Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-06
Of Mcnamara Brothers for
Murder al Los Angeles.
Charged with Death Of Il in
Times Building Explosion.
Posiponemsnt Until June ! to Pre-
pare Pleas for the Men.

| Los Angeles, Calf, May John j,
| Mcnamara. secretary of the Interna-
tional Bridge and Structural Iron
Workers Association, today was for
mally arraigned before Judge Walter
Bordwell of the superior court on
charges of murder and dynamiting and
his brother. James B. Mcnamara. was
arraigned on a charge of murder, all
| in connection with the explosion that
wrecked the Los Angeles Times build
ing Oct. l. 1910, and killed q men.
Ortie Z. Mechanical, alleged to have
made a confession duplicating the Nc
Namaras, was not arraigned. 1t is not
expected that he will make any APP
pearance in court until the trial be-
gins. The day for the Mcnamara
brothers to plead was fixed for June /.
Fully an hour before the time for
the arraignment the court room was
crowded, despite efforts of the officers
to keep the proceedings secret The
Mcnamara brothers, with hands
n1anacled, We're brought into court by
Sheriff Hammel and three deputies.
Assistant District Attorney Ford
read all the 10 indictments charging
the men with the murder of employees
of the Times plant. Accused with the
brothers in the indictments was Will
liam Caplan, alleged to have been an
abettor of James b. Mcnamara in the
explosion, and four others, one a wo-
man who were masked by the names
of John Doe, Richard Doe, John Stiles
and Jane Doe.
The accusation fplInu-nI Nv a
list of the scores of witnesses examin-
ed by the grand jury in the weeks
following the Times disaster and with
the late addition of Ortie E. McMani-
gal. who appeared before the inquisi-
torial body only yesterday.
Considering the Importance of the
case and the distance which 1t may
be necessary to bring witnesses" At
torney Rappaport. for the defence
said: Il would like to have 80 days
before the pleas are entered"
IF you are allowed an unusual time TO
enter the pleas" said Prosecutor Freder-
icks will you waive the provision of the
statute which declares that the men must
be tried within so days after they are ar
raigned?'
Pappaport signified his willingness and
the district attorney said he would con-
sent that the pleas be made on June l.
Ford then read the other IS indictments.
James B. Mcnamara was permitted to
sit down and then an indictment was
read charging John ]. Mcnamara Ortie
f McMantigal John Doe, John Stiles,
Richard Doe and Jane Doe with dynamit-
ing the Llewellyn Iron Works last Christ
mas The time for Mcnamara to plead
to that charge also was fixed for June 1.
Rappaport asked what had become of
the indictments on which the men were
arrested inquiring if they had been
"quashed, or pending, or what?' Prose-
cutor Fredericks said they were on file in
court
He declared he had no wish to arraign
the men on them at present. Rappaport
said that John j. Mcnamara had been
taken from his home on the strength of
those indictments and that if they were
to be asked against the men, the latter
had right to be arraigned soon. Freder-
icks said the old indictments would not
be used between the date of arraignment
and the time to plead to the new bills
Rappaport contended that there was at
least one bailable charge, that accusing
John j. Mcnamara of placing explosives
at the Llewellyn Iron Works. and asked
the court to fix bail.
The district attorney replied that as Nc
Namara was also indicted for murder IL
was useless to bring up the question.
Counsel for the defence announced to the
court that he would not press the point
at this time, but intimated that he would
do so later.
1t was finally agreed that the court
the prosecuting attorney and counsel for
the prisoners would hold conference
on the subject next Tuesday.
Washington, May 5.--A telegram
from San Francisco saying placards
We're being distributed throughout the
state quoting Dr. Joseph A. Holmes
director of the bureau of mines. as de
declared that the wreck of the Los An
geles Times plant was due to gas ex-
plosion and not to dynamite. evoked
quick response tonight. Director
Holmes made the following statement
Neither the bureau of mines nor
the director of the bureau possesses
any information that would demon
Strate the cause of the explosion that