Arizona republican., 1911-12-03
Federation Chief, Who Bit terly Denounced Prosecu- tion of Murderers, Says He Has Sustained a Great Shock.
HOCKIN STICKS
 TO McNAMARAS
Books and Papers of the Bridge and Structural Iron Workers Have Been Turned Over to Federal Grand Jury.

TROY, N. Y, Dec That the con-
 fession of the McNamaras will be con-
 sidered at d meeting of the executive ! committee of the American Federation i of Labor here on January is the 1 opinion expressed by Samuel Com ! pers, president of the federation. who came here from New York today to attend the meeting of the state com i mission which is investigating factory i conditions. Gompers appeared eX- tremely nervous whenever he referred to the McNamara case.
 Labor was grossly deceived" he said, with considerable emotion. "Only d few days ago. and just before the close of the recent convention at At lanta. we received telegram from
 the McNamaras. thanking labor for it's confidence and help. The assumption is that labor unions will suffer as a
 result of their confession. but I don't
 believe this. though it will do them
 no good. or course. We stand for
 evolution rather than for revolution:
 We stand for peace and the uplift of
 man rather than violence and bru-
 tality. No cause is advanced when
 violence is resorted to. but the SC
 verest criticism that can be made
 against us-I mean the federatiOn-is
 that we had faith in the men accused
 of this crime. We had every cause
 to accept their pleas of innocence as
 fact. Think of those men declaring
 were were falsely accused. and ex-
 pressing confidence that they would
 be adjudged innocent. When men proclaim on their honor that they are
 innocent one day. and twenty-four hours later plead guilty to d crime of this character. would it not unSettle ! any man interested in our cause?"
 We went to work and organized a l fund of S190,00O to defend them. and | engaged the highest type of men, | mentally and morally. to appear for | them. Take Clarence Darrow He | gave up his business in Chicago. | closed his office and his home and went to California to free them. be- lieving. as We did. in their complete innocence. Then this information comes that they are guilty. and is admitted by their own tongues If this were crime against society it would be different Then it would he revolution. But it is an attack on the business of an individual. and that leads business men to think the labor unions have duped them. No one likes this. and it would be far better for us if it were against so- ciety. When l made a trip to the Pacific coast, I went to see them. I saw big John, and. taking me by the hand. he said: sam. tell the boys I'm innocent. Give them this mes sage for me. and tell them how grate- 'ul We are for their assistance He looked ct me frankly and openly. and
 believed what he said and agreed to convey his greetings as requested. When 1 rot there the first thing he lid was to give me card receiver. me made by pasting cancelled stamps ' IF bits of cigar bands on the bottom ,f glass plate. In the center was ny picture. I have it at my home LOW. l left. believing in the innocence | f the brothers. and expected at the { rial they would be cleared. Now. T yhy wouldn't it he disquieting to my | lerVes? As to Burns. I don't want to \ iscuss him. He has nothing to do { with us. and that's all there is to it" {