The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-25
ATTEMPT TO BRIBE
LABOR LEADER MADE
Continued from PAGE 1.

a member. He followed me to the
lodge room and again took the same
car which 1 boarded to reach my home.
II is a particularly lonesome road from
the car line to my house, and when the
man followed me / turned upon him
and demanded to know why he was
following me, and directed him to de-
sist from doing so. He at first replied
that he was not logging me, but after
ward he admitted that he was doing
so. I recognized him as a member of
the Masonic fraternity. He then told
me that he would desist from pursuing
me, and admitted that he was a detec-
tive, saying that Mr.. Van Cleave had
employed him to dog me-"
Mr.. Gompers said that he had been
followed on other occasions, but at no
time as persistently as then.
The cross-examination then bore
upon the question of bribery.
Have you" Mr.. Ralston asked
ever been approached by emissaries
of Mr.. Van Cleave who wanted to
bribe you?"
"Yes." replied Mr.. Gompers-
when and where?" asked Mr. Raj
ston.
In reply, Mr.. Gompers entered upon
long narrative. the purport of which
was that in the latter part of the sum-
mer of 1907. while in New York, he had
been accosted by a man who gave the
name of Brandenberg and claimed ac-
quaintance with him, who told him
after they had had several meetings
that he had been sent by Mr. Van
Cleave to offer him money to desert the
cause Of labor and betray it's secrets.
Mr.. Gompers said that Brandenberg
had told him that IL was Mr.. Van
TfT.s.1
pers) character. but that he (Branden-
berg) had persuaded him that it would
be better to make an ally of Gompers
and that, Van Cleave consenting.
Brandenberg had proposed to him in
behalf of Van Cleave that he desert
the cause of labor and accept from
Brandenberg q guarantee of an income
of $1,000 or $4,000 a year for the re-
mainder of his life.
National politics were injected into
today's proceedings in the contempt
case against President Gompers and
other American Federation of Labor
officials, growing out of the alleged
boycott of the Buck Stove & Range
company products and the Federation's
subsequent attitude. The cross-exam-
nation of President Gompers was be-
gun by Attorney Ralston, counsel for
the Federation. and led into a lively
colloquy in which the National Manu-
facturers' association. of which James
Van Cleave is president, was involved
Mr.. Van Cleave'S presence at the Re
publican national convention and Judge
Taft's attitude toward injunctions were
discussed. Mr.. Ralston's questions
were in support of his theory of an or
ganized effort to destroy organized la
Dor
Mr.. Gompers said he had nothing to
do with the circulation of the FEEDER
ationist for January. 1908, as charged
80 far as you know" he was asked
has there been any distribution of the
We Don't Patronize List including
the Buck Stove & Range company
since Dec %. 1907, when the Injunction
decree was issued?"
Mr.. Gompers replied in the negative,
of the decree had he made any effort
to have 1t disobeyed.
Have you consciously violated the
he was asked.
II have not"
The fact that James w. Van Cleave
was connected with the suit against
the Federation officials and with the
Buck Stove & Range company, with
the Stove Founders association. and
with the National Association of Man.
of the last of which he is
president. was then brought out.
The witness was then asked.
rs this the same Mr.. Van Cleave
who recently attained prominence by