The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-01

that of dynamite explosion was adj
vanced by witnesses. excepting in the
case of a Western Union telegraph
operator, William Firman, who stated
he detected the odOr of gas through
out the building earlier in the night
and had called attention to it.
A few minutes after the explosion
the police arrested man named
Harry Flake, making his way through
the Broadway tunnel, a few blocks dis
tant. He was locked up on suspicion.
Another man, William Irwin, was ar
rested later. The police are without
clews. Wesley Reeves, secretary to
Manager Chandler. has not been found
since the fire Mr.. Chandler believes he
lost his life in the building. Chambers
office was wrecked by the explosion
Speaking of the explosion, Mr.. Chan
dIer said:
You can say for me that there is
no doubt that this terrible outrage
can be laid at the doors of the labor
unions. They have destroyed the
building and plant and have killed a
number of our men, we do not know
how many, but they can not kill the
Times"
There is no doubt the explosion
was caused by a charge of dynamite
placed apparently in the little blind
alley in the center of the building. No
other agency could have caused it
There was no oil in the building. We
no gasoline excepting a small can or
two in the composing room. 1t is
true the building was equipped with
gas but no gas explosion could nave
caused it. For years we have been re-
ceiving threatening letters from peo-
pie who said the paper ought to be
blown up
Order New Equipment.
Two hours after the fire Mr.. Chan
5Ior hr1e-x writing falPprT9n1S order
ing printing presses, hnotypeS and
stereotyping outfits for a new plant
from the east. An issue of the paper
was got out today from the composing
and press rooms of the Los Angeles
Herald, and from an auxiliary of the
Times in another part of the city. Mr..
Chandler said that two years ago the
Times had established an auxiliary
plant at College and San Francisco
streets eQuipping it with a press and
ewelve linotype machines with the
expectation that the present plant
would some day be destroyed.
Council Offers Big Reward.
The city council voted $4,000 as a
fund to be used to run down the per-
petrators of the alleged dynamiting of
the Times, $2,5OO of which was made
available as a reward for the capture
of the culprit or culprits.
Another Dynamite Case.
r. j. ZeenanOledr, secretary OF the
Merchants and Manufacturers associ-
alton, telephoned to the police station
this forenoon that a charge of dyna-
mite had been found under his house.
a detail of police sent out to investi-
gate is said to have found a bomb.
GOmpers Doesn't Blame Unions.
st. Louis, Oct. samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, said today he did not be-
lieve union labor members were in
any way responsible for the deadly eX-
plosion and fire in the building of the
Los Angeles Times.
1.-The position of the Times toward
union labor is well known" said Com
pers "but nothing has happened re-
Gently to make the feeling of union
men against the paper more acute.
regret the loss of life and damage of
property, but I see no reason for think
ing union members had anything to do
with it."
Gompers conferred today with attor-
neys concerning the answer to be filed
by the American Federation of Labor
in the United States court here Mon
| day in the suit of c. w. Post, who is
seeking to restrain the Buck Stove &
Range company from carrying out its
recent compact with labor organiza-
|