The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-12-14
M'NAMARAS GET
PRISON SENTENCE
Life Term for James; IS Years
for Brother.
BITTERLY SCORED BY JUDGE
Escape From Death Penalty Not Duo
to Any Extenuating Circumstances
Grand jury VIII Ask Bro
theirs to Tell Whole Story.

Los Angeles. Cal.-James b. Nc
Namara was sentenced TO life I'M
prisonment for dynamiting the Los
Angeles Times plant and causing 81
deaths.
His brother, John J. Mcnamara, sec.
retary-treasurer of the International
Association Of Bridge and Structural
Iron Workers, was sentenced to 10
years in the state penitentiary Tor
dynamiting the Llewellyn iron plant
Judge Bordwell, in pronouncing sen.
tence on the younger brother, said he
deserved DEATH that there were no
extenuating circumstances, but that
the court thought 1t the part OF wis
dom TO do otherwise.
A few hours after they were SEN
fenced the word went forth that sub
poenas would be issued for both men
to appear before the federal grand
jury to divulge further details of their
dyna hitting conspiracies.
The United States goyernn ent will
demand of them information concern
ing interstate trafflcking in dynamite,
which ia alleged to have resulted in
more than hundred explt Jions at
bridges and factories where labor
warfare was involved.
Counsel Asks for Mercy.
James b. Mcnamara arose first Dis
trict Attorney Fredericks made brief
statement of the case. reading the pris-
oner's confession for the first time.
! This defendant has pleaded guilty.
BY so doing he has settled that which
for all time, in the minds Of great
many. would have been doubtful
question. He has served the state In
other ways and 1t Is my judgment that
some small degree of consideration
should be extended to him because of
that fact"
The confession says:
Il, James b. Mcnamara, having
heretofore pleaded guilty to the crime
of murder, desire to make this state
ment of facts:
"Cn the night of September 80. 1910.
at 5;45 p. m, placed in Ink alley, a
portion of the Times building. suit
case containing 16 sticks OF so per
cent dynamite, set to explode at one
o'clock the next morning 1t was my
| intention to injure the building and
scare the owners. | did not intend to
take the life of any one | sincerely
regret that these unfortunate men lost
their lives. If the giving of my life
would bring them back | would gladly
give 1t. In fact, In pleading guilty to
murder in the first degree, have
placed my life in the hands Of the
state"
ScathIne Address by Court.
There Is little or no ray of comfort,
Mr.. Mcnamara said Judge Bordwell
''in the assertion by you that you did
not intend to destroy life. The widows
and orphans and the bereaved parents
will look upon that statement as a
mockery. The circumstances are
against you in making any such claim
"A man who would put 16 sticks of
so per cent dynamite in building full
Of explosives do not now refer to
the explosives of which you may have
|
combustible MATERIAL say that a
man who under these circumstances
would place dynamite charge Of that
quantity in such a building, in which
you. as a printer, knew gas was burn
ing in many places, and In which you
knew there were scores of huLIan be-
lngs toiling, must have had no regard
whatever for the lives of bis fellow
beings He must have been a muir.
derer at heart.
You well merit the maximum pun
ishment prescribed by law"
"No Extcnuating Circumstances"
THAT the judgment OF the court
does not condemn you to death upon
the gallows Is due TO the existence of
no extenuating circumstances what
ever the judge continued, but be-
cause Il appears TO the court the part
of wisdom TO do otherwise. II Ia the
judgment OF the court that as a pun.
ishment for the crime Of murder in
the first degree, to which you have
pleaded guilty, you shall be confined
In the state prison at San Quentin for
your natural life"
AS relieved as any one could be
with life sentence confronting him,
the prisoner sat down beside his
brother. The big man arose and the
little brother eyed him affectonately.
The court read the indictment charg.
Ing that he had pleaded guilty of hay-
ing caused the destruction OF the
Llewellyn iron works In this city the
district attorney made n brief state
ment. urging clemency. and sentence
was passed with few brief sentences.
His Trump Gard.
The half has never been told me "