Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-30
GREET THE NEW YEAR LABOR MEN TESTIFY
Washington Residents Getting Called by Prosecution IN Com
Ready for Annual Holiday. pers Contempt Case
SUN OF 1911 NEARS HORIZON MAY BE ENDED NEXT WEEK
the Government Departments Courts Committee About Through
Close at Noon Today With Witnesses
SCHEDULE MONDAY EVENTS ARE UNABLE TO REMEMBER
Observatory to Omit
MESSAGE From of
United States ton-Attorney Is Indignant.
Called by Prosecution in Com
pers Contempt Case.
MAY BE ENDED NEXT WEEK
Courts Committee About Through
With Witnesses.
ARE UNABLE TO REMEMBER
Questions Regarding Records Of Past
tion-Attorney Is Indignant.

Several prominent labor men testified
today under subpoena Of the court be-
fore Justice Wright in the contempt
proceedings against Samuel Gompers,
John Mitchell and Frank Morrison.
They We're called for the purpose
largely of Identifying records of the
proceedings of the annual conventions
of the American Federation of Labor.
held at Norfolk in 1907, at Denver in
1908 and at Toronto In 1909.
Copies Of the American Federationist, in
which 1t is claimed are editorials on which
are based many of the charges of alleged
also presented to the witnesses for iden-
tification:
Their Memories at Fault.
In the course of the testimony the wit
| nesses had recourse to the responses, II
don't remember and 81 don't recall
Among the witnesses today were
Daniel ]. keefe, commissioner general
of immigration. and former president
of Longshoremen's Union: James O'Con-
nell, president of the Machinists' Union:
Andrew Furnseth. president Of Searnen's
Union. and Daniel F. Manning. former
president of Retail Clerks Union.
On cross-examination Mr.. Manning
| junction was issued in 1907. had called
all the employees of the federation and
directed them not to send out or circulate
| anything bearing on the Bucks Stove and
| Range Company boycott. When Attor-
ney Jackson H. Ralston asked witness if
| he had obeyed the order. Attorney J. j.
| Darlington of the prosecution objected.
and Justice Wright ruled that the testi-
| mony sough. was a matter of defense and
not of croSS-eXaminatiOn.
| ANNOYED by the ruling, Attorney Raj
ston declined further to proceed with the
cross-examination of the witness.
Samuel DeNedrey. another witness. was
secretary of the Central Labor Union for
| four years and attended the convention
| in 1909 at which President Gompers in a
speech alluded to the injunction in rather
! strong terms.
Speech Is Identified.
A copy of the speech was identified by
the witness. who also admitted having
received two copies of the issue of the
American Federationist containing edi-
torials against the injunction written by
Mr.. Gompers.
| Mr. De Nedrey was not cross-examined.
| He was followed on the witness stand by
Thomas +. Tracey of the Cigarmakers'
International Union, who attended the
conventions of 1907, 1908 and 1900, but
as he had not heard the Mitchell speech
at Toronto, which the committee of
prosecutors wanted him to identify, he
was excused.
The committee of prosecutors then an
nounced to Justice Wright that it had no
other witnesses present, but requested
that another hearing be granted. JUS
tice Wright complied with the request
and fixed the hearing for next Wednes-
day morning at 10 O'Clock. The prose-
cutors remarked that they thought they
could complete the presentation of their
| 1. Ny<a1n dow
Court Ignores Objection.
At the converting of court, Attorney
Ralston propounded to the court the cele-
brated question, Where are we at?' He
desired to know If the court was filling
the place of the examiner, or whether the
| proceeding today was the beginning OF
| the hearing Of the contempt case by the
court Attorney Darlington volunteered
! the suggestion that the notice to counsel
| for the session of court today was plain,
! and should be read by him.
| Mr.. kalston still intimated his Ignorance
| of the nature of the hearing, but the
! court ordered the first witness sworn.
without answering the inquiry OF counsel
| for the labor men. Mr.. Ralston objected to
the witness being sworn. but the opJectloh
was overruled and an exception noted
| President Gompers sat beside ms coun-
sci and eagerly listened to the testimony
of the witness. Secretary Frank Morrison
was also an attentive auditor. The court
| room was we'll filled with labor men ana
| low