The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-09-23
SENATOR KERN WILL
REPRESENT DEFENDANTS
The Government viii Be Represented
by District Attorney Miller and His
Assistant Clarence Nichols, who
Conducted Grand Jury investigation
by Associated PreSS.)

NDy ASSOCluteu PfeSS,)
Indianapolis, Sept. 23.-Charged
with conspiracy in the so-called
'dynamiting conspiracy" fifty-one
men, present or former officials of |
labor unions, are to appear for trial
before Judge Albert B. Anderson and
a jury in the Federal court on Octo-
Der /.
Indicted under a Federal statute
forbidding the transportation of ex-
plosives on passenger trains, the de-
PENDANTS are alleged to have been
concerned in a nationwide plot to
destroy the property of contractors
employing non-union ironworkers,
eliminating in the explosion in the
Los Angeles Times building, which
cost twenty-one lives.
Fifty-four were indicted by the
grand jury in its report of February
6 last, but of this number John ]. and
James B. Mcnamara are in San Quen-
in prison, Cal, and ]. ]. McCray,
former member of the executive board
Of the International Association Of
Bridge and Structural Ironworkers,
has not been found by the Federal
authorities.
Most of the defendants are or have
been connected with the ironworkers
association, which, since 1905 has
been engaged in a struggle with the
National Erectors' Association, an
organization of structural steel and
iron contractors employing non-union
workmen. Members of this employ
ers' association suffered loss from
more than one hundred explosions
from 1905 to 1911.
Following the arrest of John j. Nc
Namara, secretary-treasurer Of the
ironworkers' association, at its head
quarters in this city, and the arrest
of James B. Mcnamara and Ortie
f. McManigal in Detroit, in connec-
ton with the Los Angeles Times ex-
plosion, presentments were made to
the Federal grand jury Of this district
that officials of the ironworkers' as
sociation and other labor unions had
been concerned in a conspiracy to In
timidate employers Of unorganized
labor nv a systematic destruction Of
their property.
Ortie McManigal's confession in
which he related that he had been
employed by the Mcnamara brothers
and Herbert S. Hoskin, acting secre-
tarv-treasury of the Tronworkers' AS
sociation. to dynamite bridges and
buildings in course Of construction
bv non-union contractors, was the
basis of the governments inquiry, he
10 ~ he the principal witness for the
government in the forthcoming trlal'
mass of letters and other records
siezed in a raid on the offices OF the
Tronworkers' association, also will be
offered as evidence of a general con-
spiracy secretly to convey dynamlte
and nitro-glycerine from coast 10
coast in a campaign against employ
ers of unorganized ironworkers.
Most prominent among the defend
ants are Frank M. Ryan, president OF
tho International Association OF
bridge and Structural Ironworkers;
uerbert S. Hockin, acting secretary
+roasurer and the alleged head OF the
"dvnamiting crew." John T. Butler
., puffalo. first vice-president' and
Michael ]. Young, of Boston and. Phil
lin A. Cooley, of New Orleans, mem
hers of the executive board
Business agents and secretarys oil
-ioca, ironworkers' unions throughout
ne country, alleged to have been i'm
n,,cated in the illegal transportation
of explosives from state to state
make I'D the greater part of the, list
o,5 defendants but officials OF othel
unions also are indicted. They are
Olaf A. Tveitmoe, secretary of the
.puilding Trades Council of Calf
ornia; William X, Benson, formel
president of the Detroit Federation o
Labor; Clarence E. Dowd. organizes