The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-12-14
PLEAD GUILTY TO
DYNAMITE CRIMES
CONFESSION BY THE MCNAMARA
BROTHERS COMES AS A
STUNNING BLOW.
GOLDEN RULE APPLIED BRINGS
FORTH CONFESSION.
James, the Youngest Brother, Will
Get a Life Sentence-John IA
Years-Further Confessions
Expected.

The most sensational criminal trial
ever started in America since the
trials of the Molly Maguires or the
Chicago Haymarket bombthrowers,
came to a dramatic end in Los An
geles, Cal, when James B. McNam-
ara pleaded guilty to dynamiting on
! October /, 1910, the Los Angeles
Times building, in which terrible ex-
plosion 81 persons lost their lives in
flame and agony, and his brother,
John j. Mcnamara, pleaded guilty to
dynamiting the Llewellyn Iron Works
in Los Angeles a few days later.
The accused men had entered pleas
of not guilty. They had repeatedly
protested to all the world that they
were innocent victims of a plot
against union labor framed by promi-
nent Los Angeles men and Detective
William John Burns and his agents.
Union labor leaders all over the
United States had rallied to their de-
Tense and raised huge defense fund
100000 or more-and some of the
ablest lawyers in the west had taken
charge of their defense. Socialists
in Los Angeles had made their cause
their own, awaking popular sympathy
to such degree that election of a
Socialist mayor in the municipal cleo
ton of December 5 had come to be
feared by the conservative elements
of the city, the candidate being Job
Hartman, one of the lawyers for the
Mcnamara defense. So great was
local sympathy that bloodshed at the
polls was feared.
So, when the brothers changed
their pleas voluntarily, though on ad-
vice of Clarence S. Darrow and JOS
eph Scott, two of the ablest of their
lawyers, the establishment was not
confined to Los Angeles or the Pacific
slope, but ran with electric flash to
the bounds of the nation.
Startling as was the sudden con-
fession of guilt on the part of the
Mcnamara brothers, more amazing
to the people of Los Angeles was the
information that big business men
had brought about the surrender in
novel way.
That the application of the golden
rule, and the principle of Cancellation
founded on religious convictions start
ed the ball rolling toward, the admis-
sion of guilt by the McNamaras, was
the theory, supported and confirmed
by more than a dozen business men
who participated in the movement
which stands out foremost as the rea-
son for the abrupt conclusion of the
trial which was begun nearly two
months ago.
Many Things Not Explained.
But, despite this, a chain of unex-
planned incidents produced wide spec.
ulation. These include the arrest Of
Burt H. Franklin, a defense detective,
on a charge of bribing a prospective
juror, the silence maintained by the
prosecution as to the origin of the
$4,000 seized at the time of the ar
rest; the mysterious appearance at
the district attorneys Office of Law
renee Sullivan, a detective, and the
subsequent perturbation of the prose
cution when it was discovered that
Sullivan's visit had become known to
outsiders.
Another blow to the defense was
the knowledge that the state Fad in
stalled dictagraph in McManigal's
room, which faithfully recorded ev-
cry word spoken at the conference
between Mechanical and the men who
knew the facts about the Mcnamara
brothers.
Clarence S. barrow, chief counsel
for the men, had become convinced
that nothing could save the men and
advised acceptance of the states
promise of mercy.
There is still another feature of the
case which presents an interesting
aspect NJ. A. Schmidt and David
Captain, indicted with the McNamaras
as dynamiters, are still at large in
spite of worldwide hunt which has
been going on for year.
Ortie e. McManigal, who confessed
to having actually blown up the
Llewellyn Iron works in December,
1910, at the direction of John J. Nc.
Namara, will be brought to trial, but
it is expected the state will recon.
mend a light sentence because he
turned states evidence.
"The United States government and
California authorities are cooperating
TO uncover one of the most gigantic
ever conceived in the his
tory of this country"
This was the declaration of Assist
ant District Attorney w. Joseph Ford,
second in command to District Attor-
ney John ID. Fredericks, and the man
who was arrested in Indianapolis for
alleged illegal extradition of John j.
Mcnamara.