Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-06
Chief Counsel for McNamaras
Declares State Had Sure
Convictions.
NO L00PH0LE REMAINED
Scores of Witnesses Ready to Iden
tify James B. as Present Day
of Times Horror.

| INC liidi Adu run W q NeiufSl duu
to subsequent appeals. For the first
time Mr.. Darrow cited specific in
stances of evidence which he said it
would have been impossible to re-
fute. Even to have put James B. |
Mcnamara on the stand in his own
behalf would have been hopeless, he
declared.
Judge Bordwell's statement says
that it was proposed by the defense
that James B. Mcnamara should
plead guilty and even take a death |
sentence if his brother could be |
free" Darrow was told.
"Well." replied Darrow, 'I have
denied that charge so often that I'm
not going to do it over again now"
Mr.. Darrow's statement is as fol-
lows:
TEXT Of DARRow STATEMENT.
81 entered this case with the
greatest reluctance and only after
the most earnest persuasion. 1 did
it unselfishly. l have for many
years given my time and best ability
and my life to the cause of labor and
the poor.
81 have been here six months and
have spent many troubled days and
sleepless nights trying to run down
every clew and make every possible
investigation and trying to do the
best / could for my clients and the
cause that 1 served. l had able as
sociates who gave me their best ef-
forts and their best service through
1t all.
From the first there was never
the slightest chance to win. To
those who say it would have been
better to have gone to trial and suf-
fer complete defeat 1 would call at
tention to the fact that there were
y 30 s9--er--4S-- -hete4- esisters=-ehsFee-,fn
Los Angeles. many in San Francisco,
and others in different parts of the
country to be used against us.
READY TO IDENTIFY ACCUSED.
"There were scores of witnesses to
identify James B. Mcnamara as be-
ing present practically on the day Of
the Times explosion and one at
least in the building. There was
Overwhelming evidence of all kinds,
which no one could have surmounted
if they would.
''If the state had put On its case
we could not even have put the de-
fendant on the stand to deny those
facts. We could not prove an alibi.
We could not prove he was not
there. The failure to do so would
have been as much Of an admission
- as it was today.
1--WE were confronted with the sit
uatioA of dragging our case, per.
, haps for years, with nothing but the
g gallows at the end, and no chance
" to raise any doubt in a thinking
= mind, and, in the meantime, collect.
d ing money from thousands of per-
S, sons who could not know the facts
I To go on under such circumstances
would have been madness and only
postponed an evil until 1t would
Is have been a still greater evil ant
v the consequences graver than they
d. are now.
IN LIFE SAVING FIRST DUTY
le "All Of this was thoroughly under
a. stood by my associates and no on,
is hesitated about accepting it. w,
Ig acted as we thought right and bes
and will take the consequence of tn,
y, act. Our first duty as lawyers anC
le men was to save the lives in ou
lg charge and our duty to the caus,
called for the same action.
From the beginning l have beel
ID watching and working to this end
We have accomnIicbodF 7 am -
n, conciled to the result.
Il. For myself, personally, I hav
~ spent many years in this cause. /
had not believed in 1t / would hav
=, abandoned it when / was young ant
ambitious. In some form / shal
"a continue in 1t to the end. hay
fought this and all my battles with
% out hatred or malice to any one, rec
ognizing that in this great dram
VI and all that is connected with tn
q case, all men of both sides are heIp
III less as to themselves and acting
part that is forced upon them by
- bitter conflict which only right feel
'Y- ing between capital and labor ca
Ill ever end.
SOUGHT ONLY TO DO DUTY.
''If people misjudge my motive
can only say for myself that / hay
acted unselfishly and from devotion
Y all along and I have always bee
ready and fairly able to take upo
Is myself all the responsibilities for m
ms actions and / shall continue to do |
Id so long as have the strength.
it's 81 do not beg anybody's friend
ill ship or sympathy in this matter.
ir- have the consciousness that I hav
nS done everything that could do an
lie have acted in the way that is bes
es- for all in this world wide conflict
it ''If anything more is asked fror
,p- me by either side they will find m
lready when the time comes"