The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-10-04
s SUSPECTS HELD
Confession May Clear Los
Angles Outrage.
$500 REWARD FOR FItNDS
Dynamiting Of Newspaper Building
Blamed on Labor Troubles-At'
tempts to lay Others.
81 Are Dead.

Los Angeles, Cal. Oct. 3.-The po-
lice hope 10 force from Michael Eagan
a confession that will explain the mys-
tcry OF the explosion at the Los An
geles Times building, in which twenty
one persons lost their lives, and the
finding of dynamite bombs near the
homes of General Harrison Gray OTIS,
proprietor OF the Times. and f. j.
Zeoiandelaar. secretary OF the Los An
geies Merchants and Manufacturers
association. and a personal friend OF
General Otis
While they have no direct evidence
against Eagan. the fact that he cannot
account for his movements on Friday
night and Saturday. and the fact that
threatening letters were found on him
when arrested lead the police to be-
lieve that he can tell important facts.
In addition to Eagan four others are
being held by the police pending an
investigation.
Tie city is seething with excite
ment. The city council met in special
session and appropriated $4,000 for
the purpose OF determining the cause
of the Times explosion and provided
a reward of $25OO for the capture of
those responsible for the outrage.
For twenty years. following a quar-
rel with the typographical union and
the changing of the Times to a non
union paper. General Otis has fought
unionism with every resource at his
command. He has been ably seconded
in this fight by the Merchants and
Manufacturers association. whose sec
rotary was the object Of frustrated dy-
namiting.
The original suspicion of the police
that the Times building disaster was
due to heavy charge of a high eX'
plosive was Circumstantially confirm
ed by the ng of the other bombs
and the statements Of those persons
in the building or nearby at the time
of the explosion.
1t is almost certain that the eXplo-
sion occurred in a narrow alley that
separated the two buildings occupied
by the Times.
Foreman Graybill. of the composing
room. in which the full force OF the
explosion was felt and where the
greatest direct damage was done, is
firmly OF the opinion that it was due
10 dynamite in the alley. His state
menr is the dearest yet made He
said.
Il was standing near the center OF
the composing room. when all at once
terrific force from below seemed to
raise a section OF the floor clear TO
the ceiling. The upheayal came be-
tween two linotype machines. Frames
and broken timbers flew in all dlreC-
lions. The force Of the thing was In
describable. Grant Moore. a machinist.
was directly over the spot where the
impact came through the floor. His
body was hurled against the ceiling.
f. A. Jordan. a headsetter. and +. W.
WATSON, a galley man, were nearest
to him, and they. too. were hurled
against the ceiling of the composing
room.
Every one Of the typesetting ma
chimes was thrown and hurled in all
directions"
The explosion was heard for miles.
All windows in the vicinity of the
Times building. at First street and
Broadway, were shattered Between
fifty and seventy-five employees were
in the structure at the time of the ex-
ploslon. and until the whole list can
he checked over II will not be known
how many lives were lost.
The building was equipped with gag
fittings. and the force of the explo-
sion. tearing these pipes into bits. re-
leased gas, which was instantaneOusly
ignited. No other cause but that OF
a dynamite explosion was advanced by
witnesses except one. a Western I'm
ion telegraph operator, William Fir
man. who declared that he detected
the odor of gas throughout the build
ing earlier in the night and had called
attention to it.