The Connecticut labor press., 1920-11-13
Local Labor Men Express Doubt That Union Men Were Respon- sible and See Possible Effort to Discredit Labor, Fostered Pos sibly by Friends of the National Open Shop Movement-Of Officials Put No Stock in 1t.

Local union men are inclined to place little credence in the sensational story published by the New York Evening World, Thursday evening, placing the blame for the fatal Wall street explos- ion on organized labor, either upon union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor or individual members of it.
 Some believe that the story may have had its origin not far from some source interested in blackening organized la bor's reputation and link 1t with the national "open shop" movement which will undoubtedly seize upon the story as damning evidence of organized labor's bloodthirsty 1aw1essness.
 New York city officials apparently place but little stock in the theory and the Evening World itself admits that 1t leaves unexplained the Fighting Anar- chist" letters found in a rnah box near the scene of the explosion. A probe has been ordered by the district attorneys office.
 The story makes the charges that the explosion was the result of the long and bitter feud between the organized house wreckers, but being premature did not effect its purpose, killing instead 3o people and inuring 200 who were not at all connected with the feud
 Union men, tyrannized by leaders and deprived of their jobs or forced to pay tribute, sent into Wall street, ac- cording to the story, wagon load of explosives in an attempt to blow up their opponents at work wrecking building on the site for the new Stock Exchange annex.
 District Attorney Edward Swann an nounced, after he had read the article, that he had written to every person whose name was mentioned in the Eve ming World story, and had invited them to be at his office at o'clock yesterday afternoon He said he wanted to ques- ton them and find out if they had any evidence outside of what had already been presented to the grand jury in the matter.
 If they had any additional informa- ton of value that would be likely to result ir tie indictment of the guilty party or parties, he said, would inn nlediately cause to be summoned the September regular grand jury, which is still in existence and which heard the witnesses called immediately after the explosion.
 Shief Assistant District Attorney AL
  ming World story, said:
 q do not feel that the cause of! the explosion has been determined. 1 do not think it will be until we get the driver of the wagon which was blown up If anybody will give us the name of the driver of that wagon l feel that such information will be of value.
 The Evening World names the House Wreckers Local o5, known as the Polish Union" and "Zaranko's Union" as having been the object of oppression and graft, and said that the explosion wa sthe result of this tyranny. This union is made up of nearly 1900 fore ign-born men, all industrious and law abiding.
 Union Not Blamed.
 It says there is little doubt that the explosion was the work of a few men and not of the union as a union, and was not known generally among union men.
 At the unions Headquarters at 64 East Fourth street, about 200 men, all most all of whom were Poles, were amazed at the story. These men have been idle for many weeks owing to the fight they are waging against Brlndelf s men.
 When the full purport of the story dawned on them they laughed and said it did not interest them.
 The assertion that the explosion was the work of averaging workingmen came as a surprise to officials at police headquarters.
 Commissioner Enright sent word to reporters that he had nothing to say.
 Captain Carey of the homicide bu- reau, and Captain Busby, of the bomb squad, regarded the story as "a theory only"
 They said their men had not been working on 1t.
 The Evening World maintains that:
 "The Wall street bomb explosion of September 16 was the result of plot by a group of desperate union men or synpathizers who sought revenge against their oppressor, Robert P Brindell, czar of the building trades, according to evidence gathered in an investigation conducted independently of federal and city authorities.
 Anarchists had nothing to do with if nor were radicals of any group con