The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-09-27
BLAST TRIAL NEAR.
HEARING OF FIFTY-oNE iNDiCT-
ED MEN SOON TO TAKE
PLACE AT INDIANAPOLIS.
MASS OF EVIDENCE Is READY
Ortle Mechanical Is Expected TO Be
Principal Witness of the Govern
ment--Senator Kern to Defend
Accusad.

indianapolis, Sept 23-The United
district attorney and corps
OF assistants a-o at york on the
dynamiting cases which will be
called for trial Tuesday. October L.
at which time fifty-one defendants,
representing almost the entire list
OF officials OF the international Asso-
citation of Bridge and Structural Iron
Workers for ten years back, will ap-
pear in the prisoners box In the fed
eral court. The district attorney has
marshaled his testimony, consisting
largely Of documentary evidence, IN
such way as to expedite the trial
as much as possible. The RECORDS
and letters taken from the offices of
the iron workers have been arranged
In the order of their dates and In
the order In which the prosecution
asserts the writer's stand toward
the conspiracy that the government
charges existed in the organization
70 dynamite property.
Work of John J. Mcnamara.
John J. Mcnamara. the interna-
tonal secretary, is said to have han
lied all the correspondence and given
practically all the instructions re-
garding places where explosives
should be used, and the prosecution
holds there is abundant evidence that
the instructions were acted upon.
Government attorneys say every ef-
fort on the part of the defendants
to make Mcnamara a scapegoat will
be met by evidence showing that he
was acting under the orders OF the
board, that the board appropriated
the money with which to buy explo-
sives and pay the dynamiters and
that the men indicted were cognizant
of all that was going on and In the
great majority of cases actually plant
ed the dynamite.
Letters alleged to have been writ
ten by Ryan to other members and
by them to Ryan constitute an inter
esting part of the correspondence. In
one of the alleged Ryan letters writ
ten to John ]. Mcnamara, from New
York in April, 1870 explicit instruc-
tons are given as to how and where
the dynamiters should operate and
they are named in the letter
How we'll and expeditiously these
Jobs were handled the government
alleges 1t will show from records in
it's possession and from the testi-
mony of the contractors.
Letters as Evidence.
The letters. nearly 200 Of which
are in the possession of the govern
ment. are alleged to be from or about
all the men indicted. and the govern
ment asserts ii Is able to trace prac
tically every Job Of dynamiting to
an immediate or remote connection
with them. In this connection, the
evidence of Ortie McManigal will be
very important. for it is said 1t will
show that he received instructions in
harmony with the letters. and that
he carried out these instructions TO
the letter and received pay for them.
1t is not generally known that MIC
Manigal claims to have kept notes
of many of his conversations with
Mcnamara and with Hockin. Webb.
i OuUS anu OtuSlO. hCcC HOlCo olO
said to show his expense account
from place to place, his hotel bills
his meeting with the local agents
and the instructions that he received
from them.
Kern for the Defense.
Senator Kern has recently been
employed by the defense and is now
going over the indictments and is
frequently in consultation with the
defendants He and Newton w. Har
ding OF this city will be the leading
attorneys for the defendants. but ii
is thought that some of the defend
ants will bring lawyers from their
own cities.
Ortie Mechanical is expected to
reach here some time next week and
will be the star witness for the gov
eminent.