Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-15
U. S. Supreme Court
Decides for Labor
Men.
NEED NOT SERVE a -
THEIR JAIL SENTENCES
Long Fight Over Boycott Is
Now Ended by Impor.
tant Decision.

WASHINGTON, May 15 - Setting
aside the sentences of imprisonment
imposed by the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia, for alleged diso-
bedience to a boycott injunction, the
Supreme Court of the United States to-
day held that Samuel Gompers, John
Mitchell and Frank Morrison, presi-
dent, vice-president and secretary, re-
spectively, of the American Federation
of Labor. had been erroneously SEN
of a local court.
The court unanimously held that the
only sentence that could be imposed
upon the labor leaders were fines. In
so holding. the Supreme Court of the
United States found that the Court o1
Appeals of the District of Columbia
and the Supreme Court of the district
erred in treating the contempt pro-
ceedings as a criminal and not civil
one. The effect of holding the pro-
ceedings a civil one was to make jail
sentences impossible. Hence the Jail
sentences nau TO De set ASIDE.
May Bring Civil SUIT.
To correct the error the case was
sent back to the local courts with al
rection that it be dismissed. At the
same time, the court expressly made it
possible for civil proceedings to be In
stitnted against the labor men by the
Buck Stove and Range Company, at
whose instance the original contempt
case was brought.
The court was led to hold that the
contempt proceedings in this case must
be civil in nature, because criminal
punishment Is exercised by courts to
force persons to do acts commanded
In the present case the court took the
view that the labor men were being
sent to jail, not to make them do some
thing the court ordered. but because Of
something they had done"
Inasmuch as all the difference be-
tween the labor men and the Bucks
Stove and Range Company have been
adjudicated. including the boycott
case out of which the contempt pro-
ceedings arose. today's decision is prob
ably the last heard of this famous ae-
tion.
Injunction 10 Prevent Boycott.
The charges of contempt against
President Gompers, Vice-President
Mitchell and Secretary Morrison arose
out of bitter labor war between or
ganized labor and the Bucks Stove and
Range Company, of ST Louis. Mo.
The st. Louis concern had come into
the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia to prevent, by injunction. the
American Federation of Labor and it's
officials from boycotting it's own prod.
ucts or the business of those who desE
with it. The company claimed thaEfhe
Federation was trying TO unioniM the
companys shops. The labor leaders
urged that the company was unfair
to labor.
Justice Gould, of the District Su-
preme Court, issued the Injunction
prayed for by the company An ap-
peal was taken to the Court of Ap-
peals of the District of Columbia. but
before that court could pass upon the
validity of the injunction the Bucks
Stove and Range Company again came
into the District Supreme Court this
time with charges of contempt against
President Gompers, President
Mitchell and Secretary Morrison. These
men were accused of having violated
the injunction decree
Justice Wright found them guilty ana
sentenced President Gompers to one
year in jail; President Mitchell TO
nine months. and Secretary Morrison to
six months An appeal ..Was taken
from this sentence. first toFthe Court
Of Appeals, which affirmed it, and final
ly to the Supreme Court of the, United
States. where 1t is now pending.
WASHINGTON, May 15.--The Su-
preme Court of the United States to-
day approved the recent sentence Of
of court imposed in the New
York courts on Christopher c. Wilson
president of the United Wireless Teie-
graph Company because of refusal to
permit the examination of the COM
oany's books.
PAROLED ON CHARGE OF