The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-12-24
COMpEES ONE YEAR, MITCHELL
NINE MONTHS AND NOR
RISON SIX MONTHS
is SENTENCE.
CONTEMPT OF COURT
CONVICTION CHARGE
Illinois Miners Union Appeals to
Roosevelt to Prevent lncarcera-
ton Of the Three-Morri-
son and Mitchell
Seemed Stunned.

Washington Dec. 23,-Twelye
months in jail for Samuel Gompers,
president; nine months for Jonn
Mitchell. one of the vice presidents,
and six months for Frank Morrisey,
secretary, all of the American Feder-
alton Of Labor, was the sentence i'm
posed by Justice Wright of the SUI
preme court Of the District Of Colum
bia today for contempt Of court in
violating the order previously issued
enioining them from placing on tine
unfair or we don't patronize' list
the Buck stove and Range company
of St Louis
All three Of the defendants We're
in court when the sentence was pro
nomced ANA the notice Of appeal to
the court of appeals Of the District
of Columbia at once was filed,
Gompers being RELEASED on $1,000.
bond Mitchell $1,000 and Morrison
$1,000. In addition to the wife and
daughters of Gompers there were
present a number of local labor lead
ers and others The Gompers family
was visibly a:ected. With tears
coursing down his cheeks, Gompers
heard the order Of the court which
condemned him to prison for a year
Seemed to Be Stunned.
Both Mitchell and Morrison seemed
to be stunned by the sentence, al
though Mitchell appeared the least
concerned. Asked if he had any
thing to say why sentence should
not be pronounced, Gompers declared
that he had not consciously violated
any law There was much more toi
say ne said, but he could not DO Ill
at that time He added however
that "this is struggle of the work.
ing people of our country, and it IS
a struggle of the working people forI
the right It is struggle Of ages
a struggle Of men Of labor to throw
off some of the burden which has
been upon them; to abolish some oil
the wrongs, and to secure some
rights. too long denied
Mitchell and Morrison confined
themselves to an endorsement of
what GOmpers had said,
Scathing Arragnment.
The decision Of Justice Wright was
one of the most scathing arraign-
mcnts that ever came from the bench
IN this city Everywhere" ." the
court says. all over within the
court and out utter rampant ani
insoleut defiance is heralded and pro-
claimed: mredned insults; coarse
anrnt. vulgar inIignity measures
the litig1nts' conception Cf the
tribunals due wherein his cause still
pcnds' The laws command has
been. hc said. to stand, hands o6.
until the Justice of the matter can
De- ascertaincd.' but. he said. there
has been studied. determined, defiant
conflict precipitated in the light oil
orrn day between the decree Of the
tribunal ordained by the government
of the fpleTal union and OF the
tribunals of another federation grown
up in the land. Oncor the other. he
declared. must succumb. for those
who would mlaw the land are public
enemies
Whether President Roosevelt will
take any action As he has been urged
tu DO IN telegrams received from iif.
fsr,ut labor organizations through.
cut the country in connection with
Wirht's decision. has not been de
cidcd. 70 was stated at the White
House today. II was explained that
the president had not read the da.
cision. and therefore cannot say %
he viii take any action. There was
intimatior, however. that some ar-
ti0u might be taken If De shorld be-
convinced that the sentence IS unjust
% n should be- affirmed upon ap-
peal
Miners Appeal 70 Roosevelt.
Various labor organizations. in pro
testing 20 the president against the
sentence. urged him 20 prevent the
Incarceration of the labor leaders.
The Illinois Tura1 Mine Worker
sstt this telegram signed by PFasi-
I-B; John Waller the Vice president.
secretary. treasurer aut members Cf
tha executive board.
-ln the na1e of 5000 uila wcrk-
cHz Cf Illinois. we desire to prot SO
against rhe recent decision commit
tina to renal serrituIe those gre {
frumoners end raures antativaE &C
the American labor movement sam
upI Gompers John Mitchell and
FFank Morrison. These mer m1- te
guilty of breach GO the law hut TIE
laH that denies tfe use % FREE press