The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-27
DYNAMITER TELLS ON UNION.
| ONE or MORAN'S JOINS WAS. TO
RUIN BELMONT TRACK.
Another Was TO Fire Pagan Iron Works
Hidden Store Of Dynamite In Jersey
Walking Delegates RakeOH on In-
nated Expense BIns-Dates and Names.

Additional details Of the confession made
by Charles Moran, the dynamiter who
SAYS that he and other union men have
been engaged in blowing UP buildings
and Gripping derricks on buildings where
strikes had been declared, were learned
Yesterday. Moran has old Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Train where he and his COM
~panions got the dynamite and how they
used it, As a result. detectives from the
District Attorneys office were searching
in New Jersey yesterday for sixty-odd
pounds Of dynamite buried by Moran and
a companion. An effort is also being
made to corroborate Moran's story in
which he involves walking delegates in
this city, Brooklyn and Jersey City. 1t is
expected, however, that that will be a hard
Job.
Moran pleaded guilty yesterday of felony
In placing dynamite near a building in a
manner TO endanger life or property. He
was indicted for a second offence, but he
was allowed to plead to an attempt to use
the dynamite, for which he may get five
years. He was arrested with Thomas
Weir and John Guthrie, the latter a detec-
tive employed by Post Il McCord. Moran
has admitted that his purpose was to use
dynamite on the Bliss building, a Post d
McCord job, in East T~wenty-third street.
According to his story, he was a
member of the Jersey City local of the
Housesmiths and Bridgemen's Union. In
the first part Of the year, he said, he and
Weir vent to a shanty on the outskirts OF
Jersey City, in the Meadows, and stole 100
one pound sticks Of dynamite. 1t was
packed in a big box, which they carted
around some time and finally buried in a
lot some distance from Jersey City.
Since the dynamite was buried, Moran
said. some forty sticks of it have been used
by him and his companions. He has told
in detail how it was used, and where. De-
~teCtives who were sent to find the buried
dynamite reported last night that, as the
ground was covered with snow, the job
was pretty difficult. Another attempt will
be made to-day.
From what Moran has told how he and
his pals carted dynamite all over this and
other cities. they have no knowledge
whatever of the handlieg of explosives.
Moran admits that he is one of the men who
attempted to fire the Pagan iron work in
Jersey City about two months ago. This
wasn't a Post & McCord job, but the COM
pany is a member of the Employers P:o-
tective Association. Moran says th.t he
and a companion had poured kerosene over
one end Of the building and were ready to
use the torch when they were discovered.
In fact they had just started the fire when
they we're driven of and the fremen arrived
80 soon that practically no damage was
done. Moran was paid $50 for that trick,
although much more if it was successful
had been promised him.
Another thing Moran has thrown light
on was the attempt of the union to inter
fere with the opening Of the Belmont race
track last year.
Mora was picked out by a representa-
tive of the Brooklyn local Of the house
smiths to damage the track so as to delay
the opening. Post d McCord had the con-
tract for the job. Moran n three others
were to ave 5000 if they carried out their
contract.
They went to the track early one morning
and tore down stretches Of the iron fence
around the enclosure. Most of the fence
was down when they got through.
Then they came back and demanded
their money. The delegate who had hired
them said he would see the union. He went
to a meeting while Moran and his compan-
ions waited in a nearby saloon. The dele
gate came back and said that the union
would pay only $25 for each man. 1t was a
cheap affair as not a great deal Of damage
had been lone n any fool could have
done it.. Moran and his coworkers kicked.
The delegate thought for a time and then
he devised this scheme. He would go back
to the union and say that eight men had
been employed on the job and that he had
had TO hire an automobile to take them to
the track. He would say that the auto
mobile cost $50, although none was used.
That satisfied Moran and lns friends.
The union was gulled, too, and $3.50 was
paid over. But there had to be a voucher
from each man that he had been paid.
The delegate made out eight receipts for
services rendered. Then he found four
dummies and the eight slips were signed.
Twenty-Five dollars was handed to each
of the dummies. After they had had the
money in their pockets for five minutes,
Moran went around and collected $50 from
each of them, The delegate got the $50
for the automobile hat wasn't used, and
the original quartet of racetrack wreokers
got S45 instead OF $50 apiece
In each instance Moran has named the
utltRdltS nlo IiiVu NM w w WI" WI n
and they are men well known in the unions.
But there is nothing to corroborate Moran.
Whatever conversations there were were be-
tween two men, 1t was left to Moran how
to carry out the job and to get the imple-
ments. II the vouchers could be got in
the case Of the racetrack job something
might be done, but it is supposed that the
vouchers were destroyed long &
Assistant District Attorney Train has
also got some information about the at
tempt to blow up the Haokensack Bridge.
There a couple Of men got a rowboat and
rowed under the bridge, 1t was a difficult
undertaking to place the dynamite where
they wantedit, and before they had accom-
plished what they set out to do they lost
their nerve.
Moran says now that he is sorry that he
entered into any of the schemes. He says
he realizes that he and the other soft uns,'
as he calls his companions, were simply
tools OF the union and got little money
for what they did They also were left
in such a way that they could not bring
in the men whose brains figured out what
was to be done.
"Why, they made us feel that we were
heroes" is the way Moran puts it. AS a
matter of fact, we were damn fools"