The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-09-25
CHARGES FOLLOWED
LOS ANGELES EXPLO SloN
John J. and James B. McNamara
Included in Indictments But
Both Are Serving Terms in
San Quentin Prison

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept 3D.
Charged with completely in the SO.
called "dynamiting conspiracy" fifty.
one men, present or former ohicials
of labor unions, are to appear for
trial before Judge Albert B. Anderson
and jury in the federal court Of this
district on October 1.
Indicted under federal statute
forbidding the transportation of ex.
ploisives on passenger trains, the de-
PENDANTS are alleged to have been
concerned in a nationwide plot to de.
stroy the property of contractors en-
ploying non-union ironworkers, cul.
minating in the explosion of the Los
Angeles Times building. which cost
twenty-one lives.
Fifty-Four Indicted
F1fty-four were indicted by the
grand jury in it's report of February
6 last, but of this number John j. and
James B. Mcnamara are in San Quen-
tin prison, Cal, and ]. J. McCray, a
former member of the executive
board of the International Association
lof Bridge and Structural Ironworkers,
has not been found by the federal au.
thorities.
Most of the defendants are or have
been connected with the ironworkers'
association, which, since 1905, has
been engaged in a struggle with the
National Erectors' association, an or.
ganization Of structural steel and iron
contractors employing non-union
workmen. Members OF this EMPLOY
ers' association suffered loss from
more than one hundred explosions
from 1905 to 1911.
Following the arrest of John j. Nc.
Namara, secretary of the
Iironworkers' association, at its head
quarters in this city, and the arrest Of
James B. Mcnamara and Ortie E.
MECHANICAL in Detroit, in connection
with the Los Angeles Times explosion.
presentments were made to the fed.
eral grand jury of this district that
officials of the. ironworkers' associa.
,tion and other labor unions had been
concerned in a conspiracy to intimi.
date employers of unorganized labor
by systematic destruction of their
property.
McManigal's Confession
Ortie McManigal's confession, in
which he related that he had been
employed by the Mcnamara brothers
and Herbert S. Hockin, acting secre-
ltary-treasurer of the Ironworkers' as.
ISOLATION, to dynamite bridges and
buildings in course of construction by
non-union contractors, was the basis
of the governments inquiry. He is to
be the principal witness for the gov
eminent in the forthcoming trial. A
mass of letters and other records.
seized in a raid on the offices of the
lronworkers' association, also will be
offered as evidence of a general con-
spiracy secretly to convey dynamite
and nitro-glycerin from coast to coast
in campaign against employers Of
unorganized ironworkers.
Most prominent among the defend
ants are Frank M. Ryan, president of
the International Association of
Bridge and Structural Ironworkers:
Herbert s. Hockin, acting secretary
treasurer and the alleged head of the
"dynamiting crew." John Il. Butler.
of Buffalo, first vice. president, and
Michael j. Young, of Boston, and
Phillip A. Cooley, of New Orleans,
members of the executive board.
Mostly Ironworkers
Business agents and secretaries NJ
local ironworkers' unions throughout
the country, alleged to have been inn
plicated in the illegal transportation
of explosives from state to state.
make up the greater part of the list
of defendants, but officials of other
unions also. are indicted. They a, 4
Olaf A. Tveitmoe, secretary of the
Building Trades Council of California:
William K. Benson, former president
of the Detroit Federation of Labor:
Clarence r. Dowd, organizer for the
International Association of Ma
chinis; Hiram Cline of Muncie. Ind.
organized for the Association of Car
penters and Joiners, and Spurgeon p
Meadows. business agent for the Car
penters and joiners' union of Indian,
apolous.
United States Senator John w
Kern is to be chief counsel for the
defendants and the government will be
represented by District Attornev
Charles w. Miller and his assistant.
Clarence Nichols, who conducted tn,
grand jury's Investigation.