The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-03
SURRENDER MADE
ON STATES TERMS
Prosecutors Ultimatum Stands,
and Defense Lays Down
It's Arms.
FREDERIcKs TELLS STORY
Declares Steffens Had Nothing
to Do With Result
Accomplished.
FREDERIcKs TELLS STORY
Especial to The Times Dispatch

III
LOS Angeles, December Urged 10
tell in detail the story OF the nego-
tiations leading up to the confession
of guilt by the Mcnamara brothers,
District Attorney Jonn d. Fredericks,
whose masterful tactics brought about
tho great victory for the prosecution,
tonight laid bare the series Of diplo-
matte approaches which finally culmI-
mated in the surrender of the defense
to the terms which he dictated.
NO outside pressure. no arguments
of theorists, no fads of prominent cit
liens influenced me, nor swayed me
from tne position l took months ago
l do not want to engage in contro-
versies, but ii is fact that Lincoln
Steffens and the men whom he in
terested In what he seems to have re-
garded as humanitarian effort to
allay class bitterness had absolutely
nothing to do with the result accom-
plished, SO far as l am concerned.
II uId not see Stcffens in this matter
did not sec any of the men who We're
converted by his arguments to the be-
lief that 1t was advisable to let the
chief conspirator go scot free. did
not recede from the stand that 1 took
from tho start from the day last sum
mer when 1t was suggested to me that
the defense was willing that ]. B.
Mcnamara should plead guilty, pro-
vided all the charges against ]. ]. Nc
Namara be dismissed"
These facts, clinched In the district
, attorneys direct style. disclosed the
issue around which the contest back
of tho scenes ragged for months before
utopian arguments and business mems
conferences were conceived as possible
factors.
'The fate Of ]. j. Mcnamara, the
/ q nj iXD 80
| the big men In O labor organization
said Captain Fredericks, was the CEN
ire of conflict Tho defense was willing
to sacrifice ]. B. Mcnamara. tho poor
pawn, If we would set ]. J. free. we
Will never consider any offer unless
both are TO plead guilty was the stand
took from the first.
Their answer was: y. 3. will plead
guilty; ]. ]. never WILL
| Il was determined that ]. ]. McNam-
ara should be brought to justice. He
was the man I was after-the man they
were willing to save at any sacrifice. 1
thirsted for no mans blood. I had a
duty to perform. and In addition to
bringing to punishment the man who
had conceived the crime. 1t was part of
| my duty. as conceived 1t, to help
! eliminate from the ranks OF union labor
| the dynamttcrs who were destroying
lives and property in Its name, and to
drive home tho realization that no ele-
| ment OF organized labor must be per-
mittod to try to advance their 'princi-
| pies by resort to crime
AT first they stood out for life SEN
| tence for ]. B. and freedom for j. ].
AT the last. and this was a week ago
| Thursday. they agreed to drop the con-
r, sideration OF recommendation OF mercy
+, for J. B.. to leave him to be hanged, II
| only I would turn j. J. loose.
Suppose I had done that. Why
inside OF a few weeks the assertion
would have been heard all over the
country that some personal enemy OF
Otis. or possibly a Mexican revolution
list. had sent Jim to blow up the Times
building: that ]. J. was innocent and
/ had to be freed after what they have
| termed an attempt to railroad him to
the gallows had failed The inocula-
/ ton of dynamiters would have been
/ unsolicited and encouraged to go on
with their career Of crime and terror
| ization."
This offer to drop j. B. McNamnra's