Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-01-03
KNEW It TWO
YEARS AGO
Mayor of indianapolis Had
Found Out Mcnamara
Dynamite Plots
WARNED IRON WORK& THEN
Sensational Testimony to Be
Given Before Grand Jury
by Bookwalter.

tby special Leased Wire to New heXfcan)
i indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 3.-National
labor officials affiliated with Samuel
Gompers and the American Federation
of Labor were informed two years ago
by Charles A. Bookwalter, who as
mayor at that time conducted a secret
Investigation, that John J. Mcnamara
had directed a series of dynamite ex-
plosions. This was made known by
BookWalter today when he was in
formed that the governments investi-
CATION here embraced an inquiry into
circumstances of the four explosions
directed against Albert Won Sprecke-
len, a general contractor, on account
of labor troubles.
I! Bookwalter declared he expected to
be subpoenaed by the federal grand
/ jury which resumed its session today
Warned Mcnamara.
He said he would bare all of the
i details of the municipal investigation
which satisfied him that John J. Nc
! Namara, as secretary-treasurer of the
!! International Association of Bridge
and Structural Iron Workers, was the
conspiring executive who caused the
! explosions in this vicinity. Bookwal-
ter even said that he, himself, had
told John J. Mcnamara of the strong
suspicion against him, and that in his
! conversations with score of labor
leaders, he had placed the responsible
ty on the Iron Workers.
I'VE were on a street car together
one day shortly after the Won Spreck-
ellen explosions in October, 1907 said
Bookwalter today, when John j.,
whom I knew very well, asked me in
taunting way if I had learned who
blew up the buildings. | was irritated
those days because I myself had re-
ceived threatening letters and had to
have a guard at my house for 60 days,
so l answered rather hotly, yes, and
II could put my hand on one of them
without leaving this car
Told Score of Labor Leaders.
Asked whether he told any one else
besides Mcnamara of what his investi-
cation had disclosed he said. Yes,
told score of labor leaders that l
knew and that the Iron Workers were
to blame"
did any of those men tell Mr..
Gompers that suspicion pointed
strongly to the guilt of the Iron Work
ers?"
81 don't know, but Sam Gompers is
one of the best informed men III this
country"
Bookwalter said that Gompers visit
ed Indianapolis several times subse-
quent to his own conversations with
tie labor leaders, both before and
after the McNamaras were arrested
and that he (Bookwalter) had seen
Gompers himself twice with the labor
union men; but that no reference was
made in his presence to the eXplo,
sions.
Bookwalter Friend of Unions.
Mr. Bookwalter, shortly after his
/ investigation became identified with
la large printing house, patronized
chiefly by big labor unions. He de,
MED that Mr.. Gompers had any inter
est in the concern and said the sole
owners, besides himself, were Hugh
Thorsch, Frank w. Ball, and Leo M
Rappaport, counsel for the Interna
tional Association of Bridge and
Structural Iron Workers here.
Why Was Inquiry Dropped.
William J. Burns, who is here in re
sponse to a subpoena to testify before
the federal grand jury, admitted tha
, his detectives were working on the de
| tails revealed in the investigation BY
Bookwalter and the circumstances
tnat attended the dropping of the in
| quiry by city authorities.
Gompers Knew Nothing of It.
, Washington, D. c., Jan. 5.-Com
J menting on a statement by former
Mayor Bookwalter of Indianapolis
that prominent labor officials were in
, formed more than two years ago tina
J. J. Mcnamara had engaged in dyna
mite outrages, Samuel Gompers, pres
ident of the American Federation O
Labor, today said: "No person, living
or dead, ever made such statemen
to me, or even gave hint that J. }
McNamara or any one else was en-
gagged in a dynamite exploit, or dyna
, mite campaign"
Gompers Is Peevish.
; Washington, D. c., Jan. 3.-As Il
the remark of Oscar Lawler tha
though the labor leaders had condem
ed the McNamaras specifically, ye
lnot one of them had rendered an,
:. assistance to the government for thu
purpose of uncr ing or disclosing
E the dynamiting crimes committed. Mr.
Gompers said that he had no knowl
edge of any one engaged in dynamit
ling, hence he was unable to rende
, any assistance in the disclosure o
: any one engaged in dynamiting O
e any other crime.
a 81 have enough other work to do,
r said Mr.. Gompers, without botherin!
/ with dynamiting. I know nothing 0
/. dynamiting or anything connected
d with such work. am kept very bus!
: attending the administrative worl
}. of the American Federation of Labor
e There really seems no need of m.
(rontipupd IN napo eight