The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-12-02
L,BOR LEADERS ASTOrNDED.
Unwilling to Believe the News Other
Prosecutions to 60 On.

| I%DrANNrOLls, Dec. when extra
I edition. OF the newspapers appeared on
the streets this afternoon giving an ac-
count Of the withdrawal of pleas of not
guilty bv John and James Mcnamara
at Los Angeles members of labor unions
here we're dumround"d and it was not
till thoy had read tho cA'rDlete story that
they would credit the tru,h Of the state
n!cnts.
Il do not care to I've quo5ed in this mat
ter" said one Cf the heads of an inter-
national association, for ! am not yet con-
WINGED that the McNamaras are guilty
or that thov haze confessed their guilt,
our association contributed TO the defence
fund in The b'lief that crimes such as were
attributed TO them were utterly impossi-
ble with men III their right minds. We
knew John J. Mcnamara was a cool,
levclhoaded man of business and we could
not believe him guilty of such crimes.
We also felt that we ought to protest
against the manner in which he was taken
out Of tho state, and our contribution.
which was not large. was based more on
the wrong we believed had been done him
than on any theory Of his innocence II
he il guilty toy his own confession it only
shove that our confidence in him was mis-
placed and that il TO bc regretted"
Leo NJ Ruppaport counsel for the
'McNamurns IN the cNtredition proceed
ing~ and in IN" efforts to indict Detective
Burns ON charges of kidnapping said
that he was greatly surprised at the pleas
ut guilty entered al Los Angeles.
81 believed tho McNcmara brothers
innCc"u,. he aa id. and you can imagine
my surprise wnou re- a thnt they had
I pleaded guilty Whi!" was not engaged
In the trial ~; H." dynlnting cases |
become fyirlh r "a some degree with the
line of defence md | fully expected th1t
the triH! would 20 On to @ demonstration
Of vuilt or innocence. In the local cases
. Growing cut of the cXtrldition of John
j. Mc\"m2r' II w&s my purpose TO assert
the !, ", and IN thyt we have succeeded.
Il do not know now whct disposition the
loc'l prosecutor will make of the indict-
Mcut Gggiust Burns and others for kid
n.Tplng | e, mot say whether he will
r"rart the pie. Of guilty IS IustIfying
n" m"nnor ia which NcNPmara was
:, ken from the state He viii have to
spS k for himself on this point. In law
IL, picas of guilty would not be justif-
e, ton Of Burus'S action any more than
on" murder would be a justification Of
2uOtEer murder
ntrd >tates District Attorney Miller,
who took charge of the books and papers
OF The lronwCrl.crs' organization for
prcscpt"tlun 10 the Federal Grand Jury
81 id th, he w2s not surprised at the pleas
of guilty. - he he'd had an intimation
thCt tncy might he entered However
he added, 1T will have no effect on the
.Cours" Of the Government in this dis
tri"' - the Investigation of the Govern
lmcut here covers & much wider scope
thru the case on trial az Los Angeles
This statement by the United States
District Attorney Is believed to confirm
a report that the books and records OF
the iron workers show that others in
that organization besides Mcnamara had
knowledge of the dynamiting plots anc
that the q Dvcrnment is on the trail OF
these as well ds of the main conspirators
One of the officers Of the organiza tior
was at French Lick Just before Taggart'
hotel was iYnauIted and the local Crane
Jury investigated hIs business there anc
the presence of others but did not return
indictments.
None of the officers Of the Internationa
Association of Bridge and Structural Iror
Workers Is in the city tonight and nc
+ statement could be got from that source
. The heads of other unions spoke only il
the most guarded terms and refused tC
take positions either one way or the othel
, IL respect To the guilt of the accused
Around the hotels and clubs busines,
men congratulated Oach other on the out
, come Of the arrests of the Mcnamara,
and expressed the belief that the incar
CeratIon Of the dynamiters in the peni
teuuary would end such attempts gains
life and property. There has never beer
any doubt IN the minds Of people here
outside Of labor circles, of the guilt Of tn,
accused men.