Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-11
Contempt Sentences Held
Barred by the Statute
of Limitations.
IS NOT A CONSPIRACY
charues Involving Federation
Head and Associates Grow
Out of Buck Stove Case.

washington. D. C.. May 11.-Con-
,snpt sentences imposed upon Sam
ue1 Gompers, John Mitchell and Frank
Morrison by the district supreme court
we're set aside today by the supreme
court for the second time as barred
hv the statute OF limitations.
Justice Holmes. in beginning the
opiuion. said the contempt charges
were not to be treated as conspira-
oies. a point urged upon the court in
behalf Of the labor leaders.
The decision settled the point that
coutempts OF court are crimes The
point had been raised in contempt
cases throughout the country. Justice
Holmes said contempts are infractions
Of law, visited with punishment as
such.
The contempt charges against Com
pers. Mitchell and Morrison grew out
OF the Injunction issued by the Dis
trict Of Columbia supreme court to
prohibir the American Federation OF
Labor boycotting the Bucks Stove K
Range company. Proceeding as If the
contempt cases were part OF the in
junction suit the district supreme
court held the labor leaders in con-
tempt and sentenced Gompers to one
year in Jail, Mitchell TO nine months
and Morrison to six months. The SUI
preme court of the United States, on
May 10, 1911, set aside those sentences.
hCId hz- ad haaT
erroneously imposed in a civil suit
New Proceedings Begun.
The day after the sentences were set |
aside the district supreme court began |
new proceedings against the labor /
leaders. A committee was appointed /
10 report whether there was reasonable |
cause for holding the men guilty of |
contempt II consisted of ]. ]. Dar- |
lington. Daniel Davenport and James 4
u. Beck, attorneys of record for the /
Bucks Stove & Range company.
The committee reported that the
three men had been guilty of con-
tempt. II charged that GOmpers, in
December. 1907, had hurried out an
issue OF the American Federationist,
containing the name OF the Bucks
Stove & Range company on the we
Don't Patronize List" so as 70 have IL
published before the injunction took
sfect, and circulated the edition after
he Injunction became effective II
charged contempt for the court in
various utterances of Gompers IN
speeches and editorially in the Fed
erstionist Still another charge was
that he printed and circulated a paper
knoyTn as An Urgent Appeal for Fin
Eneial Aid in Defence Of Free Press
and Free Speech" in which II was
eontended that he suggested members
u the Federation might violate the in
Junction and defeat its object provid-
ID they were not within the District
q Columbia
Court Approves Report.
Frank Morrison was charged with CO
'peratng with GOmpers, as secretary
" The Federation, in making these
publications.. Mitchell was likewise
'nsrged with cooperation IN the cir
,alation OF the Federationist and OF
ne Urgent Appeal and with prestd- ,
ng over a meeting Of the United Nine
WORKERS on Jan. %, 1908. when reso-
lon was adopted placing the Bucks
stoye & Range company on. the unfair
ist and providing for fines for mem
'ers who purchased such a stove or
snse. The report was approved by
he district supreme court and the ,
oentical sentences Of the first proceed
ass were imposed.
The District Of Columbia court or
ppeals remanded the case with direc-
on that the sentence on Gompers be
iodihed 10 one months imprisonment
nd the Imprisonment of Mitchell and
iorrison be changed 70 a fine OF $500 {
'r each man.
The district supreme court commit
e Insisted before the supreme court
LAT the court Of appeals had no right
modify the sentences. Alton b.
arker, recent presidential candidate, \
ID Jackson II. Ralston cOntended the
Zen had not been guilty of any con- =
'mpt.