Omaha daily bee., 1912-01-07
is GIVEN
HIS FREEDOM
Detective Charged with Kidnapping
is Surrendered by Bondsmen
and Released.
MORE LIGHT ON DYNAMITNG
Labor Leader Says Four Explosions
I'm indianapolis Were Work of
Men from ChIcagO-UniOns
Had Grievances,

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 6.-Federal Judge
A. B. Anderson today issued a writ Of
habeas corpus releasing Detective Will
liam j. Burns from the custody of the
county authorities. His bondsmen had
surrendered him to the county criminal
court, where he stands indicted on the
charge Of kidnapping J. j. Mcnamara.
The writ is returnabie on January IL
when the case will be argued. Burns
will offer the plea that in removing Nc
Namara to Los Angeles he was actin
within the provisions of the federal stat
utes and cannot be prosecuted under the
Indiana law,
Light on Dynnmiting.
Spurgeon r. Meadows, prominent la
leader and business agent Of the dis.
council of the International Brothera
OF Carpenters and Jobbers, today o.
forward with the declaration that out
town meh caused the four dynamite
ploslohs In this city at midnight
October "A, 1903
This followed the statement of Char
a. Bookwalter. former mayor, that lo,
labor leaders were informed by him
years ago as to who had directed the
plosions against property of Aiberi
Spreckelsen, an open shop contl.
Meadows assertion was made u.
necuon with report that the l.,
authorities were investigating wne.A.
or not other unions were Interested wit
the iron workers in having the Vo
Spreckelsen property destroyed.
Conferences of men alleged to have ac
complished the explosions were held in
hotel owned by Jchn Halfman, who sail
today he had testified before the COUNTY
grand jury last year that Meadows at
tended some OF the conferences. Thi,
Meadows denied, but he admitted meet
ing at Halfmans place walking delegates
for unions that were endeavoring to per
suade nonunion men to quit work on one
OF Won Spreckelsens contracts near by.
Men from Chicago.
"Three weeks before the Won Spreckel-
sen explosions" said Halfman, two men
who said they were from Chicago and
whose names l do not remember rented
a room from me. They were brought by
the business agent here of a certain
union. He told me the Chicago men were
in the business of frightening off 'scab
workmen and fixing nonunion jobs. He
said they were here to fix the local sit
uation.
"Many men who came to see the
strangers 1 recognized as connected with
labor unions, but the only one L knew
by sight was Meadows. The two Chi
cago men left here three days before
the explosions and l have not seen them
since"
The business agent referred I'd by Half
man also is charged with direct knowl-
edge of the explosion in a formal state
ment TO former Mayor Bookwalter by
Mrs. Alta Hawkins, keeper of a board
ing house.
Watch for BIg Noise.
She reported to the mayor, when he
made the municipal investigation, that
the business agent came TO her with
other men in an automobile few hours
before the explosion took place and
said to her.
Keep your ears open about midnight
and you viii hear the -- noise YOU ever
heard"
Mrs. Hawkins returned here recently
from Los Angeles, where she went In
response to a subpoena from the grand
jury which indicted the McNamaras.
That busin ess agent always talked too
much" said Meadows. Union carpenters,
painters and hodcarriers, ds well as the
iron workers were concerned in pushing
the fight against Won Spreckelsen. But
we did not have anything 10 do with the
dynamiting. Neither did l meet the out
of-town fellows at Halfmans, but l
know that imported men pulled off the
explosions"