The Washington herald., 1911-12-06
MCNAMARA DEFENSE FUND
WILL BE DISCUSSED AT
MEETING HERE TO-DAY

New York. Dec. 5.-Frank B. Morrison
secretary Of the American Federation of
Labor who came to New York from
Washington to join Samuel Gompers,
president OF the organization, was the
center of a large gathering of labor lead
ers, who discussed the Mcnamara case
freely at the Victoria Hotel to-day.
IL was announced that an important
meeting Of the Mcnamara ways and
means committee will be held in Wash
ingtOn tomorrow night, and both
GOmpers and Morrison arranged to leave
New York at midnight The object of
the meeting, according to Morrison, will
be to settle up matters pertaining to the
Mcnamara defense fund.
The men expected to attend the meet
ing, in addition to GOmpers and Morri-
son, are Frank NJ. Ryan. president of
the Structural Bridge and Iron Workers
Union: John B. Lennon and Thomas F.
Tracy, financial officials Of the American
Federation of Labor; James Hart, presi-
dent of the building trades department
of the A. F. of l.; James O'Connel, and
A. J. Beard.
Morrison declared the money collected
for the purpose OF defending the Nc
Namara brothers mad all been sent to
Clarence Darrow at Los Angeles, and
that only recently a request was made
for additional funds, although no account
ing OF any kind has ever been made to
the committee.
r am not prepared to give the exact
figures of the amount collected for the
Mcnamara fund" he said, but I am
confident that it was not more than $780,
COO. The money was sent in installments
OF $4,000 each to Mr.. Darrow, who had
full charge of the expenditures in Los
Angeles
What was the amount of the fee re-
ceived by Clarence Darrow?" Morrison
was asked.
After hesitating over the reply. Morri-
son said the retainer was $5c,OOS, with
an additional fee for every day spent in
court by Mr.. DarrOw. From other reIia-
BILE sources il was learned that Mr.. Dar-
rows agreement with the labor leaders
when he accepted the case was that his
total fee should not be less than 100000
HAS Mr.. Darrow telegraphed the Off
GERS of the Federation of Labor with re-
gard to the recent bribery charges in Los
Angeles?' he was asked
He has not" Morrison said. THE only
communications we have had have been
for more money"
Morrison's only comment on the sem
tences given ]. B and ]. ]. Mcnamara
was as follows:
These two men are self-confessed
CIllliidlS' anu III my OlplnlOn ShOulQ get
sentences commensurate with the crimes
committed. I do not care to be under
stood, however. as criticising the court"
Samuel Gompers, hollow-eyed and
showing evidences OF the strain under
which he has been laboring, appeared in
the corridor of the hotel several times,
but declined to add anything to his pre-
vious statements, except to say there was
the possibility of a formal statement be-
ing issued from his headquarters in
"Will you comment on the sentences
given the McNamaras today" Gompers
was asked.
81 think had better not say anything
about that. We are here now because
we got into trouble with a judge" was
the reply.
Gompers and Morrison were in confer
ence with Judge Alton B. Parker to-
night with regard to the contempt pro-
ceedings growing out of the decision in
the Bucks stove case.