Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-06
DESERVES MAXIMUM PENALTY
Court Makes Some Remarks About
Prisoners Confession.
BELIEVES MURDER INTENDED
Clemenoy is Shown oaly Because of
Request of the State.
TO APPEAR BEFORE GRAND JURY
Both Men Arc Expected 90 Give
Inside History Of Plot to ITaneI
which VIII Continue
Investigation.

LOS ANCELES, Cal, Dec, h.-James L.
Mcnamara, confessed murderer, was
sentenced TO life Imprisonment here to-
day by Judge Walter Bordwell His
brother, John J. Mcnamara, secretary Of
the International Association of Bridge
and Structural Iron Workers who con-
fessed to the dynamitng OF the Llewellyn
iron works was sentenced to fifteen years
in the penltentlary Twenty-one persons
lost their lives In the Times disaster No
one was killed in the Llewellyn iron
works affair. Imprisonment will be in
San Quentin penitentiary.
District Attorney John ID. Fredericls
appeared in court Just before 10 o'clock
At that time Investigator Brown was
searching everybody who. appeared, aided
by seventeen policemen in uniform
Sentence was pronounced in a court
room full of cheery-faced spectators
whose chatters filled the room until the
prisoners entered and traled them across
the Bridge of Sighs when they left The
two brothers. side by side, received what
the law and the court determined to be
the just return for what they confessed
to have done. The extreme penalty for
James b. Mcnamara was death; that
for his brother life Imprisonment, and
District Attorney Fredericks urged that
clemency be shown each man because OF
his plea of guilty and on account OF
other services rendered the state"
Deserves Maximum Penalty.
James b. McNamara's plea that he in
tended to kill no one was secuted by
Judge Bordwen
You well deserve the maximum PEN
atty" said the court That that judg-
ment does not extend Is not due to any
extenuaing circumstances, but II is the
wisdom Of the court to do otherwise"
This he practically reiterated to John
j. Mcnamara.
The sentences imposed upon them, while
seemingly widely divergent, are in effect
likely to be identical.
John j. Mcnamara Is As years old. Ilis
sentence with allowance for good be-
havior Will take him we'll on the road to
the sixties That he will have any con-
siderable span of life after his prison
years Is not believed, but District At
torney John ID. Fredericks, who pleaded
that as a matter of state policy, the de-
PENDANTS should not be forced to end their
life in prison.
Twenty-four minutes was the time &C.
cupied by the court proceedings. At the
end Of thai time, without speaking to
anyone, the McNamaras were led back
across the Bridge OF Signs.
There Is nothing to gloat over I'm this"
said Fredericks afterward. II shall have
nothing to say beyond what | have al
ready said in court"
fused to make any statement The Nc
Namaras in the county Jail asked Sheriff
Hammel to be protected from visits from
newspaper men.
1t Is not known today when they will
be taken to San Quentin penitentiary.
The McNamaras were not served with
summons TO appear before the grand Jury
at the time they were in court, although
this had been expected. 1t is certain,
however, as anything can be that they
will appear, and it is known that the
services rendered the state" referred to
by District Attorney Fredericks are I'M A
large part composed of admissions made
by the brothers which will be made again
before the .eueral grand jury.
Corridor Il Packed.
The corridor was packed with excited
humanity.
Al five minutes before 10 o'clock the
oalliffs cleared the court room, making a
clean sweep except court officials. The
big doors were swung open and the oak
bar held the crowd back. The crowd be-
gan to fret and additional Dailiffs We're
summoned to clear the hall.
Hear yc, hear ye. hear ye"" cried the
bailff at 1923, opening court and as he
spoke Judge Bordwell mounted the bench
moment later Attorney Clarence s
barrow, chief counsel for the defense
followed by Lecompte Davis and Joseub
Scott entered. Behind them traiIed the
McNamaras
Are you ready to proceed?" asked
Judge Bordwell.
James 10. McNamara's iCOnfession.
The state is" said Fredericks and
read James b. McNamara's confession. |
amid absolute silence.
The statement said:
Il James b. Mcnamara, defendant in |
the case OF the people, having heretofore
hlead guilty TO the crime Of murder, de- !
sire 10 make this statement OF facts:
Ana tEis is the truth:
"On the night OF september 30 1910 NJ |
a T.
ton OF the Times building a suit case
containing sixteenth sticks Of " per cent /
dynamite, set 10 explode at / O'Clock the
next morning. II was my Intention 10
injure the building and scare the owners
did not intend to take the life OF any
one. sincerely regret that these un-
fortunate men lost their lives. II giving
OF my lie would bring them back. /
would gladly give il. In fact, in pleading
guilty to murder in the first degIee. 1
have placed my life In the hands OF the
state.
(sgned) JAMES b. M'NAMARA."
rs that statement corTect?"
"It is" said Mcnamara
Then the court finds" said the Judge.
that the degree OF guilt OF the defend
ant is murder in the first degree"
James B. Mcnamara you may stand
fCauflnttad on 5000 -. |