The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-02
HAs COsT s2OO.OOO.
E7,d of Trial VIII Save County 1
Million.

los Angeles, Dec 2.-Startling as
was the sudden confession OF gulIt on
the part of John J. Mcnamara, secre,
tarv and treasurer of the 1nternat1oAa1
Association of Bridge and Structural
T~on workers. and his brother, James
B.. the one of causing the LleWellyn
IRON works explosion and the other the
Los Angeles Times disaster that cost
p lives. more amazing to the people
of Los Angeles today was to learn tnat
I,ir business men had brought about
the surrender in novel way
That the application of the GoIden
Rule and the principle OF conclllatlon
founded on religious convictions start
eJ the ball rolling toward the adInls-
sion Of guilt by the McNamaras was
the theory, supported and conhrmeu
nv A score of business men who par
ticipated in the movement, Wnlch TO
dav stood foremost as the reason Tor
me ABRUPT conclusion of the trlal
which was begun less than two months
ago.
plained incidents produced wide spec
Tlation. These include the arrest OF
BERT H. Franklin, a defense detective
on a charge of bribing prospective
Juror. the silence maintained by the
prosecution as to the origin of the 81
600 secured at the time OF the arrest
the mysterious appearance at the as as
frict attorneys office of Lawrence
sullivan. a detective of the DEFENSE
and the subsequent perturbation Of the
prosecution when it was discovered
that Sullivan's visit had become known
to outsiders.
Business Men Did It.
The idea that a group of business
men had put their heads together ana
determined that to prolong the McNa-
mara fight might mean ntermlnaole
warfare with ramificatlons dangerous
to the city's welfare because OF the
uncertainty that might invest ITS
business interests, is one which Won
wide credence because prominent peo-
pie were secretly acquainted with the
fact that a concerted movement was
on foot to bring about a compromise.
The clemency to be shown the guilty
men is to be the reward of their will
ingness to yield; for the people at
large, there was the hope that the
warfare would cease and that an era
Of good feeling would ensue
Clarence s. barrow, chief counsel
psychologist and philosopher, reiter-
ated today that the compromise was
best for all overwhelmingly. James
r. to get life Imprisonment instead of
the death penalty, and John J. brief
penitentiary sentence. while for the
accusing side came the victory of the
case with its pile of evidence. gath
cred after long and vigorous lnvest1.
It was the sequence with which
things happened that drew forth most
sci for the defense know of the guilt
of the defendants? When was the
compromise first preached? And
what of the bribery charges that were
made in the midst of the negotiations
for a settlement of the trial? These
were the questions that were generally
propounded today.
AS far as the district attorneys Office
is concerned. the defendants pleaded
guilty because they were guilty"
That was the explanation of District
Attorney Fredericks.
"As to what thing induced the de-
Tense to yield" he declared that is
something which they alone can ex-
plain"
Forced to Surrender.
Many members of the district attor-
ney'S staff. however, were of the opin-
ion that the defense had been forced
to lay down its arms. as a result not
only of the evidence which was gather
ed by its men, but of the effect which
q conviction in the Franklin bribery
case might have upon the chances of
the McNamaras. That the Franklin
incident forced the acceptance of the
compromise by the defendants them
selves is still believed in many quar-
tiers.
I'VE had very strong case which
ever way you look at it, said Assistant
District Attorney G. Ray Horton.
On the other hand, those who particle
pated In the movement to influence the
defendants to yield through their coun-
sci, hold that the McNamaras and their