The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-12-08
DEFEND AID TO M'NAMARAS
UNION LEADERS SEEN TO JUS
TIFY BELIEF ~ INNOCENCE.
Members OF Ways and Means Committee
Declare Their First knowledge OF
Dynamiters' Guilt Came IN News
papers n Full Investigation.


The defence is in the form of a state
mcnt signed by the members Of the Nc
| Namara ways and means committee,
which raised the fund in defence Of the
| two dynRmiters and was given ont at
| the American Federation Of Labor head
| quarters.
The leaders, speaking for union labor,
declare they were justified in believing
that a gas instead OF dynamite explosion
wrecked the building Of the Los Angeles
Times and in accepting the word of the
, McNamarss that they were not guilty.
The three men who signed the state
ment declare solemnly that they never
had "a particle of knowledge of the guilt
I Of the McNamaras until the news of th"ir
confessions was printed in the news
papers
They invite an investigation by the
state and Federal authorities and stand
ready to throw open the books, records
and correspondence of the American
Federation of Labor.
The leaders declare that violence and
brutality are foreign TO the aims of Ameri-
can labor and that the labor unions now
Join in satisfaction that the majesty
They add. however. that il is neverthe-
less an awful commentary OH existing
conditions when any man can bring him
self 10 frame Of mind in which he be-
lieves the only means for securing justice
for labor IL through violence, outrage and
murder
No announcement ia made in the state
ment OF what will he done Of the re-
IT ainder Of the s2oo. 900 collected for tho
McNam aras defence The leaders dec lare,
however. that an accounting of tho entire
fund will be made a. the meeting of the
American Federation on January.
The statement Is signed by Samuel
| Gompers. president Of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor, Frank Morrison. SEQ
, retsry; James 4 Short. president Of the
building ira des department and William
| j. Spencer. secretary oi tn. same depart
ment; James O'Connell, president of the
metal trades department and A j. Berris,
secretary, and John q Lennon and
! Thomas F. Tracey, president and score
! ,ary Of the union label trades depart
| ment.
The name of Frank NJ Ryan. president
| Of the International Bridge and Struc-
| ;ural Iron Workers. does not appear on
| the statement. although he was "A mem
| lffI bl lnt ways anu ultdllS NpiIlIllNNff
| for the Mcnamara fund The organiza-
| ton of which Ryan Is head was the one
10 which the MCNamaras belonged.
Samuel Gompers and others who signed
! IN. statement declared tonight that the
absence Of Mr.. Ryan's name was not
| significant; that he had left town before
| The statement was prepared There IL a
strong impression III labor circles in TINS
| city, however, that there was friction
| between Ryan and other members Of the
| ways and means committee. II was re-
| ported yesterday that the members Of the
| committee thought Ryan had moi been
| frank enough with them. Ryan left for
| indianapolis this morning without wait
| ing FOR the statement 10 no drawn up.
| Here is the labor leaders statement in
! part;
| ofhe American public on tho NcSdmdrd coss
The McNsmaras stand before tho world
| self-convicted OF great crimes. They have
| been sentenced TO terms Of imprisonment
| J. h during his natural life y. !. for fifteen
| years.
The position Of labor in connection with
| the err ort made Ia aTord these men an OPP
| portuuitv for adequate defence before the
| courts have been attacked and misreprc-
| sented to such n degree as TO require a clear
statement AT the hands Of the undersigned.
who are in the best position TO mako an
authoritative statement al this time a
| statement that will be strengthened hy
| some review Of the principal points of the
case.
Was there an explosion Of gas in the
Los Angeles Times Building when it was
destroyed? Immediately after the disaster
| the press reports stated that men who had
been az work in the building spoke Of an
odor OF gas for some time previous 20 the
explosion. Gas leakage in the building. II
4 -. 4. 4 l. L..
Many conservative trade union officials,
newspaper writer's and publiCists on maxim &
an investigation in Los Angeles soon after
were positive in assuring the public that
they believed gas had destroyed the build
ing.
Among the mine workers not one man. so
far az information has reached US. had be-
lieved the destructive explosive was dyna-
mite. Prominent officials of the United
Mine Workers. cautious, honorable men,
whose word is taken as truth by all who
know them, who are familiar with mining
explosives, declared that the effect of the
explosion was not that which follows II
discharge Of dynamite.
Were all these men speaking from blind
partissnship or from honest conviction? ?
Were they utterly mistaken? The answer
has now been supplied by the prosecution
While the gas theory was being hooted Rt
by enemies Of the unions. while even so late
rs last Friday night an editor of the New
York Times was inditing n contemptuous
slur at John Mitchell for supposing that
proof would be adduced to show that an
explosion of gas destroyed the Los Angeles
Times Building" the prosecution knew that
gas was an agency in the explosion and 4
great factor in the destruction which en-
sued.
W. j Burns in press interview Saturday
last said why. McNlanigal told Ms in his
first onfession that Mcnamara turned open
the stopoocks of the gas mains of the build
ing when he set the bomb. We knew all the
time that a part OF the explosion was due
TO gas"
Now the possible terrific force of a gas
eX plosion. even in the open air. was shown
| In the wreckage caused by the accident at
the Grand Central station. New York.
| December 10, 1910. while the Los Angeles
disaster was being discussed throughout the
country.
The fact OF a gas explosion led others In
| Importance In the minds OF the organized
| workers. Nearly all OF them were convinced
| that IL was an established fact The most
cautious reasoners among them regarded
the possibilities Of the fact SUFFICIENT to hold
TO belief IN II. Until proof to the contrary
could be produced they were willing to sus
pend conclusive judgment while awaiting
evidence.
| The public also wanted such facts regard
| ing the Clrcumst ancps of the pXplOsiOn as