Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-12-07
COMPERS CRIES
I AM ASTOUNOED'
Veteran Labor Leader Visib]y
Affected by News of Nc.
Nsmara's Confession.
UNIONISM IMPOSED UPON
Men of Labor Were Led to Be
lieve in the Innocence of the
Accused, He Declares
Bolt from Sky.
UNIONISM IMPOSED UPON

New York, Dec. III am astounded.
| am astounded; my credulity has been
| imposed upon. II is a bolt out of a
clear sky" Tho EXPLANATIONS we"e
those of Samuel Gompers. president
of the American Federation OF Labor.
when advised tonight of the pleas OF
guilty in the Mcnamara cases.
Mr. Gompers on his way from
Washington. was doing in Pullman
car on the Pennsylvania railroads
Congressional Limited when he was
awakened a. New Jersey station by
an Associated Press representative.
He retired to the rear Of the car
where there was Il convenient light
and read carefully tho accounts of tho
sensational developments n thc Los
Angeles dynamitlng cases which were
shown him.
| The veteran labor leader was visibly
affected as he read OF the tense scenes
| in the court room at Los Angeles
whore the men In whose defense ho
had spoken and worked so untiring:y
had admitted their guilt Tears came
into his eyes as tho reading progress
cd and the hand that hold the typed
pages shook. lie said nothing, how
ever. until he had finished she story
and then he broke forth with his OK
clnmations of astonishnent and In
dignation.
"If this ls all true my credulity has
been imposed upon" he declared. Il am
astounded ut this news. We nave had
the gravcst assurances given to us by
every one connected with the trial. either
directly or Indirectly, that these men
were innocent"
KNEW NOTHING OF CONFUSION
Mr. Gompers asserted with the great
est emphasis that not the slightest In
tlrnation of any such change in the plans
OF the defense of the McNanaras t4'
had developed to-day had been COM
muncated to him.
Asked ii he would have anything TO
say about the prisoners personally, tho
labor leader replied:
mo, ! shan't add to their misery by
condemnation Of them"
VIVA, effect do you imagine this vii,
have on the labor un'ons?" was qucr'od.
To this Mr.. Gonipors snapped his fingers
and calculated:
None"
When the fund which had been raised
by tho American Federation OF Labor
for the defense of tho men charged with
the Los Angeles crime was mentioned,
Mr.. Gompers said that to date tho FUND
amounted 20 about $4,000, which had
been turned over to the chief attorney
for the defense, and the collection was
still going on. He added that In the
hight of to-days developments 1t was
probable that tho money would be re-
funded.
Mr.. Gompers's talk with newHpape
representatives on the train was IN
terspered freely with repetitions Of hi
Calculations OF surprise and impat!cnc'
with the manner In which imposition. n
said. had been prncticed upon him. III
bristled up notably when shown the state
ment Of VIM. J. Burns at Chicago.
DENIES LIBEL ON BURNS.
II don't wish to mention Burns" h
said dec!sively. He denied, however. tina
he had ever charged Burns with plant
ing" the dynamite at Los Angeles. n
Burns had said In his statement, Az h
made ready to leave the train at tn
Pennsylvania terminal IN this city h,
eyes were still alcd with tears
When the train reached the station. Nj
Gompers sought the waiting room an
, there continued his remarks.
we have discouraged acts like these,
he said, I'VE nre patriotic and pcac
loving mon and we have only IL wish t
call out the best elements In huma
nature. Those two men must have bee
crazy. It Is an act that I condemn wit
all the force that IS In me"
Gofnpars Noe 0gnip n slnI ~ Ia
lieved that to-dny's developments woul
, injure the cause OF labor, Tears agnl
= came. They arc not going to do It an
good" he admitted huskily. But | war
to repeat that tho cause OF labor has bee
:, impuosed upon, both by supposed friend
-, and enemies. Tho men OF labor were le
: to believe that the Mcnamara boys wer
innocent and they acted on that belief
received letters from them myself pre-
testing their innocence and It was onl
l. Inst September that ! visited them
e their cell In the Los Angeles jail whe
IS they asked me to deliver message to I'll
II Dor interests OF the country that the
1t we're innocent men"
Asked what possible action the Amel
= lean Federation of Labor might take
n view of to-day's events. Mr. Gompcl
g said that the news was too recent fc
st him to mako any prediction on the eul
a 1ect ut this time.
n Mr. Gompers remained only fc
t hours In New York taking night ira
to Troy to attend II hearing to-tnorro
TX OF tho New York State commission 1,
I'd vesti eating factory conditions. He w
c. return TO New York on Monday