The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-10-08
BLEW Up buildings
AID OF M'NAMARAS owns UPTO
HIS DEYILMENT
Tells OF Their PLANS

Union Iron Worker Arrested in New
York Same as George O'Donnen,
Who Figured in Ryan's Trial-His
Confession Leads to Arrest Of
Some Others.
Dynamite outrages that rivalled
the exploits of the Mcnamara broth
ers and Ortie McManigal Thursday
were confessed by George E. Davis,
a union iron worker. Davis, who was
arrested at New York Thursday, was
the George O'Donnell who figured in
the trial at Indianapolis that result
ed in the conviction OF Frank NJ.
Ryan, president of the international
Association of Bridge and Structural
Iron Workers, and thirty-seVen Of
his associates. His arrest and
it. consequences wound up the work
| the Federal government started more
than two years ago, when the dyna-
miting of bridges and steel frame
buildings all over the country be-
came q national scandal.
All the explosions that Davis says
he caused were touched on and tes-
tilted to at the dynamiters' trial in
Indianapolis, but the fact that Davis
caused them remained unrevealed
until he himself told Of it. Davis
confession resulted in the arrest in
Indianapolis Of Harry Jones, secre-
tary-treasurer Of the Iron Workers
Union. His confession supplements
the evidence presented at the Indian
apolis trial and constitutes fresh
charges against some Of the men now
in prison. Some of his revelations
concern President Ryan, who now IS
out on bail pending appeal from a
prison sentence of seven years.
Davis says he was the man chosen
to kill Walter Drew, attorney for the
National Erectors' Association, in
December, 1911, after Drew was
charged with Kidnapping John j.
Mcnamara. 1t also was suggested
that he try to "get" William J..
Burns, the detective employed to un-
earth the dynamite conspiracy. The
price on Drew's head at that time,
Davis. said, was $4,000. Davis con-
sented to return to Indianapolis with
out extradition. His bail was fixed
at $4,000.
The conspiracy thought to have
been broken up by the conviction Of
Ryan and others still exists, accord
ing to Davis confession. With the
exception of Harry Jones, the men he
mentions In connection with his va
rious dynamite jobs already have
been arrested. The apprehension OF
Davis was due to Robert Foster, a
Louisville detective. Several weeks
ago, when Davis was displeased with
his treatment by the union, Foster
persuaded him to make full confess
sion.
This was on September 16. For a
week Davis had been working in
Pittsburg for the Thompson-Starrett
Company. Then the local delegate
of the Iron Workers Union told him
he must pay a SIS initiation fee to
the local union or quit work. Davis
quit. The detective told him he
knew ali about his deeds anyway and
Davis, feeling that the union had de-
serted him, accompanied Foster to
New York. Here, in the presence OF
representatives Of the Federal dis
trict attorney and the National Erec-
tors Association, he dictated and
syore to the detailed confession CIV
en- out by the district attorneys Of
fee.
Davis said he had been an iron
worker since 1900. In the early days
he was member Of the entertain
ment committee, whose duty, he said,
was to assault non-union workers.
He began his career as a dynamlter
at Trenton, N. J. The confession de-
Lscribes how Davis blew up, or tried
to blow up, buildings and bridges in
various cities and towns Of the Feast.
It was during his preparation OF
plans to destroy a new building at
Fall River, April 26, 1908, that Davis
first came into communication with
Harry Jones. He says he got Jones
at indianapolis on the telephone and
asked him for money. Jones, ne
adds, sent $50. Davis asserts that
Jones was familiar with the work he
was doing.
Under the name of O'Donnell, Day.
is was arrested for the Fall River
lob and served two years in prison.
After he left prison officers OF the
union gave him money and he went
to his home in Coffeyville, Kan. The
arrest of the McNamaras followed
soon and on advice Of President
Ryan, Davis claims he returned
East. One of his latest exploits was
dynamiting a bridge at Mount Yer
non under the direction Of Frank c.
Webb, a New York member OF the
executive committee Of the union,
now serving six years in prison.
A feature of Davis statement was
a story of a gigantic scheme to set
off simultaneously explosions IN
Omaha, San Francisco, St. Louis and
New York city, while the McNamaras
we're in Jail. This was to create the
impression that the Mcnamara broth
ers we're by no means responsible for
all the dynamiting in the country.
The consummatiou of the plot was
nipped by the confession Of the Nc
Namaras.
Would Die at Home.