Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-10-01
DYNAMIIERS
TRIAL Opens
Defendants Concerned in Ma.
tioDwide Plot to Destroy
Property
Some Prominent Industrial
Workers Are InVoled
IN Case

IiNOl<NANlAl SLlS, 1A\Dy WV
The opening day of the trial against
the fifty.One present or former Off
| Gals of labor unions, on the charge
OF completely in the socalled "dyna-
hitting conspiracy" attracted a large
crowd Of spectators to the courtroom
of Judge Albert e. Anderson of the
United States District Court. Long
before the opening Of the court every
available seat in the court room was
occupied and the corridor of the Fed.
eral building was filled with people
who could not find space In the court
room.
During the preliminaries to the op'
ening of the session general interest
centered in united States Senator
John W. Kern, chief counsel for the
defendants and District Attorney
Charles w. Miller and his assistant,
Clarence Nichols, who represent the
government in this trial. They were
on hand promptly, apparently pre-
pared for the fray. The fifty.one men
facing trial occupied the places as
signed to them. They did not seem
to be worried and, before the court
was formally opened, carried on an
animated chat among themselves.
The defendants are indicted under
a federal statute forbidding the trans.
portatlon Of explosives on passenger
trains and are charged with having
been concerned in a nationwide plot
to destroy the property of contractors
employing %non.uniOn iron workers,
eliminating in the explosion in the
Los Angeles Times building, which
cost twenty.one lives. In its report
Of February 6 last the grand jury in.
dicted fifty-four men, but OF this mum
Der John J.. and James b. Mcnamara
are in San Quentin prison, California,
and j. J. McGrap, q former member
Of the executive board of the Inter
national Association of Bridge and
Structural Ironworkers, has not been
found by the Federal authorities.
| Most Of the defendants arc or have
been connected with the iron workers.
| association, which, since 1905, has
| been engaged in a struggle with the
| National Erectors' Association, an
/ organization Of structural steel and
iron contractors employing n%on.union
workmeh. Members OF this employ.
ers' association suffered loss from
more than n hundred explosions
from 1905 to 1911.
Following the arrest Of John J. Nc.
Namara, secretary.treasurer Of the
Ironworkers' Association, at dts head.
quarters in this city, and the arrest
Of James B. Mcnamara and Ortie M.
Mechanical in Detroit, in connection
I with the Los Angeles Times explos-
ion, presentments were made to the
Federal grand jury Of this district
that officials OF the lronworkers' AssO.
| citation and other labor unions had
been concerned in a conspiracy to in.
timidate employers OF unorganized
labor by q systematic destruction OF
their property.
Ortie McManigal's confession. in
which he related that he had been EN-.
plOyed by the Mcnamara brothers
and Herbert s. Hockin, acting secre'
tary-treasurer of the Ironworkers' AS.
ISOLATION, to dynamite bridges and
buildings In course OF construction
by nonunion contractors, was the
basis Of ahe governments inquiry.
McManigal has been brought here
and Is to be the principal witness fol
the government in this trial. A mass
Of letters and other records. seized
in q raid on the Offices Of the Iron,
workers Association, also will DO Of
tered as evidence Of a general con
spiracy secretly to convey dynamite
and nitro-glycerlne from coast tx
coast In q campaign against employ
ers OF uporganized ironworkers.
Most prominent among the defend
ants are Frank NJ. Ryan, president
Of the International Association o
Bridge and Structural IronwOrkers;
Herbert s. Hockin, acting secretary