Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-03
GOT HIS INFORMATION
FROM SECRET SOURCES
Declares His Readiness to Tell All to
the Federal Grand Jury.
HAD WARNED J. J. MCNAMARA
Told Him Once he Could Put His
Hand on Men Responsible for
Ironworkers.

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. January 3.-Na-
tionaI labor officials, affiliated with Sam
uei Gornpers and the American Fedora
tion of Labor, were informed two years
ago by Charles A. Bookwalter. who as
investigation. that John ]. Mcnamara
had directed a series Of dynamite explo-
sions
This was made known by Bookwalter
governments investigation here embraced
an inquiry into the circumstances Of the
four explosions directed against Albert
Won Spreckelsen, a general contractor. on
account of labor troubles.
Bookwalter declared that he expected
to he subpoenaed by the federal grand
jury, which resumed its session today. He
said he would bare all the details Of the
municipal investigation, which satisfied
him that John ]. Mcnamara, as secretary
treasurer of the International Association
of Bridge and Structural Ironworkers.
was the conspiring executive who caused
the explosions in this vicinity.
Told McNamara to His Face.
Bookwalter even said that he. himself.
lad told John j. Mcnamara of the strong
suspicion against him, and that in his
conversations with a score of labor lead
ers he had placed the responsibility upon
the ironworkers' union.
We were on street car together one
day shortly after the Won Spreckelsen
explosions, in October. 1s0s.' said Book
walter today. when John j., whom I
knew very well. asked me in taunting
way if I had learned who blew up the
buildings ] was irritated those days.
because j myself had received threaten
ening letters. and had to have a guard
at my house for sixty days, 50 l
put my hand on one Of them without
leaving this car.
Gompers "Weu Informed" Man.
Asked whether he had told any one
else besides Mcnamara Of what his
investigation had disclosed. he said:
Yes. I told a score Of labor leaders
what I knew. and that the ironworkers
were to blame. You see, I know all
the labor union boys"
What did they say when you blamed
the iron workers.
There are lots of good men in union
labor. and they always have denounced
acts of violence. j think some OF them
said il was shame
Did any of these men tell Mr.. Com
pers that suspicion pointed strongly to the
guilt of the ironworkers?'
Il don't know whether they told him or
not but Sam Gompers is one OF the best
informed men in this country.
Bookwalter said that Gompers visited
indianapolis several times subsequent to
his own conversations with the labor
leaders. both before and after the Nc
Namaras were arrested. and that he
tBookwaltcr) met C;ompcrs himself twice
while with labor union men, but that
no reference was made in his presence
To the explosions.
The only remark l made about labor
matters To Gompers," said BOOkwalter,
was To tell him that We had a strike
when the city hall was built and that
the unions had made me acccde to their
demands
MIR. Bookwslter was then told that in
vcstigation was being made as to wheth-
or he had informed Gompers. He denied
that he was intimate enough to have dis
cussed the question because Of an alleged
business association.
IT don't know Mr.. Gompers well enough
10 talk about these things" explained
Bookwalter. It's true that my partner
Hugo Thorsch. is a close friend of Mr.
Gompere, having known him for twent!
years"
A General and His Army.
DO you think Mr.. Gompers knew
while these explosions were going OF
c{, Fnr
'SIompers is the general of a great arm.
and like "a general he did not inauir
when any OF his men were engaging il
guerrilla warfare. But If this were calle'
to the attention of the general naturall.
hc would rebuke them.
do you think he could have stoppe,
it had he tried?'
II do not, as the ironworkers wer
cnIy an allied organization to the Ameri
can Federation of Labor. John j. Nc
samara was not the kind of man Z
td6c orders from anybody"
Convinced ALI the Time.
Eookwalter asserted that his investi
convinced him beyond any doub
.hat Mcnamara and the ironworker
were guilty. He said the inquiry
though lasting only forty-five days
VAS IA thorough ono and was droppe,
because his term as mayor expired
Il myself had financed much of tn
work. said Bookwalter, land when
left office I had no further intereet a
u public official in the matter"
Mr.. Bookwaiter shortly after thi
became identified with large print
ing house patronized chiefly by bi;
labor unions.
He denied that Mr.. Gompers had an
interest in the concern, and said the sol
owners beside himself were Hugo Thorsch
Frank w. Ball and Leo NJ. Rappaport
counsel for the International Associatio
OF Bridge and Structural Iron Worker
here. Rappaport defended John j. Nc
Namara In the extradition proceeding
prior to his removal to California.
William ]. Burns. who Is here in re
sponse to q subpoena to testify before tn
federal grand jury, admitted that his de
tectives were working on the details re
vealed in the investigation by Bookwalte
And the circumstances that attended II