Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-04
THE TIMES, NEWSPAPER WHICH
HAS BEEN FIGHTING UNION Ia.
Dor, COMPLETELY DESTROYED
* IN MYSTERIOUS MANNER.
OTIS BLAMES UNIONS;
. LEADERS MAKE REPLY
GENERAL MANAGER CHANDLER
LAYS CRIME TO DOOR OF LABOR
UNIONS; LYNCH AND GoMPERs
DENY RESPONSIBILITY.

! Los Angeles, CAL, Oct. The build
Ing and plant of the Los Angeles
Times OF which General Harrison
Gray Otis is editor and principal
owner. was completely destroyed by
an explosion and fire early today. re-
sulting in the death Of upwards of
twenty employees, and a financial loss
OF nearly half million dollars. The
management of the paper lays the
blame for the explosion to labor
unions, with which organizations the
paper has long been engaged in bit
| ter warfare.
| 1t is charged that unknown parties
set off charge of dynamite in q
blind alley which ran into the center
of the building, completely wrecking
the interior and setting it on fire from
roof to basement.
Between fifty and seventy-five en-
ployes were in the building at the
time and until the whole list Of en-
ployes can be checked over 1t will not
be known how many lives were lost.
Heads Of Paper Escape.
The responsible heads Of the paper
including Asa Slant, and General
Manager Chandler had narrow escapes
from death, many of them having left
the building short time before the
explosion.
The force of the explosion broke the
gas pipes and released the gas which
was instantaneously ignited in every
part Of, the building. No other cause
but that of dynamite explosion was
advanced by witnesses, excepting In
the case of a Western Union telegraph
operator, William Firman, who stated
! that he detected the odor Of gas
throughout the building earlier In the
night and had called attention to it.
TWO Suspects Arrested.
After the explosion the police ar.
rested Harry Ptake and William
Irwin as suspects. The police are with
out clues as to the probable perpe-
traitors. Wesley Reeves, secretary to
Manager Chandler, has not been found
since the fire and it is thought he is
among the dead.
Speaking of the explosion Chandler
declared there Is no doubt this terrible
outrage can be laid at the door of la
Dor unions, that it was caused by the
|
of gas could not have caused such q
complete wreck. He says that for
years the owners of the paper have
been receiving threatening letters.
Foreman Thinks "a Dead.
Foreman Craybilll Of the composing
room estimates there were 115 men In
the building, 85 of them in his depart
ment. He believes twelve of his men
were killed and that the fatalities in
the other departments reached about
the same number.
Partial List OF Dead.
Among the dead are Harvey G. FL
der. assistant city editor; Charles B..
Lovelace, country editor; J. Wesley
Reaves secretary to Manager Chand-
! Ter: r. L. Sawyer, telegraph editor;
Harry l.. Crane, assistant telegraph
editor.
The city council today voted $685.
600 fund for use in running down the
dynamiters.
| F. J. Zehandlar, secretary Of tho
Merchants and Manufacturers asso-
citation, notified the police today that a
charge of dynamite had been found
under his house. The police are IN.
VeStlRaL1nS. 1ue UOulu iouAu nC eAAS
Zehandlar residence. was of clockworlt
design and consisted Of fifteen sticks
of dynamite attached to fuse con.
nected with clockwork,
Gompers Sees No Blame to Labor.
st. Louis, Oct. President Gompers
| of the American Federation OF Labor
said today he does not believe union
labor members were in any way re.
sponsible for the explosion and fire in
| the Los Angeles Times building. He
regretted the loss of life and destruc-
ton Of property, but saw no reason
to think union men had anything to
do with 1t.
Lynch Upholds Union.
Indianapolis, Ind, Oct. 1.-Presi.
dent Lynch of the International Typo.
graphical union today declared that the
international Typographical union Is
not a lawbreaking, dynamiting institu.
ton, that its record Of more than sixty
years existence is an honorable one
and entirely free from resort to VIC.
lence of any kind. He resented the in.
timation that the union had anything
to do with the disaster to the Los An.
Igeles Times.
GORDON CASE TUESDAY