The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-04
TELLS OF FL|GHT
WITH M hAMARA
Auto Driver Gives Thrilling Story CT
Mad Dash Across Country With
Sleuths and Labor Leader.

race at the Indianapolis Motor speed
way next Memorial day, drove the
high-powered machine which carried
John j. Mcnamara, secretary anu
treasurer OF the Iron Workers inter
national union, and one OF the primer
pals In the dynamiting outrages, as
alleged by Detective Burns, out Oh
the state OF Indiana, before MS trienus
could get process OF law to stop tne
procedure.
Fox drove the distance or 200 miles
out OF Indiana TO the west, In less tnah
six hours, making better than 40 miles
an hour over strange country roads
IN the dark. He tells an interesting
story OF the wild ride with the pris-
oner and his guard OF detectives ana
police, but refuses to divulse the spot
where he left his human cargo.
Although the arrest OF the secretary
and treasurer OF the Iron Workers IN
tenational Union was filled with spec
tacular features, the drive from In
dianapolis to an unknown point near
the border OF the state forms, per-
hans. the most exciting narrative or
events which has been revealed by the
famous detective up to this time.
The driver said he was given OF
ders TO disobey speed laws and TO
drive the machine from the state as
quickly as possible, regardless OF dam
age to the auto or danger TO the lives
of it's occupants. He declared he left
Indianapolis without knowledge or his
destination. He had been told he was
to drive several hundred miles and he
was ordered to be prepared for accf
dents OF any nature.
The story OF the race driver fol-
lows:
Burns called me at my garage, say
ing he wanted the most powerful ma
chine In indianapolis TO take party
OF men long trip. He said he want
ed some one to drive who would be
willing to take chances on going
through a knothole, II necessary, and
that he wanted driver who could
keep what he would see TO himself,
Il felt that there was something In
the air, but did not know what II was.
or course. at that time ! knew moth
ing of the detectives plans. but
decided 10 go, whatever should loi-
low. | was ordered TO have the car
at police headquarters early In the al
ternoon, and TO have the machine load
ed to the guards with gasoline and
speed Juice | was requested, also,
10 place the top up and to have cur
tains on the car.
IL must confess when the detectives
began 10 swarm from police headquar-
tiers, leading a man with handouts on
him, was rather surprised. | I'M
mediately believed some well-known
citizen with political or other infiu-
ences, had got in trouble, and that
friends were spiriting him away be-
fore the law could get good hold on
him. | did not know Mcnamara. He
appeared to be an intelligent and we'll
TODD man.
When Burns came from the build
ing, he must have believed when he
saw the curtains on the car that II
was filed with men who were not his
friends. Anyway before ! had an ou-
portunity TO realize what was going on
he had run to the machine and after
throwing the curtains back. had In
spected its interior to see that II was
empty. Before | had time to think
twice or before I had time TO recog-
nize persons in the crowd the man
adorned with handouts was seated,
and being followed quickly by two de-
tectives, was ordered TO drive west
and TO run over street cars IL neces-
sary in getting out Of the city In a
hurry.
I'VE went west on westinghouse.
After I had left the city limits and
the open country was seen before US.
| was informed to drive west; that I
was to choose the roads, drive as fast
as possible, and make no stop unless
they were absolutely necessary. had
gasoline and oil and water In my ma
chine to carry us 300 miles. and knew
We could make the trip barring pune
lures.
II really could not tell what cities
we passed on the way. drove so fast
did not have time to notice where
we were going, only | knew we were
headed west. At no time during the
trip did hear conversation between
Mcnamara and the detectives. The
machine was making too much noise
and the wind was whistling past our
ears too fast for us to hear. Neither
did I have time to devote much
thought as to what the purpose OF the
wild ride was, for was busy con
trolling the machine, avoiding bumps
and rounding curves in the road.
Some time after we had left here
one OF the men opened suitcase. |
thought II belonged TO the prisoner
II was filed with young battery and
there was enough ammunition In II
for an army. There was a Winches-
ter rife In the grip, several large au-
tomato pistols and IL looked like at
least 200 rounds OF ammunition. When
saw all the gunpowder parapher-
MALTA decided that a man could only
die once and that might as well
keep that machine In the road while
had the chance.
Those guns looked TO me like
trouble. though IL trouble had not
been expected the detectives were GER
tainly foolish to carry $50 much ex-
cess baggage. 4
I'VE had unusually good luck. The
trip was made without stop, and
we were exceedingly lucky to go so
far at the rate OF forty miles an hour
without a puncture. had to stop
once coming back to hx tire, but
that was the only trouble had on
the trip. took my time coming home.
I was asked 10 do this by the detec-
tives. They told me they did not want
me to talk, and, above all things, they
did not. want me TO say where Nc