The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-04
Bookwalter of Indianapolis
Had Evidence Two Years
Ago.
Told j. j. Mcnamara Then
That He Had Evidence
Against Him.
But He Dropped Investiga-
tion-Became Partner of
Gompers.

william j. Burns, before leaving, late
yesterday for Philadelphia, openly
charged former Mayor Charles A.
Boolowalter of this city with negli-
gence in not having prosecuted John
j. Mcnamara two years ago on evil
dence in his possession indicating tina,
officials of the International Associa.
ton Of Bridge and Structural Iron
Workers had caused dynamite eNplo-
sions here.
Burns declared that the formc1
mayor dropped the investigation and
not long afterward was invited to be-
come member of a printing firm do.
ing much work for national labor
unions and in which Samuel Gompers
president Of the American Federation,
Us reported TO have been Interested.
Bootwaltor in an interview denied
That Gompers at any time had been
concerned in the printing firm or
that he knew him intimately, but said
that partners in the firm were Leo.
NJ. Rappaport, counsel for the Inter-
national Association Of Bridge ana
Structural Iron Workers, and Hugo
Tnorsch, a longtime friend of Com
pcrs.
1Old the LABOR Leaders.
BookwaIter admitted that two years
ago he had told score OF prominent
national labor leaders that he was
convinced of the guilt of John j. Nc
Namara and The iron workers union
in connection with the four explosions
on property Of Albert Won Spreckel-
sen, I'm October, 1909.
"Why didn't Boollwalter pursue his
invcstigation?" qucried Burns, "either
as mayor or as private citizen after
he retired from office shortly after
Ward2 If he knew, as he says he did,
that john j. Mcnamara and the iron
workers were dynamiting property OF
nonuuion contractors, it was ms duty
20 prosecute or tell the public what he
knew. If he had done so, scores OF
subsequent explosions might have
been prevented"
Bookwalter yesterday said that ma
tional labor officials, affiliated with
Samuel Gompers and the American
Federation OF Labor, were informed
two years ago by him, as mayor at
that time, that Mcnamara had di-
rected a series of dynamite eNplo-
sions
Bookwaltor said he, himself, had
told John j. Mcnamara of the strong
suspicion against him and that in his
conversation with a score of labor
leaders he had placed the responsi.
blllty upon the iron workers union.
j. j. Tauntcd Him About IL.
eve were on a street car together
one day shortly after the Won
Spreck lsen explosions in October,
1909" said BoOkwalter, "when John
j., whom / knew very well, asked me,
in a uniting way, If / had learned
who blew up the buildings. l was
irritated those days because l myself
had received threatening letters and
had to have a guard at my house for
60 days, so 1 answered rather hotly
Yes, ami 1 could put my hand on
one of hem without leaving this
carr"
BooSwarer said that Gompers Wis
tied indianapolis several times sub
sequent TO ms own conversations with
the labor leaders both before and aft
er the MoNamaras were arrested, and
that he CBooEwalter) met Gompers
himself twice while with labor union
men, but that no reference was made
in his presence 20 the explosions.
Bookwalter asserted that his inYes-
tigation convinced him beyond any
doubt that Mcnamara and the iron
workers were guilty. He said the in
aury, though lasting only 40 days
was a thorough one and was drop
ped because his term as mayor eN-
pired.
Il myself had financed much OF the
work." said Bookwalter "and when l
left office had no further interest as
a public official in the matter"