Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-10-12
Younger of Captive Brothers
Selected to Stand Trial For
Alleged Part in Los Angeles
Times Horror,
DEFENSE DEPICTS GREAT
UNION LABOR CONFLICT
Prospective Jurors Questioned
Closely As to Attitude To-
ward Workmeu'S 0rganlza-
tons,
nv Morning Journal special Leased wire.l

tlUliot
IBy Morning Journal Special leased wire.l
Los Angeles. Cal, oct. Thames
B. Mcnamara went on trial for mur-
der today before Judge Walter Bord-
we'll in the superior court this city.
amid circumstances as austere and
simple as the proverbial western JUS
tice. District Attorney John d, Fred
erlcks, FOR the prosecution, elected 10
try him for the murder OF Charles ].
Haggerty. a machinist who with twen-
ty other men met death In an explo-
sion and fire which wrecked the
Los Angeles Time budding, october
/, 1910.
This case was pieced from nineteen
indictments for murder found against
the prisoner, his brother, John ]. Nc
Namara. secretary of the Internation-
al Association of Bridge and Structur-
al Iron Workers; william Caplan and
M. A. Schmidt both at large; and
four unidentified persons specified as
John Doe. Jane Doe, Richard Doe and
duHn nllitCf btN0unt AtdhRGtAs b0tS
was found nearest the spot at which
the explosion occurred.
The prosecution contends that this
explosion was caused by dynamite:
the defense that It was caused by gas.
The new Hall OF Records in which
the trial Is being held, Is only a
stones throw from the scene Of the
explosion.
This was the setting of the legal
stage today. Upon ii counsel for the
defense, headed by Attorney Clar-
ence S. Darrow Of Chicago. in ques-
lions to the jury and arguments to
Judge Bordwell sought to depict Il
mighty contest between organized la
bor-the McNamaras are union men
and it's opponents. without much
opposition from the prosecution.
Attorney Lecompte Davis .examin-
ing Jurors. headed straight for this
point.
Are you aware that there Is Bit
ter warfare between capital and Ia
bor?' he ased Il. T. Nelson, the first
venireman examined.
es, said Nelson.
And that most men have taken
sides"
Have you the opinion that labor
organizations as they exist are pro-
per or that they are inimlcal and a
menace?'
To this the prosecution objected
because counsel is asking the opin-
ion Of the witnesses on evidence that
may arise during the trial.
"He may answer said Judge Bord-
well, and Nelson said he was mot
prejudlced."
Further questions were met by the
assertion from Attorney w. j. Ford
of the prosecution that that this Is
not union labor trial.
"Do you take the Los Angels
Times? ?" and ''do you read the weekly
page devoted to animadyersions on
lahore were other questions put. Nell
son was still on the stand when court
adjourned.
1t was not until court opened today
that the defense could make formal
demand for separate trials for James
Mcnamara and his brother, John.
Hence, the brothers, handcuffed to-
gether, were taken to court. All Los
Angeles knew about this, but when
seven deputy sheriffs, beside the
iailer and an assistant, left the jail
with the prisoners, they found an
empty street except for newspaper
photographers and few spectators.
In the court room where only a
moderate crowd of spectators gath
cred the formal opening of the case
was not heard ten feet from the bar.
Case 6,939-James b. Mcnamara.
said some one casually, after District
Attorney Fredericks had announced
his selection and the great trial was
on.
John j. Mcnamara was allowed TO
remain during the brief morning ses-
sion but In the afternoon the young
er brother sat alone against the rail.
At the afternoon session the tables
Of counsel, which had been arranged
in one line. were changed to face
each other.
Following brief recess in the af-
ternoon, g. c. Kemp, a venireman,
was excused because of physical In
ability To stand the train of long
trial w. A. Spaldlng, secretary OF
the civil service commission of Los
Angeles, was excused by consent of
the prosecution after he had refus-
ed to plead exemption on official
grounds and the defense had refus-
cd to challenge him.
Tomorrow Is state holiday and
no session of court will be held.
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Russian Counterfeiter Held.