The Washington herald., 1911-12-04
BURNS OPPOSED TO
GIVING CLEMENCY
McNamaras Can Give Infor-
nation if They Desire.
by WILLIAM j. BURNS.

Indianapolis, Dec 3.-No clemency
should be shown by the court to the
McNamaras unless they come through
with all they know about the dynamiting
Outrages. They pleaded guilty because
they were guilty and they knew they
would be COnV'C+"u. They chang ID rhei-
rIinds about making a fight because tney
reached the conclusion that they might
get eff easier by pleading guilty. But
don just see why they should.
Here is the proposition: AS 1 have said
all along, we had overwhelming evidence
against them. but we were in no way in
debted TO them for what we had. They
handed out no favOrs TO the prosecution.
on the other hand, they started a great
tight, and a large defense fund was raised
to get them free from the charges which
they vehemently denied. We worked I'D
our case and had il complete with every
loophole covered. When they and their
attorneys came to realize this, they saw
that the jig was up. Then came the
scramble to save themselves.
Now. II Is not my place to suggest to
The court what it should do when the fate
# the McNamaras is solely in his hands,
but il does seem to me that the proposed
clemency would be inconsistent unless
something besides a mere plea of guilty
were given to warrant it. When man
gets C!emenCy for turning states evil
sdenCe II is given because he helps the
State convict others. BY pleading guilty
to the crimes charged against them, are
the MCNamaras hoping to convict others?
Not a bit of it. and it is pretty well un-
1erStOOd by this time that there are
Others" l say that on my own respon-
sibility, from what I know personally
You will see that my statement will
be borne out officially when the Federal
grand jury goes through the evidence il
has at its command. The McNamaras
could aid still further if they would tell
all they know. If they do not, they are
protecting, or trying to protect some one
who has been guilty of a crime also.
And doesn't 1t seem a little bit strange
that men should be the object of leni-
ency when they are Withholding knowl-
edge of criminality?
It may be that by pleading guilty the
McNamaras have saved the California
authorities great expense. which the
trials would have entailed, but that Is
hardly an adequate excuse for leniency,
when there were still other violators Of
the law unpublished. And besides the
McNamaras did not plead guilty in order
10 save California expense. They pleaded
in order to save themselves, for their
own attorneys admitted that they were
up against it.
So if the McNamaras or their attor-
lenlenCH
they should do something to merit il
They should make a full and complete
confession of the whole dynamiting bust
ness. We have evidence against many
others anyhow, and many of these will
no doubt be convicted. So the McNa-
maras keeping silent would not save
them, but If they should tell all they
Know It might make the process a little
shorter
I am not employed by the government
and have nothing directly to do with the
investigation OF the dynamiting cases by
the Federal grand jury at INDIANAPOLIS.
but, as have said before, wish to place
at the disposal of the district attorney at
indianapolis any and all information
bearing on the cases that the Burns
agency has in its possession or knows
about. Any information for the public
along that line must be obtained from
the Federal authorities
there are sixteen organs in the neck
sufhciently near the surface TO he an,