The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-12-31
THIRTY-ElCHT GUILTY
IN DYNAMITE CASES
CONVICTION SECURED on EVERY
INDICTMENT.
Tragic Scene in Court Room at Con
clusion of Trial President Ryan
Among Convicted.

indianapolis, Dec. 2S.-The United
States government with stern and de-
cisive swiftness, today took into its
possession thirty-eight union labor Of
ticials convicted of conspiracy, OF pro-
noting explosions on non-union work
throughout the land, Of aiding IN the
destruction which brought loss OF life
at Los Angeles, Cal, and OF carrying
on a reign of terror" declared to be
unparalled in the history OF the coun-
try.
Almost the entire executive staff OF
the international Association OF Bridge
and Structural Iron Workers was con-
yicted. Only two officials Of that un-
ion now remain out Of jail. At the
head of the list of these convicted
stands Frank NJ Ryan, the president,
1t, was of this union, with twelve
thousand members, that John }. NC
Namara was secretary treasurer While
he conducted the dynamitings out OF
which the present convictions grew.
Today's convictions, coming on a
scale unprecedented in a'federal court
were an aftermath Of the killing Oh
p persons in the blowing up OF the
Los Angeles Times building on Oc-
tober l, 1910. Mcnamara and MS
brother, James, the Times dynamlter
are convicts in California; Ryan and
his fellow officials, former associates
of Mcnamara are federal prisoners
here awaiting sentence.
Two of those convicted were not al
fliated with the iron workers union,
but they were found guilty of joining
with the iron workers in promoting the
conspiracy.
One of these is Olaf A. Tveitnoe,
San Francisco, a recognized labor lead
er on the Pacific coast, the testimony
against whom was that he aided IN
causing explosions at Los Angeles
wrote letters about them and referred
to them as Christmas presents" after
the fatal Times explosion and that he
aided IN concealing evidence wanted In
California. He is secretary of the Call
fornia building trades council.
Hiram R. Kline, Muncie, Ind, the
other member of another union con-
yicted, was formerly an organizer for
the United Brotherhood Of Carpenters
and Joiners in Detroit.
Another token of the Los Angeles
explosion came in the conviction Oh
]. E. Munsey, who was charged by the
government with harboring James b.
Mcnamara for two weeks in Salt Lake
City. while that dynamiter was fleeing
from the scene Of his crime. Many
pf those convicted were charged with
knowing only of local explosions on
the works of contractors who refused
to recognize the union, but were thus
brought into the general conspiracy.
RYAN. John T. Butler, vice president OF
the union, Buffalo; Eua. A. Clancey'
San Francisco; Frank G. Webb, New
York; Michael J. Young, Boston; Pn1i-
lip A. Cooley, New Orleans; Henry W.
Leglitner, Denver, and Chas. n Beum'
Minneapolis, were all convicted as
having appropriated out OF the unlol
funds $1,000 month with which Nc
Namara paid for explosions.
Herbert S. Hockin, who resigned as
secretary of the union only Few
weeks ago and who was branded as
the "iago of the conspiracy" in haV-
ing helped to instigate the plots and
EMPLOYING Ortie E. McManigai to car
ry them out, while afterwards be
traying his fellow conspirators' 20
promote his own interests, stands
among the most prominent of those
convicted. He figured almost daily ii
the testimony.
Sixteen minutes was all the time re-
ouired by the court to receive the jury
road its verdict of "thirty-eight gull
ty and two not guilty" and dismiss the
Jurors. That verdict brought to an
end the historic three months "dyna-
mite conspiracy" trial. 1t meant ex-
cept in the cases of Herman G. Slet-
fert Milwaukee, and Daniel Buckley
Davenport, Iowa, who were the t"o
men out of forty to be adjudged "no'
guilty" that the governments charges
about dynamite plots extending over