The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-12-19
EXPLOSIONS AND
+. F|REEXC|TE CITY
Los Angeles Gets Reminder Of the
Murderous Consplracies !.
Of Six Years Ago
ASSOCIATED Pres. By Federal wireless,

LOS ANGELES, December 16-Fire
Of mysterious origin early today de-
stroycd most of the plant OF the Level.
Ign Iron Works, in this city.
Soon after the discovery of the Are
two heavy explosions occurred in the
plant that shook all the eastern sec
ton of the city. Following the explo-
sions the FIRE spread with lightning
raPid:ty, and oil Of the buildings on
two squares of the plant were burned
to the ground before the conAagration
could be checked.
Loss Is Heavy
The damage TO the works, which is
one of the biggest concerns in the
West, is estimated at $350,OO0.
Working on the theory that the fire
was Of incendiary origin, the police
are making thorough Investigation.
II Is the belief that the plant was de-
liberately set on fire and that time
bombs were placed in some of the build.
ings. Color is lent to this theory be.
cause Of the fact that the fire occurred
almost Immediately after David Cap.
Ian had been found guilty of being
implicated in the blowing I'D Of the
plant and the Times building in 1910.
Echo Of Former Plots
BY the police authorities the fire and
explosions in the Llewellyn Iron Works
following the conviction of David Cap
lar on a manslaughter charge, is looked
upon as an echo of the dyna.
hitting plots in this city in 1870 when
the Los Angeles Times building as well
as the Llewellyn Iron Works was blown
up by dynamite.
In the dynamiting of the Times
building more than a score of the EN-.
Ployes of the newspaper lost their lives.
The crime shook the entire country and
resulted in nation wide search for the
culprits. AS result of the investiga-
ton number of labor leaders in all
Parts of the country were placed under
arrest and many of them were convict.
ed and sent to the federal prison at
t.oavenworth.
But the chief interest in the sensa.
ton centered in Los Angeles with the
arrest of Ortie McManigal and the two
MCNAMARA brothers. John and James.
Soon after being placed under arrest
MECHANICAL turned states evidence, al.
though he was not given any promise
of immunity. Funds were collected
from labor unions all over the United
States to defend the Mcnamara broth.
ers, who were regarded as martyrs in
the cause of labor. Clarence barrow,
the noted Chicago attorney who had
made himself celebrated during the
coal strike in Pennsylvania several
years, before, was retained to-defend
the two prisoners.
Sensational Trials
| The trial of the Mcnamara brothers
was the most sensational and pro.
longed ever conducted in Los Angeles
1t dragged over several months, and
newspapers from every city of the
United States sent special writer's to
report the proceedings. The courtroom
was crowded every day, not only to see
the prisoners, but to see and hear Oar
row. Suddenly, out of clear sky
barrow was accused of attempting to
Nribe witness. He was arrested and
released under heavy bonds and al.
lowed to continue his case. But again
out of clear sky the McNamaras con.
fessed their guilt. John was sentenced
TO fourteen years in the penitentiary
and James was given life sentence.
Almost before the memory of the
Mcnamara trial had grown cold Oar.
row was placed on trial for attempted
bribery and subornation of witness
The trial Of barrow was if anything
more spectacular than that of his for.
mer clients. The case attracted the
attention of the entire country and
dragged along for several months. In
his own defense Darrow delivered an
ration which required fifty hours to
IcllVcr. In his plea the attorney re.
tied the entire history of labor union.
ism in the United States, and the ad
trcss afterwards became a campaign
document in the radical wing of the
lnionites. The trial resulted in dis
Ngreement Of the jury.
Jury Failed To Agree
barrow was tried again on the same
charge, and after several weeks the
Jury again disagreed. When an at
tempt was made by the district attor.
ney to try the noted lawyer a third
ime cry of persecution went up and
t WAS decided that it was useless to
attempt to convict him.
In the meantime the investigation
was not abandoned. General Harrison
Gray Otis, proprietor of the Times and
an unrelenting opponent of unionism
insisted that everybody connected with
the blowing up of the Times building
should be brought to justice. The coun
'ry was combed time and time again
by the best detectives available. Will
liam J. Burns, head Of one of the larg
est detective agencies in the country
personally interested himself in the
"ase and after a vigorous search, Mat
hew A. Schmidt was connected with
he crime and brought to Los Angeles
| for trial.
Schmidt Convicted
The trial of Schmidt occupied six
weeks and witnesses were brought from
all over the United States and Central
american countries. The jury returned
verdict of murder against Schmidt
smith Immediately appealed his case
higher court, alleging that the
Burns detective agency had "cookcd
up' evidence on which he was convict
ed. His case is still pending and
Schmidt remains in the Los Angeles