Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-12-14
A ST A TE.MENI

To the American Public on the NC
Namara case: Q so
The McNamaras stand before the
world self convicted of great crimes.
They have been sentenced to terms
Of imprisonment-J. B. during his ma
turar life, ]. J. for fifteen years. The
pOsition of labor in connection with
the effort made to afford these men
an opportunity for adequate defense
before the courts has been attacked
and misrepresented to such a degree:
as to require clear statement at the
hands Of the undersigned, who are In
the best position to make an authors
atiVe statement at this time-a state
ment that will be strengthened by
some review of the principal points Of
The case.
Was there an explosion of gas in
tho Los Angeles Times building when
It was destroyed! Immediately after
tho disaser the press reports stated
that men who had been at work In the
building spoke of an odor Of gas Tor
some time previous to the explosion.
Gas leakage in the building, it came
out later, had been known to others.
Many conservative trade union Ofii-
Gals, newspaper writers and publicists
on making an investigation in Los
Angeles, soon after, were positive In
assuring the public that they believed
gas had destroyed p the building.
Among the mine workers, not one man
80 far as information has reached US,
has believed the destructive explosive
was dynamite. Prominent officials
Of the United Mine Workers, cautious
honorable men, whose word is taken
as truth by all who know them, who
are familiar with mining explosives,
declared that the effect Of the expo
sion was not that which follows a dis
charge Of dynamite. We're all these
men speaking from blind partisanship
or from honest conviction? Were they
utterly mistaken? The answer has
now been supplied by the prosecution.
While the gas theory" was being
nooted at by enemies of the unions,
while even so late as last Friday night
an editor Of the New York Times was
ndlcting contemptuous slur at John
Mitchell for supporting that proof
would be adduced to show that an
explosion of gas destroyed the Los
angeles Times building" the prosecu.
noa knew that gas was an agency ID
@e explosion and a great factor 70
NE destruction which ensued. w. J,
burns in press interview Saturday!
Dec. 2, said: why, Mechanical told
In his first confession that NC
Namara turned open the stopcocks o.
ne gas mains of the building when ne
se the bomb. We knew all the time
tAal a part of the explosion was due
. gas" Now, the possible terriiit
ierce Of a gas explosion, even in the
open air, was shown in the wreckagt
@ased blythe accident at the Grand
central Station, New York, December
~. 1910, while the Los Angeles DIS
ss'ef was being discussed thr0ughou'
Tie country.
The fact of a gas explosion led al
veaers in Importance in the minds 9
Ss organized workers! Nearly all Q
uem We're convinced that 1t was al
established fact. The most cautioul
,sasOners among them regarded thu
rslolllties of the fact sufficient =
aOlo to belief in it until proof to tn
oalrary could be produced. The!
hsle willing to suspend conclusiv'
'ausment while awaiting evidence.
me public also wanted such fact
,Sssauing the circumstances Of the e1
s s.uSlon as could be accepted as evi
Ssace OF the way it came about. Wha
m ms gwen the public, first and fore
~ %Ost! On the instant, at the hearin
" = s sne explosion. H. B. Otis broke int
Z =. savage denunciation of trade uniot
A. accusing them. of having cause
S a. disaster, and he has ever sine
M;sa 1t was the result Of dyni
eas 's' BY this course, he diverted Ii
eo% S1 trom one in which citizens !
N. anCn should have proceeded
s s.Ousn legal methods alone.
MY. S,ca Tor the truth. He threw u
As% s on their defense, outraEe
y lnsulted their oflsial6. raise