The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1912-07-19
WRITER SAYS OARRoW CON.
sENTEo TO SETTLEMENT BE.
FORE ALLEGED BRIBERY.
NEGOTIATIONS A STALL
Witness Says Lawyer Sent Le corpte
Davis to Fredericks to Insist That
J. J. McNamars Be Freed as For
torr Hope After He had Really Ac-
cedsd to States Demands.

Los Angeles, July 1s.--fincoln Stef-
fcns. writer on government. politics
and labor, and the man who was
credited largely at the time with hav-
Ing brought about the settlement Of
the Mcnamara cases, took the stand
today for the defense In the bribery
trial of Clarence i Darrow and gave
imprcssively and In minute detail the
history OF the McNamaras' pleas Of
guilty.
The narration was simple and con-
else, and, as the witness told Of the
futile struggle to save J.. ]. Nc
Namara from the penltentiary so that
organized labor might be spared what
In the minds of many amounted to It's
own conviction. the defendant made
no attempt to hide his emotion.
Steffens story accentuated what
now appears To be the crucial issue
In the casc-whcther the agreement
to have the Mcnamara brothers plead
guilty was sanctioned by Darrow
more than a week previous to tho al
legged bribery of Juror Lockwood as
asserted by the defense or whether.
as contended by the prosecutiop, tho
negotiations virtually had lapsed bc-
cause of the unwhlingness of Darrow
to allow J. J. Mcnamara to plead
guilty.
prosecution was indicated by District
Attorney Frcdericks. who declar ID
that II would bc shown that tho
negotiations were not brought 10 n
climax until the bribery expose which
compelled Darrow, as chief counsel,
to submit To the terms of tho prose-
eution that both McNamaras plead
guilty.
Darrow Consented.
Steffens declared without qualifica.
ton that barrow and tho McNamara
brothers had consented before tho
arrest OF Franklin. but II had been
decided 10 continue negotiations with
the ultimate object of saving tho
elder brother IL possible. To this end
Attorney Lecompte Davis waa sent
to the district attorneys office TO
Keep up an appearance OF resolution.
with nm ultimatum that there would
be no settlement II ]. j. Mcnamara
had to plead guilty.
Tho witness gave his residence as
Riverside, Conn, and his occupation
az reporter. lie said that he came
to Los Angeles on November 10, 1911,
and that tho settlement OF tho Nc
Namara case was first discussed at u
meeting between u. w. Hcripps, u
newspaper reporter. Mr.. Darrow and
himself mt tho homo of Mr.. Scripps
In San Diego, where they wore guests
on November TO-
The next day he began to work on
the proposition. he said. first laying
before Meyer Lissner, progressive re-
publican leader OF southern California.
and later before a COMMITTEES or rep
resentative business men.
Although much opposition wns ex-
pressed from the owners OF tho Los
Angeles Times. Steffons said that
Harry Chandler. manager of tho
Times. Was enthusiastic and subse-
auently became the cmissary between
the business mems association and tho
district attorney, The original agree
ment was drafted In Mr.. Lissner's Of
flee on November 20 and Il was
hoped that the district attorney would
assent to II. according to tho witness.
1t provided that James B, Me-
Namara should plead guilty and ac-
cept such punishment as tho court
might direct. except hanging. TO this,
SAID Steffens. the district attorneys
offlce replied, through Chandler, de-
nanding that both men plead guilty
ana that both make confessions. Tele-
grams had been received from tho
National Erectors' association and
other hItainaaa In ha a
Mr.. Steffens. protesting against any
settlement that did not provide for
the sending of J. J. McNamara to
the penitentiary as well az his
oro'nef' u a
Oarrow Sends for Leaders.
| ,"On November 30" continued Stef-
fens, III seemed clear TO Mr.. Darrow
| that a settlement could be arrived at
| which would save J. B. Mcnamara
! from the gallows. He sat down and
wrote a telegram to Samuel Gompers
| at Atlanta, Ga. where the American
Federation of Labor was I'm coriyen-
ton, asking that ono of two or three
| men whom he named, be sent here.
as something important had trans
| pired and he wished to consult with
organized labor"
! Asked for tho names OF the men
mentioned In the telegram, tho wit
ness said they were O. A. Tveitmoe.
Anton Johannsen and Edward N.
Nockes of Chicago.
Mr.. steffens told of a conference
| with Fremont Older In which the
latter had professed concern as to
who should be the goat" and fear
that Darrow would be punished" Is
well as the witness injured profeg.
sIonally
"DarroW said he did not caro ahnut