Evening star., 1912-01-04
Justice Wright Hears Evidence
Against Labor leaders.
RUSH TO EVADE INJUNCTION
Postal Official Tells Of Mailing Of
Federationist.
GoMPERs AIDS PROSECUTION
Lends Spectacles to Witness Who
Had Trouble in seeing-Excep-
tions to Proceedings.

The entire session Of Equity Court No.
2 today was devoted to the taking OF
dispositions before Justice Wright in the
| contempt proceedings against Samuel
Gompers, John Mitchell and Frank Nor
rison, labor leaders.
The object Of the testimony adduced
today on behalf Of the committee OF
prosecutors" was to show that copies OF
editorials from the American Federation
ist and volumes Of the proceedings Of the
1907 convention OF the American Fedora
tion of Labor were circulated by order of
Gompers or his associates subsequent to
the Injunction granted December q. 1907.
in favor of the Bucks Stove and Range
Company.
Offices and bookbinding establishments
to show the alleged contemptuous publi-
cations were not printed or bound for
distribution until after the Injunction
had been made effective.
Postal o@cial on Stand.
In proof Of the claim OF the prosecutors
that between December Is, when Justice
Gould decided the injunction suit, and
December q. when the injunction became
operative by filing of the bond, Mr.. Com
pers rushed the distribution of the Jan.
uary, 1898. Feferationist. Charles B. Mat
thews, former superintendent Of station
G Of the city post Office. testified that
Sunday. December %. 1907. there were
mailed LOO pounds OF the Federationist.
which would comprise. it was stated, 3, 4OC
copies of the periodical.
Consonant with the alleged declarations
that he wants all the flight possible
thrown on his actions. Samuel Gompers
lent his spectacles to one of the wit
nesses testifying against him. The wit
ness had complained of being unable to
tell whether printed page was from
hand composition or machine work. At
torney J. J. Darlington offered his glasses.
but they did not suit the eyes of the wit
ness. Mr.. Gompers. removing his spec
tacles. passed them to the witness.
The latter after adjusting the Gompers
inquiry which happened to be favorable
to the labor men.
That certain records of the Post Office
Department were misplaced or lost when
repairs We're made at station G was
brought out in the testimony Of Charles
B. Matthews. These records showed the
receipts of the Federationist and the
number of copies sent through the mails.
Unable to Find Records.
Mr. Matthews said diligent search had
been made for the records. but. as he
could not find them, he was allowed to
read the information desired by the prose-
cutors from his deposition taken in Sep
tember. 1908. for use in the trial of the
equity proceedings brought by the Bucks
Stove and Range Company.
Attorney Jackson H. Ralston objected
to all the testimony concerning the print
ing and binding of the publications In
question. He claimed the evidence offered
was irrelevant and innmaterial. His OBJ
jections were noted on the record. but
were not passed on by Judge Wright.
to testify, but none Of them had been
called to the stand at a late hour this
afternoon. The women are employees or
former employees Of the A. F. Of L.. and
by them the prosecutors expect to snow
when the January, 1908. Federationist
was sent out, and when other supposedly
damaging literature had been distributed
by the American Federation Of Labor.
Young Women Summoned.
Among the young women summoned
was Miss Gertrude Boswell. sister,
in-law Of Frank Morrison, one of the
alleged contemnors. The other wit
nesses to be called are Roberta 8.
Thomas, Eva NJ. Peacock. Rosa l.
Guard, Annie Boswell, Mary C. Farmer
johanna o. Kane. Alice C. Mccoy. Flora
l.. Faber, Daisy L. Bradley and Agnes
G. Russell.
In addition to Frank b. Crown. foreman
Of the Washington Law Reporter, who
borrowed the glasses, and Charles B.
Matthews Of the Post Office Department,
testimony was given by Mark w. Moore,
manager Of the Law Reporter; Anton
Zichtl. a bookbinder. and John III. Lorch.
a former president OF Central Labor
Union.
Both Gompers and Morrison were pres
ent In court with Attorney Ralston. ]. J.
Darlington. Daniel Davenport and Clar-
ence r. Wilson appeared for the commit
tee Of prosecutors. the fourth member.
James M Beck Of New York, being alb
Gent.