New Britain herald., 1924-12-13
Regarded As Greatest Single Agent In Up- lift Of Workingmen In Recent Times History a Continuous Fight For What He Believed Right
 Came To U. s. An Ignorant Immigrant At Age Of Is.
By The Associated PrssH.


 San Antonio, Tex, Dec. 1s.-The grand old leader of American labor is dead.
 Samuel Gompers was granted his last wish. He died on American soil at 4:1O o'clock this morning. eleven hours after his arrival from Mexico City. where he was stricken last week.
 Death was close on his. heels. as he sped from the Mexican capital to the border of his own country. For 8 time he eluded the final enemy, doggedly fighting off the issue, but dea h overlook the exhausted labor leader as he lay on his bed in a San Antonio hotel. MT. Gompers did not evade the challenge when 1t came to him face to face; neither did he give up the fight. ..
 Friends With Him At End
 Surrounding Mr. Gompers in his last moments were the men with whom he had fought many of la bor's battles through a generation of American union labor developments At his bedside and holding his hand was James Duncan of Quincy, Mass, vice-president of the federation, who has stood shoulder to shoulder with his leader for A years. Their part ing was pathetic.
 Holding his other hand was Wil- liam D. Mahon of Detroit, president 1 of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway em- ployes, whom the dying federation president affectionately called and whom he had told several days ago that he wished to shake by the hand l just before he went. t
 There were others no less close to Mir. Gompers. John l.. Giles, treas urer of the federation, Martin Ryan of Kansas City, and Mathew Woli of Chicago ali members of the exe- cutlve committee. were there. Frank Morrison. secretary of the federa- tion. also was at the deathbed.
 There also was his nurse, Miss Nathilda May of New York city, who had been with him since his illness of August. She remained kneeling at the foot of his bed as the shadow of death crept over the stricken leader.
 Fought To the End
 Death found Samuel Gompers as life found him-a fighting man. He never gave up. When told by his physician that he was passing, his jaw cIenched as tightly as feeble strength would permit, he breathed heavier, but he never said T give up"
 Nr. Gomrers' last thought was of the American institutions he had labored so long to maintain. When he was convinced he could not win' he said to his nurse;
 "Turse. this is the end. God bless our American institutions. May they grow better day hy day.
 These last words took his last strength and after that he was un- able 10 utter a syllable.
 Tho great heart pulsed feebly and soon ii ceased it's wearied work.
 Planned Own Funeral
 y-ntiI the moment when he slip ned into unconsctousness, about one hour before his death, he vas ah'' to look into the future and was mas fer of his own sitlattOm He gave faw sfmr1e dirocton for l1Is funeral should the end come before morn ing. He talhoa to hl~ fo 10wers. He , called for nfcIoes tri"njs, whose hands he wanted to clasp before slipping away.
 With all tho rner-v tlat his Uorn -4.vear-old hodv C.Hd master ". s-r,1rre5 with tne cn.uv that had come to claim hun In life he had made friends and cramos. In dcato he had o-n orc euef y. AEainst that [ fe rou14 not pr.ean; and h. gave his sanr with the vigorous protest } trat was chsrartoris.te o' him. U.,an Mir. Gorlners tock in m ] veyirn Crtv fsr. dcys ago. he eN- , r,,sse5 tra wish that f he vas to 5,s ra wanted to pass away on American soil His physicians would rot rst him rise trol1 his sIekbed 10 l % 10 tre train, }7t had h'm taken o7 A stretcner and placed him in srecial coach the @trc'cher being rasse6 throuEh window. This was s.r} ta have given rise to the report mat ha nae dsad' sent ou, from some town l1 Mexico aions the rou'e winch MT GomPeiS c'' t-avafed to Laredo. T'v. His w,sn to reach his own coun- trv before d,ath could oyertake him. almost was defeated, for he sank ysrv low on the journey from Mex ico rt.v u,. W. E. Co0kre]L his nb,sIctsn and ,-.sn7 for 2s years, a Te..lc7t of taa NlN-an capital, who
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