Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-01-03
WERE DESTROYERS in 1909
CHARLES 8ooKWALTER SAYS
THEY Blew UP BUILDINGS OF
Won sPREckELEN.
TWENTYOTHERMENWERETOL TOLD
MANY LABOR LEADERS LEARNED
THE RECORD OF THE IRON
WORKERS. SECRETARY.

Indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 3.-National
labor officials affiliated with Samuel
Gompers and the American Fedora
ton of Labor were informed two
years ago by Charles A. Bcokwalter,
who as mayor at that time conducted
secret investigation, that John j.
Mcnamara had directed series of
dynamite explosions.
This was made known by Bookwal-
ter today when he was informed that
the governments Investigation here
embraced an inquiry into the circum-
stances of the four explosions direct
ed against Albert Won Spreckelen,
general contractor, on account of Ia
Dor troubles. Bookwalter declared he
expected to be subpoenaed by the fed
eral grand jury which resumed it's
sessions today.
He said he would bare All the de-
tails of the municipal investigation
which satisfied him that John j. Nc
Namara, as secretary-treasuher of the
Association of Bridge |
and Structural Iron Workers. was the |
conspiring executive who caused the |
explosions in this vicinity. Bookwal-
ter even said that he, himself, had
told John J. Mcnamara of the strong
suspicion against him and that in his
conversations with a score of labor
leaders he had placed the RESPONSE
Dility on the iron workers union.
I'VE were on street car together
'ne day shortly after the Won
Spreckelen explosions in October,
-9O9." said Bookwalter today, when I
Iohn j., whom knew very we'll,
Isked me in a taunting way if had
earned who. blew up the buildings. 7
was irritated those days because l {
nyself had received threatening let 7
ers and had to have guard at my
ouse for 60 days, so l answered y
ather hotly, yes, and / could put my q
and on one of them without leaving
MS car
Asked whether he told anyone else
esides Mcnamara of what his inves- =
cation had disclosed, he said: Eyes, :,
told score of labor leaders what
knew and that the iron workers
ere to blame"
Did any of these men tell Mr..
ompers that suspicion pointed i;
rongly to the guilt of the iron work \,
81" =
II don't know, but Sam Gompers is n
le of the best informed men in this Z,
untry. =,
Bookwalter said that Gompers Wis ~
ID Indianapolis several times sub ~
quent to his own conversations al
th the labor leaders, both before p,
d after the McNamaras were ar od
Sted and that he, Bookwalter, met
mpers himself twice while with w,
. labor union men. but that no ref no
ence was made in his presence to IN,
; explosions. 90
Mr.. Bookwalter. shortly after his Vi,
Testigation, became identified with
large printing house, patronized ca
efy by big labor unions. He de cis
ID that Mr.. Gompers had any inter. in
in the concern and said the sole 1ea
ners, beside himself, were Hugh 5e,
orsch, Frank w. Ball and Leo. NJ !
ppaport, counsel for the Interna- -,
nal Association of Bridge and ,ae
uctural Iron Workers here. 10,
William ]. Burns, who is here in sr,
ponse to subpoena to testify be- A..
Q the federal grand jury admitted nj,
detectives were working on the d,o
ails revealed in the investigation
Bookwalter and the circumstances
t attended the dropping of the in.
ry by city authorities. tur
hui
Hon,nare c.x. t<se lt.s., a.,