Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-12-13
VETERAN LABOR
LEADER LOSES
4 BRAVE FIGHT
Gompers ColIapses Soon After
/ Arrival in San Antonio
from Mexico City
WANTED TO DIE IN U. S. A.
Will Be Buried Near larry
town, N. WAS Stricken
at Labor Convention

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Dec. 13
(Bv The Associated Press) :-The
grand old leader of American lapor
Is dead.
last wish. He died on American soll
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
time he eluded the final enemy, dog
gedly fighting off the issue, but death
overlook the exhausted labor leader
as he lay in his bed in San Antonio
hotel. Mr.. Gompers did not evade
the challenge when 1t came to him
face to face; neither did he give up
the fight.
Surrounding Mr.. Gompers in his
last. moments e the men with
whom he had fought many of lapor's
5 battles through a. generation or
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 forty-four years. Their
parting was pathetic.
Holding his other hand was VIII
liam d. Mahon of Detroit, president
of the Amalgamated Association Oh
Street and Electric Railway Employ
es, whom the dying federation presi-
dent affectionately called BILL, ana
whom he Had told several days ago
hat he wished 10 shake by the mana
lust before he went.
There were others no less close to
Mr.. Compers. John e. Giles, treas
1rer of the federation; Martin Ryan
IF Kansas City and Mathe Woll of
hlcago, all members of the execu-
ave committee, were there. Frank
Morrison, secretary of the federation,
also was at the deathbed.
There also was his nurse. Miss Ma
thilda 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.
Death found Samuel Gompers as
life found him--a fighting man. de
never gave up. When told by his
physician that he was passing. his
law clenched as tightly as feeDle
strength would permit, he breathed
heavier. but he never said II give
up"
Mr. Gompers' last thought was of
the American institutions he had Ia
bored so long to maintain. When ne
was convinced he could not win, he
said to his nurse:
Nurse. this is the end. God
bless our American institutions. May
they grow better day by day.
These words took his last strength
and after that he was unable to ut
ter a syllable.
The great heart pulsed feebly and
soon 1t ceased its weary work.
Until the moment when he slipped
into unconsciousness about one hour
before his death. he was able to look
Into the future and was master OF
mis- own situation. He gave few
yimple directions for his funeral.
Ihould the end come before morn
ing. He talked to his followers. He
.alled for lifelong friends whose
hands he wanted to clasp before
dipping AVA
Z With all the nergy that his worn.
i ki4-year- old oody could muster. ne
grappled with the enemy that had
come to claim him. In life he had
made both friends and enemies. In
ieath he had only one enemy.
Against that he could not prevail;
and he gave his soul with the Wig
orous protest that was characteristic
of him -.
When Mr.. Gompers took i'll In
Mexico City a few days ago he ex-
pressed the wish that IL he was to
lie he wanteI to pass away on
American soil. His physicians would
not let him rise from his siclsSed to
20 to the train, but had him taken
On a stretcher and placed him in a
special coach. the stretcher being
& passed through a window. This was
aid to have given rise to the report
e hat he was dead, sent out from
some town in Mexico along the route
Is which Mr.. Gompers' car travelled to
Laredo. Tex.
(Continued on Page 81