The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1911-12-06

Lecompte Davis arose from his
chair as the Judge finished his state
nent. He said:
After long consideration of this
case, If 1t pleases your Honor, and
after consulting with counsel in this
case we have come to the conclusion
that we shall enter a plea of guilty"
There was stir in the court room
as Mr.. Davis finished his brief state
ment
"Gulty," Says MeNamara.
Then the District Attorney went to
his seat stepped over near to the
Judges bench and asked the court
for the indictment in the case. you
have heretofore pleaded not guilty to
this indictment, have you not. Mr.. j..
B. Mcnamara" said the District At
torney.
Il have" was the reply.
How do you now wish to plead to
this charger" asked the District At
torney.
James B. McNamara's face paled un.
der the stress Of the situation. Gull
ty," he replied.
J~J. Mcnamara then was summoned
before the bench District Attorney
Fredericks read from indictment No.
$3.50. He said John ]. Mcnamara.
you are charged with the crime of
exploding or attempting to explode
dynamite in or near the Llewellyn
Iron Works, &c. Do you wish to with
draw your plea of not guilty?"
Mcnamara, who stood with bowed
head, responded in little more than
whisper, 81 do"
DO You plead guilty OF not guilty
70 this Indictment" asked the Dis.
trict Attorney
Guilty" was the low response from
the prisoner.
After the excitement surrounding
'he proceedings had subsided Judge
'ordwell asked that the jurors i'm.
panelled in the case be summoned be.
fore hin. They filed into the room in
their usual order little expecting what
was going to happen.
Judge Bordwell sat with one leg
over the clerks table close to the Jury
box. After the men were seated he
said:
Gentlemen, this case you were
called to try came to an end this
afternoon. The defendants pleaded
guilty"
On this announcement a number OF
Jurors clapped their hands and there
vas genuine expression Of pleasure on
III OF their faces.
Judge Bordwell continued: Nobody
Gems to be expressing any bad feel.
ng. Curiously want all Of you to
now that | am confident In my own
ind that you would have given the
tefendents a fair and impartial YER.
dict. And say this not with anecta'
ton or 1attery."
1T was evidence gathered by the
State of California that brought about
this plea" Mr.. Darrow said when ask
ed what means he believed to have
been most effective.
Prison Walls with Ears.
Notwithstanding this statement It IL
thought that the discovery of signi.
ficant piece Of wire dangling from an
upper window of the jail where the
Mcnamara brothers are confined had
an important part in bringing about
the the confessions. Mr.. Darrow in
vestigated 1t and became convinced
that the walls of the prison had ears.
The wire ran from a window in an
unoccupied cell on the third floor to
another unoccupied cell on the second
aoor. Ortie McManigal, the States
most important witness, has been
seen by many persons in the upper
room, from which the wire dangled.
There he was visited by his wife, by
his uncle, and by Mr.. Darrow, and It
is believed by the defense that along
that wire every word spoken in the
room was carried to the cell below,
where 1t was taken down by q steno-
grapher, and thus conveyed to the
prosecution.
II is remembered that exactly the
same device vas used with telling ef-
feet by Detective Burns in his investl-
cation last Spring OF the bribery
scandal of the Ohio Legislature and
there is evidence that 1t has been en-
ployed again with disastrous effect
'or the defense.
Soon after McManigal's uncle had
been to see him he was summoned
before the Grand jury. After his ex.
animation he exclaimed in dismay and
bewllderment
"They asked me about things said
to Ortie that ! never spoke before
in my life I said them in that room
and nowhere else"
When District Attorney Fredericks
was asked about the rumor, he re-
Piled
'T shouldn't wonder bit II It's true.
There should be nothing unusual
about It, There's Just a round disk
attached to the window shade or
against the pane so that no one would
notice 1t, and then there's the wire
leading to some other place"
Pretty Figure on the Galows.
Joseph Scott of counsel for the de-
fence said: when we first broached
to little Jim the plan for having John
plead guilty he said, won't stand for
It. won't let you fasten anything on
to my big brother. am the boy who
did everything