Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-28

Z. A. Clancy.
point with dynamite, seems to have
been made by the leaders of the
Bridge and Structural Iron Workers
Association almost Immediately after
their strike against the American
Bridge Company, in August, 1905.
During that year four structures
that were being erected by the Amer
lean Bridge Company were blown up
The following year witnessed
twelve explosions and in 1907 the num-
Der fell to six.
BoIder Methods Used.
But the year 1908 found the dyna-
! miters more active and determined
than ever. According to the indict-
ments twenty mine explosions, caus-
ing loss of life as well as great ma
terial damage, occurred during that
year, outrages for which the defend
ants were held directly responsible.
In 1909 the record was twenty-five
explosions, and in the following year
1910. the record of twenty-nine was
again reached.
In this year occurred the blowing
up of the Los Angeles Times build
ing and the lamentable death OF
twenty-one men who were at work in
the building at the time.
Although during this year the dyna-
miters had wrecked the Llewellyn
Iron Works at Los Angeles, the Pan
American Bridge Company plant at
cf1 Tn All9 NJ
of the Omaha and Council Bluffs
Street railway at Omaha, and had
destroyed the big metal works al
Kansas City. it was the blowing up
of the Los Angeles Times which TO-
cussed the attention of the entire
country upon the reign of the ter
rorlsts.
The Links in the Chain.
great detective agency. with un-
limited resources. was put upon the
trail of the dynamiters, and on April
20, 1911, ]. B. Mcnamara and Ortie
McManigal were arrested at Detroit.
Two days later J. J. Mcnamara,
secretary of the association, was ar
rested in his office here during a
meeting of the executive board. Im-
mediately following the arrest a
thorough search of the offices was
made and hundreds of letters Were
found. which were used by the prose-
cution in securing an indictment of
the defendants.
On April 26, while on the way to
Los Angeles. Ortie McManigal con-
fessed to Detective Burns and impli-
Gated the McNamaras
notwithstanding this confession, the
McNamaras were brought to trial at
Los Angeles in October, and their in
nocence was maintained with vigor.
They finally confessed on December
l, 1911, and are now serving a life
sentence at San Quentin prison, Cali
fornia
Even after the arrest of the Nc
Namaras and McManigal the dyna-
hitting did not cease.
An Appalling Life Loss.
There were eleven destructive ex-
plosions in 1911. These include the
blowing up of the Susquehanna Com
pany car dump at Erie. Pa, the
wFecking of viaduct at Springfield
! ILL.,, the dynamiting of the Spring
field, Mass, court house while under
construction, and the blowing up OF
the Westchester and Boston railway
viaduct at Mt. Vernon, N. Y.
Altogether, the defendants were
charged with direct responsibility OF
| 113 explosions. These explosions en-.
! tailed a loss of life numbering 112 anC
property loss amounting to 49,.
800, 900.
Most of the correspondence upor
which the government built its case
against tho defendants passed be.
tween President Frank NJ. Ryan, Of
tho international Association O
Bridge and Structural iron Workers
Herbert s. Hockin, vice-president O
the association, and successor to j
j. Mcnamara as secretary; Michae
]. Young, of Boston; John T. Butler
of Buffalo, ana Frank C. Webb, O
New York.
Incriminating Letters.
The indictments charged these mel
with conducting the conspiracl
through the mail and named all tn
ether defendants as abettors
AS sample of the discriminating
nature of these letters here is on
President Ryan wrote 10 j. j. McNa
mara from New York in April, 1910
"In regard to the McClintic Mar
shall jobs let Lesleitner attend to tn
jobs in his district Let Butler at
tend to the jobs at Buffalo an'
Rochester. Hockln can arrange 70
the Cleveland. Detroit and Cincinnati
jobs. Morrin can attend to Noun
Vernon"
There is more TO the letter of tn
same character.
i In May, 1910, Morrin wrote to Nc
Namara, reporting an inspection tri