& and would not be guilty OF IN sunlnwful
net. They have right to organize work !
j3ingmcn, g and, II necessary, In defense OF
their rights to strike for tho enforcement
4 OF them,s5if no other means OF red ress H.
afforded III Tho Kidnapping and making
away with a number Of Tampa's workmcii
4 leSs than two years ago warrants beliei
+ that the present thrent Ii serious and
emanates from capitalisttc organized
bandtti.
lsIgncd) SAMUEL q OMPERs.
/ President American Federation OF Labor.
1.-THE CAUSE OF IT. ~
N This telegram was sent by Mr.. Comp.
I era on receipts Of statements from the
Il organizers mentioned that the snbjoined
communication had been received BY
them: u,
James Wood:
5siI You Sart hereby commanded TO leave
K the city at once ana never return n Our
men have been watching you since your
arrival here. and we arc. convinced That
you are a trouble-maker. Leave the city
& and save yourself the trouble OF our being g
compelled to remove you, which we VIII
do IL you are in the city twenty-four
hours after receiving this letter. TAKE
your big guard and leave the city under
y pain OF death. for We Will not have or
tolerate any more Strikes IN tnls IA CITY.
Leave or you die. t
COMMITTEES or TAMPA AND SUR
last4 ROUNDING COUNTRY & S}.SS n
A ID TS7 Tampa, March. 1903.
/ Jnmcs a.. Roberts: III VI i3 WI
You are hereby commanded to leave
fhn city at once. You 2consp!red to bring
NIGER 2hiILLIAN back. You brought
Wood here. You are consplrlng with the
anarchists in Ybor to bring on a strike.
Z You brought them anarchists from Key
West TO bring on n strike. and we think
v your next move for the good OF Tampa
viii be 10 leave the city. and II you ever
come back. YOU do SO ut your own peril.
To remain twenty-four hours after re-
q ceIyIng this letter means death for both
you and Wood Get out OF the city and
save us the trouble Of removing you.
W c5 5sM'snse2 or TAMPA AND SUR R.
GROUNDING COUNTRY.
XII Mr. Gompers announced that he had
been advised that letters similar to- these
had been served on Jose Riaz. George
Bristow and Frank Kelly. members OF the
f. Cigarnakcrs' International Union.
& Chief OF the Tampa police Jones, to-
night sent n reply to President Gompers'
cram, saying that the federation mon
will DO given protection necessary The
\ Chief OF Police also received a letter to-,
day from the president Of the Internal
tional Cigarmakers' Onion IT the same
tenor as the Gompers telegram, and
sent the same answer. II ia SAID that
there is no feeling against the labor or
ganlzers. and they nre not In any dan
ger The letters were received over two
weeks ago stts3 45sts4a