The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-10-11
MEN ACCUSED OF BLOWING UP
LOS ANGELES TIMES BUILDING
ARRAiGNED IN COURT.

Los ANGELES. Oct. 11.-Enormous
crowd besieged the court room at the
opening Of the Mcnamara trial today.
Those with credentials entered.
The court room is on the eighth
floor of the million dollar Hall OF Rec.
ords and Is mostly occupied by report.
ers at their desks. The McNamaras
are handcuffed TO deputies and po.
licemen are guarding James and pre-.
sents haggard appearance. John
says he gained Is pounds In jail.
The defense rested on aflidavits sup.
porting formal motion for change OF
venue alleging bias and prejudice.
The court denied the motion. The
defense announced demand for sepa-
rate trials.
Little Is expected from the venire.
men in court to-day except to develop
The attitude OF the court was not
shown during the examination OF ye-
niremen as the Judge is the sole ref.
'erence of questions Of prejudice or
other causes.
Los ANGELES, Ca:., oct. 1.-THE
trial OF Mcnamara brothers. charged
In indictments with the murder OF
the 81 persons who lost their lives
when the Los Angeles Times build.
ing was destroyed by an explosion one
year ago. opened here to-day In a spe.
clal court room in the hall OF justice
before Superior Judge Walter Bord.
we'll. Following the trial OF James B.
Mcnamara his brother. John ]. Nc
Namara, secretary OF the Bridge and
Structural Iron Workers OF America,
will face a jury on the same charge, 1t
being alleged that he paid for and in.
stigated the blowing up OF the Times.
When Judge Bordwell took his
seat on the bench the small room
was packed almost TO sufrocation.
There were dozens OF reporters,
special writers. artists and photog.
raphers present, besides the Imposing
array of legal talent for both sides.
Representing the defense were: Clar.
ence Darrow. chief counsel, assisted
by Lecompte Davis, ,eJos. Scott, JOB
Hartman, Cyrus McNutt and J..J.
Harrintogn. For the State were: Dis.
-irict Attorney John D. FrederIcks, In
charge OF the prosecution, and his ms.
slstan;s. w. ]. Ford. G. Ray Horton
and Arthur veitch.
Long before the time for the
trial 10 start. huge crowd assem-.
bled in front of the hall OF justice,
everyone hoping for seat or at
least glimpse OF the accused. Few
succeeded In getting inside the court,
us there was but room for only doz.
en- or more, after places had been TAX.
ell by the lawyers, newspaper repre-.
sentatiyes and court attaches.
When the court convened the nc.
cused. James B. Mcnamara, was led
In by Sheriff WIN. Hammel and Under
Sherlff Brain. Mcnamara gave no In
dication OF nervous uess. He bore the
looks OF the crowd unfllnchlngly and
calmly took his seat beside his attor-
neys. The paleness OF his face was
the only indication that he had passed
the last six months in prison.
The actual trial will not start un.
til jury Is selected, which will take
at least n week, II not more. and prob.
ably 300 will be examined before 12
men are found who will be acceptable
to both defense and prosecution. The
selection Of the jurEmen will be hotly
contested by both sides.
On the night Of Oct. 1, 1910, an ex.
plosion turned the Los Angeles Times
building into an Inferno OF twisted
steel and flame. Ink was scattered
for half block, windows In buildings
across the street were shattered by
the concussion. Inside Of a minute
the entire building was seething
mass of flames. Caught like rats, the
employees fought blindly to get out.
Some succeeded. 81 died. Half doz.
en- fell one by one through an open
place. in the floor and their bodies
were burned to crisp. Others plung'
ed blindly through the roaring flames
and through open windows to death
on the sidewalk below. Others clung
to the window sllls, shrleklng for the
life nets, until the flames burned their
fingers to the bone and they went