The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-05-18
SENTENCES
ARE SET ASIDE
SUPREME COURT REvERSES DE.
CISIoN OF LOWER COURT IN
CONTEMPT CASES.
NOT PROPERTY CRIMINAL ACTION
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison Held
Liable Only to Fines.-Other
Supreme Court De-
~cisions.

Washington, May 16.-Setting aside
the sentences of Imprisonment i'm
posed by the supreme court of the
District of Columbia, for alleged dis
obedience to a boycott injunction, the
supreme court of the United States
held that Samuel Gompers, John
Mitchell and Frank Morrison, presi-
dent, vice-president and secretary re-
~spectively of the American Fedora
sentenced to Jail or a charge of con-
tempt of a local court.
The court unanimously held that
the only sentences that could be i'm
posed upon the labor leaders were
fines. In so holding the supreme
court of the United States found that
the court of appeals of the District
OF Columbia and the supreme court
Of the district erred in treating the
contempt proceedings as a criminal
case and not a civil one. The effect
Of holding the proceedings a civil n
was to make Jail sentences impos-
sible. Hence the Jail sentences had
to be set aside.
lnasmuch as all of the differences
between the labor men and the Buck
Stove and Range company have been
adjudicated including the boycott
case out of which the contempt pro-
ceedings arose. today's decision is
probably the last to be heard of this
famous action.
Wireless Sentence Approved.
The court approved the recent sen
t2nce of contempt imposed in the New
York courts on Christopher c.. Wilson,
president of tre United Wireless Tale.
graph company, because of refusal to
permit the examination of the com
pany's books.
The court also approved the con-
tempt sentence imposed on William
Drier of New York, secretary of the
Lichenstein Millinery Company, who
had also refused to produce books I'M
der circumstances similar to those in
the Wilson case.
Hammond Wants Case Postponed.
John Hays Hammond petitioned the
supreme court of the District of Co.
lumbia to postpone the further hear
ing of the 81, 900, 900 damage suit of
Daniel J. Sully against him until next
November. Mr.. Hammond informed
the court that his mission as special
ambassador Of the United States to
the coronation of King George of Eng
land would necessitate his departure
by May 81.
"Bathtub Trust" Case Fefore Court.
One phase Of the governments
prosecution CT the alleged "bathtub
trust came before the court.
One of the defendants, the Colwell
Lead company, asks a review of the
decision of Judge Holland in the fed
eral court in Pennsylvania, declining
to compel certain witnesses code
PENDANTS with the Colwell company in
the governments prosecution to an
swer certain questions the Colwell
company p%ropounds for the elabora-
ton of it's defense. The request was
taken under consideration.
To Advance Alaska Cases.
The government asked the court OF
the United States to advance for hear
ing next October of the Alaska coal
land case" involving the indictment
of Chas. F. Munday and Archie w.
Shiels in connection with the so-called
Stacey claims. 1t also asked for a
hearing next October of the cases in
which Frederick A. Hyde and Joost H.
Schneider were found guilty of con-
gpiracy to defraud the government out
of public lands on the Pacific slope
md that involving the validity If the
indictment under the Sherman anti
trust law of James A. Patten and
others on charges of ''cornering" the
cotton market.