The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-10-06
DYNAMITE PAPER
AND ATTEMPT MADE TO BLOW
UP HOME OF PUBLISHER,
GEN. OTIS.
TWENTY men ARE KILLED
Union Labor Blamed For Series Of
Desperate Outraees Saturday in
The City of Los
Angeles

Los Angeles, California. - Twenty
men are believed to have beer killed
sutrisht and more thar a score seri-
Dusly injured in an explosion which
wrecked the plant of the Los Angeles
Times shortly after 1880 a. m, while
the last edition of the paper was be.
ing run off.
The cause of the explosion, which
was followed by a fire that complete
ly destroyed the building and plant,
IS a mystery that probably will only
be settled by a coroner's investigation.
AS a result of the desperate warfare
which has for years been carried on
between union labor and General Har-
rison Gray Otis, owner of the Times,
friends of the latter are openly charg-
ing that the building was dynamited.
The property loss is estimated at more
than $500 900, but the publication OF
the Times will not be suspended. So
bitter has been the feeling against the
paper that the management has for
months kept a duplicate plant in a
warehouse here, to be used in just
such an emergency.
Editorial Force Escapes.
Owing to the fact that the explosion
did not occur until after the paper had
been gotten out, the death toll was
much less than if it had happened a
few hours earlier. 1t is stated that
only a dog watch" of two men was
in the editorial department at the
I limo Of tho ayp1pg;nn a,1 th,t oil 30
the dead were thought to have been
among the mailing and mechanical
force.
The Times has for years been run as
an open shop. Recently union labor
forces have beer engaged in a life and
death struggle in Los Angeles. AS a
result, and before there was the slight
est proof that the disaster was any
thing other than a pure accident, enc.
mics of union labor voiced the sugges-
ton that the disaster was attributable
to the labor trouble. Union officials
Indignantly denied this and will order
a searching investigation. They say
that this Investigation will prove the
accident to be due to carelessness and
ldck Oh SaIeIy provisions.
Fifty Men on One Floor.
The explosion occurred on the Sec
ond floor of an addition to the old
building. The old part is of three
floors. Crowds that gathered early
say they saw many men fall back from
the windows into the flames. Others
leaped and were injured.
Three Distinct Explosions.
In addition to the complete plant of
the Times, the building contained the
large jobbing and commercial plant of
the American Engraving Company.
The property loss is estimated at
$500, 900.
Managing Editor Andrews and City
Editor Vonbler had been in their Of
fees during the evening. but had gone
to their homes a short time before the
explosion. Assistant City Editor Ellis
was still On duty when the fire leaped
up all around the building. He ran to
the window and jumped three stories
to the paved street below. His right
leg was b roken and he was otherwise
injured. One a whose name is I'M
known, leaped from a second-story
window and alighted on his head
breaking his neck.
Two Arrests Made.
Within a few minutes after the ex-
plosion the police arrested two men
near the Times building an dthey are
being held for Identification.
Attempt to Blow Up Otis Home.
An attempt was made to destroy the
residence of General Harrison Gray
Otis, publisher of the Los Angeles
Times by means of an Internal ma.
chine.
which destroyed the buildings and
plant of the Times, a suspected effort
to blow up the auxiliary plant of that
paper and the finding of a powerful
internal machine in the residence OF
Secretary Z~eehandelaar of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers association,
the attempted outrage has wrought
this city to an intense state of JUS
pense and excitement.
General Otis and the other heads Of
the paper unequivocally charge the
Times building disaster and the mar
rowly averted attempts at further de-
struction of life and property to labor
union sources.
The Otis home is known as THE
Bivouac,' and stands on Wiltshire ave
nue.. in the most fashionable section
of the city. After the finding of the
internal machine at the Ze~ehandelaar
residence, Detective Rice was sent to
The Bivouac" 70 make a search Of
the premises.
Gaynor Medical Bill Big.