Milford chronicle., 1911-12-08
LIFE TERM FOR
J. B. M'AAMARA
Judge BOTdWelI Sentences Los
Angeles Dynamtc'S.
JOHa J. GETS FIFTEEN YEARS
Court Declares Brothers Were Muir
derers at Heart and Deserved No
Clemency-James BIS Confession
Denied Intent to Kill.

Denied Intent to Kill.
Life Imprisonment in San Quentin,
the prison opposite San Francisco on
a rock-bound strip of the northern
shore of San Francisco bay, was the
punishment meted out to James Nc
Namara by Judge Wal er Bordwell IN
Los Angeles. Ii is the penalty Nc
Namara Will pay Tor the dynamiting
OF the Los Angeles Times building,
Oct. !, 1910, which caused the death
of twenty-one employees oil that paper.
John J. Mcnamara, his brother, sec
retary of the International Associa-
tion of Structural Iron Workers, was
sentenced to serve fifteen years in the
same prison He pleaded guilty 20
participation in the dynamiting OF
the Llewellyn Iron works, the Christ
mas following the Times explosion.
Both men will be kept in Los An
geles until they appear before the
federal grand jury, which is to be-
gin a nationwide probing Of the dyna-
miters' organization.
The prisoners stood up under SEN
tence bravely. Neither broke down,
although James B. was on the verge
of tears John j., the elder OF tile
brothers, was calm, but weak, and
swayed as if about to faint while
being sentenced. James B. during
the charge of Judge Bordwell, trem-
bled visibly when the judge spoke
these words.
There is no ray of comfort to be
obtained in your assertion that you
did not intend to destroy life. Such
an assertion is a mockery.'
1t may have been that James B.
feared the worst-hanging- the
judge spoke those portentious words.
The tears came to his eyes When he
first stood up to receive sentence his
cheeks were flushed. AS the court
spoke, the flush gradually left until
the moment when the suspense was
over and the court had said that he
would not hang He sat down with an
air OF relief.
AS for John J. Mcnamara there was
a different man. Tall and handsome,
in a way, with squared shoulders and
his hands folded behind his back, he
stood before the court comparatively
unconcerned He, too, was flushed Of
countenance. It plainly showed
through the prison pallor.
What Is your full name?" asked
Judge Bordwell.
John Joseph. he replied.
John Joseph Mcnamara pur-
sued the court.
Yes" replied the prisoner.
Not once did John J. raise his eyes
toward the bench. Ra her they were
downcast. Nor did he turn his gaze
in the direction of the crowd He
looked directly down and before him
at the court reporters.
John J. was the stronger of the two,
If there was any percepdble differ
encc. When he answered the ques
tion of the court it was in a subdued
voice To John J. Mcnamara the
court addressed practically the same
remarks as he did to his brother.
Before sentence was pronounced the
district attorney read James B. Nc
Namaras confession to the court. It
was as follows:
Il, James B. Mcnamara, defendant
in the case Of the people having here
tofore plead guilty to the crime of
murder, desire to make this state
ment of facts:
And this is the truth. On the
night of Sept. 80, 1910, at 5.45 D. m,
placed in Ink alley, a portion Of the
Times building, a suitcase containing
sixteen sticks of 80 per cent. dyna-
mite, set to explode at / o'clock the
next morning. It was my intention to
injure the building and scare the own
ers. / did not intend to take the life
of any one | sincerely regret that
these unfortunate men lost their lives.
If the giving of my life would bring
them back / would gladly give it, In
fact in pleading guilty to murder in
the first degree, have placed my life
in the hands of the state
(Signedl JAMES B. M'NAMARA."
rs that statement correct?" the
court asked. 1T is" said Mcnamara
"Then the court finds" said the
fudge, that the degree of guilt of the
defendant is murder in the first de-
gree James B. Mcnamara, you may
stand up" he said.
Judge Bordwell commented on Nc
Namaras declaration that he did not
intend to Destroy life.
"The circumstances are against the
statement" he said. "A man who will
place sixteen sticks of dynamite in
place where you, as a printer, knew
gas was burning on the many places,
and knew many we're tOiling must
have had no regard for life; must
have been a murderer at heart and
undeserving of clemency."
For reasons other than such plea
of non-intent, Judge Bordwell declared
he would impose the penalty of i'm
prisonment for life.
John J. Mcnamara came next. The
Ilewellyn Iron works indictment was
read to him by the Judge. He said
he had nothing to say.
r.szt-fof Attorney FradericEc how.