The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-30
-CLERGYMEN DENY
 MULHALL ATTACK
Dr. Meserve, of Danbury, De- clares Trip to Europe Inti-
 nation Is False
FATHER STANLEY. TALKS
Wasn't on Arbitration Board at All to Settle HatterS Strike
 in 1909

solute den1als of the accusations of Colonel M- M Mulha1l. styled chief lobbyist of the National Association of Manufacturers. that money consider tions were brought to bear upon them to end the matters strike in this city in 1909, are made in interviews by Rev. Walter J. Shan1ey, and Rev. pr. H. c. Meserve. Tn denying that he received a trip to Europe in ap- preciation of his services in the strike, Dr. Meserve said hum morously that the only consideration he received was a Panama hat from the matters.
 Colonel Mulhan in the New York World in his confessions of his seven years work influencing Legislation in favor of manufacturers fntimates in substance that Dr. Meserve was given 8. trip to Europe as recompense Tor his efforts to settle the strike. Mulhan says, During his stay in New York, he (MeEerve) expressed a desire to go to Europe. but added that he was not able to bear the expense. Appreciat-
 ing his services to us in the matters
 strike. suggested that he see MT. Bird, and expressed this belief that the matter could be arranged with little or no cost to himself. He did call on
 MT. Bird, and the latter turned him over to Judge A. P. Nevins, one of the lawyers employed in Birds office.
 pr. Meserve's blanket denial of the trip to Europe is as follows: 'I have never at any time received anything in the form o6 money, or anything elsei of any kind, nor has anything of the
 sort been offered me from my connec- ton with the Danbury strike except one Panama hat which was presented
 to me by the United Hatters of North America to my great satisfaction. Father Kennedy also received one MuIhall says the Manufacturers asso-
 cfation was authorized to spend $25,- 1B1, lM ri iY1 T1aT1 bury and as a result of his work three arbitrators were named to settle the difficulties between the strikers and the matters, Father John Kennedy, Father Walter Shan1ey and pr. Meserve. This statemen in the first place Is incorrect, according to Dr.
 Meeerve and Father Shanley, in that there were only two arbirators, Dr. Meserve and Father Kennedy, Father Shanley, after one interview with Mulha1E, having refused to arbftrate, because as he stated last night, the ''manufacturers did not now their own mtnds.'' 'sAt the first meeting" said Father Shan1ey, there were pres ent eight manu6a cturerA. and we three were appointed committee to go to New York. but nothing ever came of that meeting. I didn't go &S New York, and I refused to have anything more to do with the manufacturers" The confessions proceeded to say that pr. Meserve was guest at the Belmont hotel in New York of the
 were paid by the Manufacturers asso-
 ciation, at which time the trip to Europe was preached.
 Dr. Meserve,'' says Colonel Null
 hall, 'I found very much in favor of the manufa c&urers.'
 Did you favor the nanufacturera? ?" Dr. Meserve was asked last night "I have always been known and
 recognized as an open shop man. said | the doctor.
 He was asked if he were asked by
 Mulhan as the latter says, to use his l influence with Fathers Shanley and Kennedy to favor the manufacturers. 'No such overtureS were made to
 me- said pr. Meserve.
 Did you and Father Kennedy have
 any conversations regarding the atti- l tude of open shop
 "No," said the minister.
 Dr. Meserve admitted that he was | the guest of Colonel Mu1hau at the
 Hotel Belmont, in New York city, as
 the colonel says. not. three times,
 however, but only once purely in a I social way.
 1 The expenses were paid by Mr.
 MuIhall, claimed. The talk, as at 1 any social gathering was of an eplle-
 neral nature, and not at all concern l ed with matters relative to the settle lnent of the strike The matter was not even mentioned. said DT. Meserve. 1 At that time he met, he said memb CTS Of the National Manufacturers asso-
 citation. They were present at the time, but no mention was made of l the strike or anything concerned with
 it, for at that time the National as-
 sociatfon had not entered into the To- l cal situation.
 l pr. Meserve denies that there was
 any correspondence between himself
 and MuIhal1, as stated by the latter, and says that he did not MT. Bird, | concerning the European trip, and I that he was never in MT. Birds office, As for being turned over'' to Judge Nevins to "be taken care'' of, Dr. Me serve says he had met him before and
 Mrs Nev1ns. The judge is member l of the same patriotic organization as ] he, but not word was said of the | trip to Europe.
 ''Did you go to Europe?'' the minis l ter was asked
 1 'fYes, did go to Europe at the l time mentioned by Mulhal1, after the | interview at the Belmont. have been
 in Europe eight times, The trip sDok-
 en of was planned long before any talk of settling the strike came up.'' "As I was engaged elsewhere the
 arrangements for pr. Meserve's trip
 to Europe was made by Judge Nevins, who afterwards told me he had talk
 en care of pr. Meserve," says Mul- hall in his expose.
 "In settling this strike continues
 Nfu1halI I've employed our usual tac- ] tics of bribery, intimidation and bull ! dozing in our attempts to corrupt the l ordained ministers of the church. As 1 fan, as Father Shanley is concerned | one item of this statement Is at least
 confirmed, the bulldozing, ''NTIlhal
 made threats to reduce the village to | i tled,' said Father Shanley. 1 ."There is no doubt that he had n1oney-one could tell that from his 1 way of ta1king-and that he was ready l to spend it, but he dared not say a
 word to me about it. He was right | in saying that I was opposed to the 1 tactics of the leaders of the strikers, 1 and the strikers later found this out