Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-02
SHOCKS UNION men
Mcnamara Confession Came
Like a ThunderboIt. .
DENOUNCED By G0MPERS
Brothers "Impostors Of the Worst
Type" He Declares.
AMAZED AND OVERWHELMED
Declares His Credulity Has Been I'm
posed Upon-John Mitchell's
Faith Shattered.
DENOUNCED BY GoMPERs
AMAZED AND OVERWHELMED

| hoo DCCu uuPOoCQ uPOA' ~ 40 AlhO q WV
out Of the clear sky. would have back
ed up the McNamaras with my life.
They're a couple of impostors-impostors
of the worst type
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation Of Labor. snapped
out these sentences to reporter who
found him In the Pennsylvania station at
1890 O'Clock last night, an hour and a
half after his arrival on the Congressional
Limited from Washington.
| For ninety minutes the man who called
the McNamaras' arrest ''frame-up' and
denounced Detective William ]. Burns in
unmeasured terms had been pacing the
station floor, waving reporters aside and
uttering seemingly wild EXPLANATIONS to
the newspaper men who insisted on keep
| ing at his elbow.
els He Crazyw Woman Asked.
Hundreds of men and women passing
| through the big station stopped to gaze
at Gompers as he waved his hands in
frantic gesticulation. frequently uttering
remarks that could be heard many feet
distant. One woman approached a uni
| formed guard and asked:
us that man crazyT'
| When the same question was repeated
| to Gompers by a reporter later, he answ-
cred:
Nearly crazy. I've been walking up
and down this station for an hour and q
| half, wondering what I'm going to do. l
haven't any idea what to do. This sur
prise is so alarming and unexpected that
don't know which way to turn.
Think of it, exclaimed Mr.. Gompers.
swinging about on his heel with the at
| titude Of one about to address an audi
ence, though directing his words to but
one mantle reporter. II did not know
of the McNamaras' confession until about
five minutes before the Congressional
man approached me in the train and
casually asked me If / still thought the
same of the McNamaras.
Sure" I exclaimed" said Mr.. Com
jerk so that it settled down over his
eyes. Il further asserted that I be-
lieved they had been prosecuted, that
they were innocent. and that when the
case was threshed out in the courts
everybody would be satisfied as was
up to that moment Of the absolute in
nocence of the men,
Then" exclaimed Mr.. Gompers, with
a grfmace, this newspaper man calmly
remarked. Evidently you haven't learn
Convinced Of Truth at Last.
For moment 1 was speechless I
couldn't believe my ears. The reporter
assured me Of the truth Of the state
ment and showed me messages giving
meager details. Still I couldn't believe
| what had been told me. When the
train reached the station FASTENED to
the nearest telephone and learned that
the men had actually admitted their
guilt.
YES" confessed Mr.. Gompers. when
the reporter asked him il on reaching
the station he had called for glass Of ice
water, Il had an attack Of indignation
fever. Do you blame me?'
II understand that the McNamaras
have confessed in the minutest detail, :"
ventured the reporter.
They might just as WELL" Gompers
said. LAS long as they are confessing
they might as well tell all. hope, too,
that they'll be good enough to tell the
truth this time.
Confesses He Il Unnerved.
You must excuse me; I'm q bit un-
| nerved." Mr.. Gompers continued. 'You
know that after the arrest I got into
communication with the McNamaras. I
got personal letter of assurance from
them of their innocence. Later went to
see them personally and talked the mat
ter over with them. And again they gave
me their assurance Of absolute innocence.
Il was satisfied that the whole thing
| was q frame-up From DEVELOPMENTS
later. from their assurances and from
! the interviews / had with their friends
| 1t looked to me as IL Detective Burns
| was trying to make q reputation at the
expense of the McNamaras and had fallen
down badly
| labor? What effect will this have upon
| organized labor?" asked the reporter.
| 1T is a terrible blow Gompers an
swered. But there are bad and good in
every organization. From what has hap
pened, from what the McNamaras have
confessed to. they cannot be considered
| as representing the American Federation
Of Labor in any way"
It's Proved They're Imposrers.
Mr. Gompers halted In his measured
pacing of the station floor and fairly
| growled:
/ THE McNamaras-why, they're impos.
tors! Theq were impostors when they be.
| came members Of the American Fedora.
! ton Of Labor-the worst kind Of impos.
tors. This has proved 1t.
They must be crazy he almost shout
ed. biting of his sentences and gesticu'
lating frantically. They're fanatics
| Fanatics, 1 say. to have done what they
did"
do you think they will drag in any
othersT' the reporter asked.
| They might just as well confess II
| full" came the quick response. AS
| said, I hope they'll stick to the truth THU
| time. We don't want any McNamaras Of
| any of their tribe or sort in the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor. Organized Ia,
Dor can get along very well without them
| It's wen rid of Them.
Twill you say anything more abou
| them personality
| mo, l shan't add to their misery"
Gompers bristled when shown the state
ment made by Detective William ]. Burn
| at Chicago.
II don't wish to mention Burns" h
| said He denied he had ever charged
| Burns with planting the dynamite a
Los Angeles, as Burns had said in hi
statement.
I'VE have discouraged acts like those o
the McNamaras." Mr.. Gompers resumed
with evident desire to change the topic
loving men. and We have only q wish t
oall out the best elements in human ma
ture. These two men, / say, must hav
been clean crazy. Theirs Is an act that
condemn with all the force that is II
me-"
Gompers punctuated the sentence b,
raising his right fist and bringing 1t dow
In the palm OF his other hand.
q Federation Was Imposed Upon.
\ Earlier in the evening, when asked wha
effect the confession Of the McNamaraa
|, would have on organized labor, tear
, came into Mr.. Gompers' eyes as he re
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