The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-04
GOMPERS MAY HAVE KNOWN
 OF CONSPIRACY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE D

his own conversations with the labor lead CTS. both before and after the McNamaras confessed, and that he (Bookwalter) met Gompers himself twice with labor union
 men, but that no reference was made in
 his presence to the explosions. "The only remark I made about labor
 matters to Gompers.' said Bookwalter, was to tell him that we had a strike when the city haA was built, and that
 the unions had made me accede to their demands. ''--
 MT. Bookwalter was then told that in- vestgation was being made as to whether
 he had informed Gompers. Witness de-
 nied that he was intimate enough to have
 discussed the question because of an all
 legged business association.
 "I don't know MT. Gompers well enough to talk about these things,' exclaimed Bookwalter. Its true that my partner is
 close friend of Gompers, having known him for 25 years, however,
 Do you think MT. Gompers knew who was responsible for the explosions?" Thinks Gompers Knew "Gompers is the general of a great army, and like a general, he did not in-. quire when any of his men were engag- ing in guerrilla warfare. But if this was called to the attention of the general naturally he would rebuke them" Do you think he could have stopped 1t had he tried?"
 T do not, as otherwise the ironworlS- CTS were only a subsidiary organization to the American Federation of Labor and allied" replied witness "John McNamara was not the kind of man to take orders from anyone" Il Rookwalter asserted that his inveSti- gation convinced him beyond doubt that McNamara and the iron workers were guilty. He said the einquiry, though lasting only 45 days, was a thorough one, and was dropped because his term as mayor expired. T myself financed much of the work. When I left office I had no further interest as a public official In the matter"
 Mr. Bookwalter shortly after this be- came identified with large printing house patronized chiefly by big labor unions He denied that MT. Gonlpers
 had any interest in the concern and said the sole owners beside himself
 were Hugo Thortsh for the Frank w
 Ball and Lee Rapport clique, counsel
 for the International Structural Iron
 Workers here. Rapport defended John McNamara in the extradition proceed ings prior to his removal to California. w. J. Burns, who is here in response to a subpoena to testify before the federal grand jury, admitted that his detectives were working on the details disclosed in the Investigation by Book walter and the circumstances that at" tended the dropping of the inquiry by city. authorities.
 Lawler Talks
 "No labor leaders. not even Samuel Gompers, head of the American Federa-
 ton of Labor, have lifted hand to help us in cleaning up the big dynamite con spiracy. either before or after the Me Namara confessions at Los Angeles said Oscar Lawler, special government prose- cutor for the southern district of Cali fornia, today. He and John Fredericks, prosecuting attorney of Los Angeles, con- lferred with Charles w. Miller, United States district attorney, before the federal grand jury of this district when that body resumed It's investigation in the dyna- hitting conspiracies.
 MT. Lawler asserted that through union labor leaders deninciations were first made and many agreed every effort should be made to prosecute the guilty to the fullest extent. No one, however, had volunteered to get from the Nc Namaras any details of the alleged con splraoy in which they figured, he said. Asked concerning the supposed confes- sion of D. A. Clancey the coast labor leaders, jointly indicted last week with other labor men by the federal grand jury at Los Angeles, MT. Lawler replied that
 no statement on the question had been
 
 But was there a confession?" he was asked. s{e 4ss 4Ff
 We did not need any" he, replied. A iconferencei was held Hate today in which participated United States District Attorney Charles W. Miller, in charge
 of the governments inquiry here; Oscar
 Lawler. special government prosecutor; District Attorney John D. Fredericks of Los Angeles county, California, who prosecuted the McNamaras, and Waiter Drew, counsel for the National Erectors association It is understood that the gov ernment's case against the alleged con- spirators was mapped out.
 number of important witnesses are expected to testify tomorrow Detective Burns will return here Friday to give his testimony, while MT. Fredericks prob ably will be called upon to outline the California end of the conspiracy within
 the next two days.
 | Los Angeles. January 3.--This week will
 see the end of federal grand jury and l the beginning of county grand jury, | both intent upon investigations of dyna-
 mite outrages. | The federal grand jury, which indicted | Olaf A. Tveitmoe Anton Johannsen and | F. A. Clancey of San Francisco and J. E. Munsey of Salt Lake City, all labor leaders, is expected to adjourn Friday. I The county grand Jury, beginning tc- morrow, gives every indication of intent ] to delve into the manner in which the McNamara defense conducted it's case Alleged attempts at jury bribing probably will be further investigated. Tomorrow the impaneling of jury to try F. Ira Bender and Albert Connors Is
 scheduled to begin. They are accused of l having conspired to- dynamite the Los | Angeles county hall of records.
 The new county grand jury, organized | this week, determined today to renew the | dynamite investigation and subpoenaed | five persons formerly connected actively | with the McNamara defense
 | Those subpoenaed are Kirfitzpatrick, a detective brought from Chicago. by Clar- | ence Darrow: w. B. Collier, another de. | sective; Larry Sullivan, former Gold | field mining man, who was credited with first having been commissioned to sound District Attorney Fredericks on the ques- | ton of the McNamara confessions; Mrs. Ann Harpenstein. Darrow's former con | fidential secretary; J. H. Russell, secre- tary to Job Hartman, and Frank Belcher. a watchman in the building where the McNamaras attorneys made their head quarters Russell also was, subpoenaed
 to appear before the federal grand jury. It was reported that new investiga- tion will cover the alleged efforts of the defense to bribe jurors in the McNamara trial f'fs