The Calumet news., 1912-09-23
WIDE INTEREST IS AROUSED
Charges are Based on More Than
100 Explosions From
1905 to 1911
0RTIE MMANIGAL is WITNESS

Indianapolis. Ind, Sept 2S.--Charged
with completely in the so-called dyna-
miting conspiracy" ffty-one men,
present or former officials of labor un-
ions. are TO appear for trial before
Judge Albert b, Anderson. and a jury
in the Federal court of this district
on October /.
Indicted under a Federal statute for
bidding the transportation of explo-
sives on passenger trains. the defend
ants are alleged to have been con-
cerned i'm a nation wide plot 10 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 bv the grand
jury in its report of February 8 last.
but of this number John J. and James
b. Mcnamara are in San Quentin
prison. Cal, and J. J. McGray, a for
mer 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'
engaged in a struggle with the Ma
| tional Erectors' Association an organ
ization of structural steel and iron con-
tractors employing non union work.
men. Members of this employers as
sociation suffered loss from more than
one hundred explosions from 1905 to
1911.
MeMsnigal Is Witness.
Following the arrest of John J. Nc
Namara, secretary treasurer Of the
ironworkers' association, at it's head
quarters in this city, and the arrest Of
James r. Mcnamara and Ortie q. Nc
Manigal in Detroit. in connection with
the Los Angeles Times explosion, pre-
sentiments were made TO the federal
grand jury Of this district that Off
cials Of the ironworkers' association
and other labor unions had been con-
cerned in a conspiracy to intimidate
employers of unorganized labor by a
systematic destruction Of their prop
erty
Ortie McManigars confession. in
which he related that he had been en-
ployed by the Mcnamara brothers and
Herbert S. Hockin, acting secretary
treasurer of the Ironworfkers' Associa-
tion. to dynamite bridges and buildings
in course of construction by non
union contractors. was the basis of the
governments inquiry He is TO be the
principal witness for the government
i'm the forthcoming trial A mass Of
letters and other records seized in a
raid on the offices of the Ironworkers'
association, also will be offered as evil
dence Of a general conspiracy secretly
to convey dynamite and nitro glycerine
from coast TO coast i'm campaign
against employers Of unorganized iron
workers.
Prominent Union Officials.
Most prominent among the defend
ants are Frank NJ. RYAN. president Of
the International Association of Bridge
and Structural Ironworkers Herbert
:. Hcckin. acting secretary treasurer
and the alleged head Of the "dynamit-
ing crew, John T. Butler OF Buffalo.
first vice president. and Michael J.
Young, Of Boston and Phillip A. Cooley.
of New Orleans, members Of the exc
cutive board
Business agents and secretaries of
local ironworkers unions throughout
the country, alleged TO have been inn
plicated in the illegal transportation
of explosives from state to state. make
up the greater part of the list of de-
fendants. but officials OF other unions
also are indicted They are Olaf A.
Tveitmoe, secretary of the Building
Trades Council Of California: William
X. Benson. former president OF the
Detroit Federation OF Labor; Clarence
T.. Dowd organizer for the 1nterna-
| tionaI Association OF Machinists Hi-
ram Cline of Muncie. Ind. organizer for
the Association of Carpenters and
Joiners and Spurgeon p Meadows.
business agent for the carpenters and
ioiners' unions of Indianapolis.
United States Senator John w. Kern
is 20 be chief counsel for the defend
ants and the government viii be rep
resented by the District Attorney
Charles w Muller and his assistant
Clarence Nichols. who conducted the
gTand jury's Investigation.