The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-09-19
BLAZE CAUSES
HALT I'M trial.
OF M'NAMARA
Judge Orders Recess in
BIackmaiI Case to See if
Own Auto Is Burning.
RESUME TRIAL MONDAY
Iron Workers Testify to Re-
fute States Charges.

Hasty recess called by Judge Fred
c. Cause while he went to see if his
auto was burning up in the Empire
Garage, enlivened the trial Of John
]. Mcnamara on blackmail charges
this morning.
Nearly all the spectators and court
attaches went with the judge while
the jury and defendant watched the
flames from the Criminal Court win
dows.
Happily, the judicial car escaped
damage and the trial was resumed.
Mcnamara introduced additional wit
nesses, all iron workers, to refute
charges that he terrorized other
union men during the construction
OF the new Elks Bldg. in 1928.
Resume Monday
At noon Judge Cause adjourned
court until Monday morning as de-
fense attorneys said they have ad-
ditional witnesses to put on the
stand. Following the close of the
defense testimony, will come argu-
menus OH one OI lHe HlOSl uuld
cases in the history Of Indiana juris
prudence. Never before has the
State attempted to apply the black
mail statute to labor war.
The theory of the States case as
presented this week by Prosecutor
William H. Remy is that Mcnamara
is guilty Of blackmail in threatening
workmen to get their Jobs for his
own union.
Iron Workers Called
Walter 2. Cook, S37 N. Tuxedo
Ave, an iron worker on the con-
struction of the Elks Bldg, was one
witness In Mcnamara s behalf.
There was just ordinary talking
going on around there" he said.
There were no threats made"
On cross examination, Cook said
he could not hear what Mcnamara
said to the man he was in con-
troversy with.
Grover Shubert, 1928 N. Noble ST.,
another iron worker, who however
was not employed at the time on the
job said he was present on the
morning in question, Nov. 2, 1923.
There were no threats. Mcnamara
never knocked a jack from under
boiler which was being installed and
the boiler did not run away down
an incline crashing against a post"
the witness testified.
without a word being said by
anyone, these men got on their
truck and drove away, I mean the
men who were installing the boiler"
did they?" asked Prosecutor
Remy.
Not Word Said
"Yes, without a word being said,
1 am positive" replied Shubert.
Michael Krauth, 1140 Udell ST., and
Alonzo Collins, 1405 Bellefontaine St.,
iron workers, also appeared in Nc.
Namara's defense. Both were posi-
tive there was no trouble and there
were no threats made against the
workmen who were installing the
boiler.
N Testimony by the defense began
3ate Friday, following refusal of
Special Judge Fred c. Cause to in.
struct the jury to find Mcnamara
not guilty, on the grounds the
States case did not technically meet
charges in the indictment. Charles
E. Cox, defense attorney, said this
morning it was not certain the de.
Tense would rest it's side by noon
today.
ISree defense witnesses, all union
iron |ciKers employed on the Elks
Bldg, at the time Of the trouble,
Nov. 2, 1923, took the stand Friday
afternoon and denied there was any
trouble between Mcnamara and the
men he is accused If frightening
away from their work.