Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1912-12-28


confession, obtained after the Nc,
Namara brothers had been arrested,
implicated others as having actually
carried explosives in suit-cases on
trains, or as having entered into
conspiracy. This indicated, in Dis
trict Attorney Charles W. Mller's
opinion, the necessity for a grand
jury investigation. indianapolis was
headquarters of John J. Mcnamara.
secretary of the Iron Workers union,
and the point at which, it was charg-
ed. the conspiracy was entered into
and from which the explosives were I
carried.
Another coincidence was that the 4
trial began on October l, 1912, the
second anniversary of the Times ex-
plosion. The federal grand jury, after
several months investigation, return
ed indictments against "a union la
for officials. Before the defense be-
gan its case this number had been
reduced TO Al on account of various
eliminations.
AS a motive for the crimes charg-
ed the government referred to the
strike against employers of non-union
labor, consisting of bridge, viaduct
and building contractors who main
tanned an open shop" policy, EN-
ploying workmen regardless of wheth-
er they belonged to the union or not.
4 This strike has never been called
off. It was alleged that a warfare
wagon by the union spread all over
the country until violence was re-
sorted to, or as was stated, picket.
ing spread to slugging, slugging to
dynamite, and dynamite to nitrogly-
GERM
Mcnamara at the headquarters oil
the union in Indianapolis, although
later named by witnesses as the
active perpetrator of the explosions,
was then unsuspected by the con,
tractors. But the advent of McMani-
gal and James B. Mcnamara, brother
of the union secretary, as regularly
hired dynamiters. working under John
Us direction, and. as McManigal
charges, with Hockin's leadership,
the explosions became so bold as
to arouse suspicion that they we're
the work of an organized band
Detectives already had been work.
,, ing on the case when the killing OF
q people in Los Angeles by bomb
set off at / O'Clock in the morning
showed that the desperation of the
J, dynamiters had reached the murder
stage.
Much Of the evidence that was pre-
4 cluded at Los Angeles by the Nc
4 Namara brothers came out here. Fed
{ eral Judge Albert b. Anderson ruled
) that while the specific charges were
illegal transportation all other eyi
y dence relative to explosions migh
!, be offered as showing a motive. TIT
! testimony was that the destruction
of the Times building was not strict
, ly a part of the campaign agains
l. non-union iron and steel work, Du
was done in an effort to unioniz
. various trades in Los Angeles. Jas
< b. Mcnamara, who set the bomt
+ was a printer. Witnesses stated al
3 erwards expressed little regret tha
e1 people were killed. and, in fac
. expressed disappointment that h
IS had not killed General Harrison Ora
I, Otis. proprietor of the Times; tha
lie the dynamiter was sent to the coas
" at the solicitation of Tveitmoe,
)t recognized union labor leader, an
k that Tyeitmoe furnished David Ca
II Ian and NJ A. Schmidt, who WEI
As also indicted for murder but WI
d. never were captured.
IL All the 100 explosions came in K
We scrutiny by the jury here. and II
ne field of operations extended fro
il Boston to Los Angeles.
ID "Who caused those explosions
n" was the question before the jury.
d. Broadly the charges were that
in ]. Mcnamara began them and thoug
them an effective means of fightn
lis "open shop" contractors. Make Z
Mt damage as heavy as possible N
ne Manigal said always were MS
in structions. Hundreds of thousan
in of dollars worth of property W
ra. said to have been destroyed. FIJI
ing the maintenance of nired {
IA. namiting crew" cost money, McN
it mara is alleged to have appealed
Sc the union for funds, and in this WI
m the government charged, others
IL came implicated For instance,
government set out that the uni
- eyecutive board at last decided
allow Mcnamara $1,000 month,
m which he would be required to g
m no accounting Letters also W.
~ written which, the government
ron serted. showed certain busin
on on agents. recognizing the "dynamlt
lie crew" as a regular institution. s
M word as to what jobs should
ant blown up. All the indicted offlci
ON were declared by their letters 10
nor '1inked together in guilt"
7 ,os That was the case the governm'
: 80 at the opening of the trial, assef
ded it had to place before the jury.
was stated that the trial, IN
OH number of defendants, in the
80 that the defendants were allied
"s yn labor unions, in the nationwide
eral tent of the conspiracy. and in
con- ramifications, was unpreceaen
ecu McManigal's confession, detailing
nent explosions which he said he per