The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-10
A Ire ady Judge Has
Weeded Out First
Venire Of 1875 Men.
SAME DEFENSE
IN BOTH CASES
Jury Will Be Told That Gas and
Fire, Not Dynamite and Fire,
Destroyed Los Angeles
Times Building-Model of
Newspaper Plant in
Court.

Los Angeles. October e.-The trial of
| the McNamara brothers. both of whom
are under indictment for murder in
connection with the explosion which
wrecked the Los Angeles Times, on
October L. 1910. virtually was begun
here to-day before Superior Judge
| Walter Bordwell. although. perhaps.
nobody except District Attorney John
I ID. Fredertcks. knew whether John j.
or James B. Mcnamara would sit In
tho prisoners chair when the case
| formally is called day after tomorrow
Indications pointed to James B. McNa-
mara as the first man to be tried.
| OF the 125 men named In the first
venire of prospective jurymen. 1872 re-
sponded to call for preliminary ex-
animation. and at the close of court
Judge Bordwell had wooded this num-
Der down to fortyhve. who were in
structed to return Wednesday.
All veniremen were excused who
were able to show that their business
would suffer II they became jurors in
trial OF long duration.
VIII Have Same Defense.
| Whichever man goes on trial We'd
nesday, the defense. 1t was said to-
night will be the same-that the
! Times building was destroyed by gas
and fire, and not by dynamite and Are.
Out beyond the hills north of town
| thaye has been conducted a series OF
secret explosive experiments. Repeat
! ed discharges of gas and dynamite
have plowed up the earth In order that
any difference in the action of the ex-
! plosives might be shown.
| Beyond the results of these expert
ments. spectators at the trial will see
miniature business block. complete
to the most minute detail, set on a
table before the jury. The structure is
model OF the Los Angeles Times
| building. with one side cut away to
show tiny printing presses. linotype
machines. desks and all the machinery
of q great newspaper office. BY this
model the defense hopes to demonstrate
the effects OF the explosion in accord
ance with its theory.
There will not be a session Of court
tomorrow. because OF a State election
on proposed constitutional amendments.
"Uneventful" Careers.
| Sitting In a corridor just outside his
cell in the county jail. John ]. McNam-
| ara. secretary-treasurer OF the Inter-
national Association of Bridge and
Structural Ironworkers. briefly sketch
|
of himself and his brother. James B.
Mcnamara.
| II was born in Cincinnati, December
! %, 1876" he said. land L am the old
esu OF six children living. although
there were ten children originally. 1
] attended the common schools in Gin
cinnati until l was twelve years old,
| and then took a three-year course in a
| business college.
pened to me untn the panic began in
1892. when I turned my hand to any
thing and everything to keep the pot
| boiling, as they say.
II did my first bridgework at Gin
cinnati in 1898, Joining the union the
next year Between 1898 and 1904.
| visited various sections of the Middle
west. following my trade and working
on steel bridges, viaducts and similar
| structures.
II have hold all of the offices In To-
cal unions. particularly in those OF
Cleveland. and have attended all the
conventions of the international asso-
| citation since 1902. / was elected sec
| ond vice-president at the convention at
| Kansas City in 1903. and was chosen
| secretary treasurer at Toronto in 1904
1 have held that Office ever since.
The last building l worked on was
| the Rockefeller structure in Cleveland
left that Job to so to Toronto. and 1t
| was held open for me II 1 wanted to
go back. but l didn't, as / had been
made secretary treasurer and had my
time fully taken up with the duties of
| that office.
The offices of the international As
| ISOLATION were iny New York when
! was first elected. Later. for senti-
mental reasons was instrumental In
having them moved to Cleveland. Two
| years after the offices were removed
there. another change was made to
Indianapolis, for the reason that so
| many labor organizations had their in
| ternational headquarters there.
II never planned my life far ahead.
| The work of an ironworker probably
precludes such planning, for such
man does not know when he leaves
| homo In the morning that he will re-
turn at night 1t probably tends to-
wards fatalism
Admitted to Bar.
II wanted to learn Of the organiza-
ton In which l held office, particularly
| the legal end of 1t, and SO l attended
the Indianapolis College of Law and
was admitted to practice in 1909.
There Is little else about my life
except my arrest l am an inveterate
reader, and always have been, of books
treating with economies and Industrial
matters"
James b. Mcnamara, who sat quietly
by while his brother talked, also was
born In Cincinnati. His birthday was
June :. 1882. He attended the common
schools and then learned the printers
trade. which he has followed almost
continuously ever since, working In job
Offices In Chicago. Cleveland, Cincin-
natl and other cities.
Unlike me-" said John j. Mcnamara,
my brother has never been especially