The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-27
GOMPERS SHOWS
UP A SC0UNDREL
Man Who Tried to Bride Him
Responsible for the Faxed
Cleveland Letter.

Warrington Sept. 2S-on his re-cross-
examination In the contempt proceedings
against him. Samuel Gompefs president
Of the American Federation of Labor.
was Questioned today BY Attorney Rath-
bone concerning a statement made in
New York by Broughton Brandenberg to
the effect that Gompers had made an
effort to bride him instead of his trying
to bride Gompers.
Il did not try to bride him. said
Mr.. Gompers. 1T was a physical impos-
sibility. both as to time and means"
He also said, in response to another
question, that Brandenberg, who had
sought to bride him in the interest OF
of Mr.. Ralston, the same man VINO IS
charged in a certain New York news
paper of this morning by the executor
OF the estate Of the late Grover Cleveland
with having manufactured letter from
that gentleman and which had been used
as an attack upon Mr.. Bryan and an en-
dorsement of Mr.. Taft. Mr.. Gonlpers as
serted that Mr.. Brandenberg mad first
accosted him and had first sought an in
terview with him. He introduced the fol-
lowing from Mr.. Brandenberg as con-
firmatory of his testimony:
Wanted to Meet Gompers Alone.
Referring to the incompleted CONVEX
ria, he begs to say that in passing through
Washington matters of the utmost ex-
pediency. which cannot be discussed here.
exist for your coming alone for day or
two of recreation to Edgefield. 5. c.,
where this gentleman alone will expect
your arrival at some time within the
next ten days. Again. he begs 10 say
that nothing you could possibly do would
have more satisfactory result for all
concerned The hunting and fishing in
that vicinity are VerV fine"
Mr.. Davenport objected to all this tes-
timony as irrelevant and gave notice that
he would ask to have it striker out.
Previous to the re-cross-examination
Mr. Davenport sought to get Mr.. Com
pers to acknowledge that Van Cleave's
manner toward him was so unfriendly as
to have put him on his guard in his
dealings with Brandenbburg, as indicat-
Ing that Van CIeave did not desire to
meet him, but the witness did not yield
the point. He said that Brandenburg told
him that Van Cleave was brusque. He
declared that even yet he believed that
Brandenburg had represented Van Cleave
and said that so great was his indigna-
ton toward Brandeuburg that he would
have attacked him physically if he had
not been so anxious to obtain from him
absolute assurance that ne (Brandenourg)
represented Van Cleave.
Harbors No Malice.
In another connection Mr. Gompels said
that he had sought and still desired to
reach harmonious settlement and ad-
tustment with Mr. Van Cleave and the
Buck Stove & Range company.
Il have no malice toward any man liv-
ing. not even my bittere.'t enemy" he
said. He admitted he did say he would
not buy the products of the company
whose complaint Of boycott started TINS
proceeding, or articles produced by a GER
tain hat manufacturer, land ! now re-
peat that l will not buy either until the
manufacturers of those articles come to
an agreement with labor, but in so say
ing. ] have no desire to injure them"
I AT the close of the re-cross-eXamination
Mr.. Gompers was finally excused and the
hearing Indefinitely suspended.