The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-14
ARRESTED HERE
AS A MCNAMARA
BOMB POTTER
Mathew A. Schmidt Long
Sought in Los Angeles
Dynamiting Case.
HELD WITHOUT BAIL
ON HOMICIDE CHARGE

Mathew A. Schmidt. one OF the men
indicted In Los Angeles in 1910 for
building. was arrested here last night
by william ]. Burns. He was arraigned
before Magistrate McQuade. who had
remained at Essex Market court since
I o'clock In the morning, and held with
out bail for ten days to await tho arrival
OF extradition papers from California.
Schmidt is charged with homicide.
Acting Captain Dewey OF the first de-
tective brunch filed a short affidavit
declaring he had information that
Schmidt acted in concert with James II.
Mcnamara in dynamiting tho Los
Angeles Times building. Schmidt said
he was willing to waive extrndtion. but
accepted the suggestion that he be
formally held for ten days
The prisoner admitted he was the man
Burns wanted. lie said he had known
for several days that he was being fol-
lowed. Mr.. Burns had a photograph pur-
porting to be that OF Schmidt. but after
his arrest a glance showed that Il was
not Schmidt said he never had but three
photographs taken and that two OF those
were made when he was a boy De-
tectives went to his room at Broadway
and Sixty-sixth street late last night, but
found nothing OF value to them there.
Calls Detectives "noobs',
Schmidt was extremely flippant both
before and after the arraignment. He re-
ferred to the detectives as "boobs" and
informed his employer over the tele-
phone that his itinerary for the next
few weeks would be uncertain" He
said there was nothing in the case "ex-
cept what the politicians and the news
papers make OF IT." He asked his en-
ployer II he knew OF amy LAWYER who
isn't a shyster" and then told him he
realized that was n hard thing to find 4"
He refused to say. in giving his pedi-
gree, whether he was n Catholic or a
Protestant. In answer to query
whether ne couid read or write
he said he had been accused of that"
In giving his name he requested that
the clerk spell 1t sch"
Schmidt is mechanic. 81 years old
He has blond hair and small
mustache and only one eye. He
is about medium height and well
set up, He was well dressed and speaxs
clearly and exactly. Mr.. Burns,
his son, w. Sherman Burns Guy b.
Bddinger, Daniel S. Lehon and Capt.
Dewey got him at Columbus avenue and
Sixty fourth street at 30 o'clock last
night. lie was taken to jefferson Mar
ket prison.
When Capt. Dewey told Schmidt he
was under arrest Schmidt began to
fight. Capt Dewey drew his revolver
and the Burns men closed in.
"Oh. yes" said Schmidt while the
handouts were being put on him. this
is another OF those damned society
cases. The question is whether tho
financiers or we. the people. are going
to run this country"
The detectives say ne has been seen
frequently in the company of friends
OF Alexander Berkman and other an
archlsts.
Mr.. Burns said his men bad been on
the trail OF Schmidt almost continuously
since he was indicted In October, 1910.
often Reported Captured.
Reports that Schmidt had been cap
tured have been sent In at various
times from all parts OF the world. Scot
land Yard men thought once they had
him and Mr.. Burns hurried TO England
from the Continent only to find that the
prisoner was not the man he was look
ing for. There have been several re-
ports that Schmidt was dead. Mr.. Burns
said Schmidt was located here several
weeks ago, but that his arrest was de-
layed in the belief that David Captain,
another of tho men indicted. was also
in the city and It was thought advisable
to walt in the hope of getting both OF
them,
All the detective would say with
respect to how he learned Schmidt was
here was that Immediately after the
blowing up OF the tenement at 1926
LeXineton avenue las year he made an
inspection at the request OF Police Com
missioner Woods and was struck by
the similarity OF the explosion to that
which destroyed the Times building
He said II looked AS II the same kind
0: a bomb had been used.
"While we were investigating the
Mcnamara case" said Mr.. Burns. I'VE
learned that Schmidt had gone to the
Giant Powder Company In San Fran
cisco and ordered 1000 pounds of so
per cent dynamite. He was accom-
panied by a man known as Cap We
learned that this man was David Cap
Ian.
The next time Schmidt called at
the plant of the Giant Powder Com
pany he was accompanied by j. h.
Brlce,' who turned out to be James b.
Mcnamara.
"In investigating the Los Angeles ex-
plOsion ! learned that II was the Giant
Powder Company's dynamite that had
been used We got "A detailed descrip-
ton of the man who went there with
Mcnamara for II, and since then we
have been on the trail OF Schmidt"