Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-01-05
TOLD LABOR CHEFS
/. THAT j. ]. M NAMARA
BLEW UP BUILDING?
Former Mayor Declares Ma
tionaI Officials Were Inform
ed Who Directed Indianapo-
lis Explosions

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Jan. s--Nation-
al labor officials. adliated with Samuel
Gompers and the American Federation
Of Labor, were informed two years ago
by Charles A. BootCwalter. who as may
or at that time conducted q secret m
vestigation. that John J. McE1aulara had
directed series Of dynamite sxplo-
sions.
This was made known by BoOarwazter
today when he was informed that the
governments investigation here enbrnc-
ed an inquiry into the circumstances q
the four explosions directed against Al
bert Won SpreckIesen, general con-
tractor, on account Of labor troubles.
BookwaIter declared that he expected
to be subpenaed by the federal grand
jury, which resumed its session today.
He said he would bare all the details
OF the municipal Investigation which
satisfied them that John J. McNamarap
as secretaFy-treasurer of the Interna~
tional Association OF Bridge and sruc-
tural Iron Workers, was the conspiring
executive who caused tbs explosions u
this vicinity
ACCUSED MNAMARA.
Bookwater even said that he himself
had told John J. McNamara OF the
strong suspicion against him, and that
in his conversations with q score O. Ia
Il
sibi1ity upon the iron workers union
I'VE were on a street car together one
day shortly after the Won spreckelsen
explosions IN October, 800" said Book
water today. when John j.. whom +
knew very well. asked me IN q taunting
way II had learned who blew up the
buildings. I was isritated th'nEe days.
because myself had received threaten-
ing letters and had to have guard ~
my house for go days. 30 I answered
rather hotIy, Yes and could put my
hand on one OF them without leaving
this car"
Asked whether he told anyone else
beside Mcnamara OF what his invests
cation had disclosed. he said:
Yes, told a score of labor eaders
what knew, and that the iron work.
ers were to blame. You see. I know
all the labor union boys"
CALLED IT A EHAMEl
what did they say when yod blamed
the iron workersT
There are lots OF good men IN union
labor aud they always have denounced
acts OF violence. think some Of them
said It was a shame."
did any of these men tell Mr.. Com
pers that suspicion pointed strongly 70
the guilt of the iron wor<era2'
81 don't know whether they told him
or not, but Sam Gompers is ore OF the
best informed men in this country"
RQnl-Ea1 Sid Il 2
/ Indianapolis several times srbsequSdt
70 his own conversations with the la
Dor leaders, both before and after the
McNamaras were arrested. and that he
(Bookwater) met Gompers himself
twice while with labor union men, but
that no reference was made in his pres
ence to the explosions.
"The only remark I made about IA
Dor matters to Gompers." said Book
water, was to tell him that ne had :
strike when the city hall was buile
and that the unions had made me ac-
cede to their demands"
DID GOMPERS KNOW7
Mr.. Bookwater was then told that
investigation was being made as TO
whether he had informed Gomrers. He
denied that he was intimate enough to
have discussed the question because
of an alleged business association.
II don't know Mr.. Gompers well
enough to talk about these things
exclaimed Bookwater. It's true that
my partner, Hugo Thorsch Is q close
friend OF Mr.. Gompers. having known
him for 20 years"
do you think Mr.. Gompers knew
while these explosions were going On
who Yves responsible for themr'
'Gompers is the general OF a great
army and like general, he did not in
quire when any Of his men were en-
gagins in guerrilla warfare But IL thfn
were called to the attention OF the gem
eral,' naturally he would rebuke them
do you think he could have stop
ped it had he tried7"
II DO not, as the iron workers WERE
only an allied organization to The
American Federation Of Labor. Sohn ,.
Mcnamara was not the kind o. man 70
take orders from anybody"
PROBE WAS SEARCHING.
BookWater asserted that his invesfiea-
ton convinced him beyond any doubt
that MCNAMARA and the iroaworksrV
were guilty. He said the INQUIRY
thorough one and was dropped because
his term Of mayor expired
It myself had financed much OF ths
work" said Bookwater, "and when
left once had no further interest as
public official in the matter"
Mr.. Bookwater shortly after this be-
came identified with q large printing
house patronfzed chiefly By big labor un-
ions. He denied that Mr. Gon1pers had
any interest in the concern ana said
the sole owners besides himself were
Hugo Thorsch, Frank w. Ball AMI Leo
Rappaphort, counsel for the Interna-
tionaI Association OF Bridge ard Struct-
ural Iron workers here. Rappaphorf
defended John ]. McNamara ia the ex-
tradition proceedings prior te his RS
moval to California
BURNS AT WORK.
William ]. Burns, who is here in re-
Spouse to q subpoena to testify before
the federal grand jury. admitted that
his detectives were working OH the de-
tails revealed in the investigation BY
Bookwater and the circumstances that
attended the dropping OF the Inquiry BY
city authorities
LEADERS NOT HELPING
mo union labor leaders, not even sam
uel Gompers, head of the American Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor, have lifted a hand to
help US in cleaning up the big dynS.nits
conspiracy, either before or after the Me-
Namara confessions at Los Angeles"
today said Oscar Lewler, special gov
eminent prosecutor for the district OF
southern California. He and John d.
Fredericks. prosecuting attornew OF Los
Angeles, conferred with Charles w. Mil
Ter. United States district attorney, be-
fore the federal grand jury Of this dis
trict today resumed its inquiry into the
alleged countrywide dynamiting plot.
Mr.. Lawler asserted that though UNI
ion labor leaders were quick to de-