The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-22
old BLACKMAIL
CONVICTION IS
ARGUED AGAIN
Indiana Supreme Court
Hears PIeadingS of Attor-
neyS on Final Briefs.
RULED GUILTY IN 1925
Memories of Los Angeles
Times Explosion Are
Recalled Here.

John J. Mcnamara, central figure
in the Los Angeles Times bombing
case, spent this morning in the IN
diana supreme court room listening
to attorneys argue the merits of a
six-year-old case in which he was
convicted Of blackmaI.
Mcnamara, at the time of con-
viction, was business agent for the
local structural and ornamental iron
workers union. He was fined $1,000
and sentenced to from one to five
years in the Indiana state prison.
The charge grew out of alleged in
timidation Of Ben Staggenborg, who
was placing boilers in the Elks Club.
Sentence was passed in Marion
circuit court in November, 1925, and
the case was appealed in December
of the same year. Since then there
have been five extensions of time
granted, but final briefs were filed
June 30, 1927, and the case has been
ready for decision.
Liquor Ofense Charged
Recently Mcnamara was hailed
into federal court here on a liquor
charge, it being alleged that a still
was found on his farm near Fort
Vile.
, sSince then the oral argument date
was set by the high court and heard
today.
The now white-haired Mcnamara,
sitting erect and apart, spent the
morning listening to Charles E. Cox,
his aged attorney, argue on his
behalf.
Cox contended that McNamara's
actions did not come within the
rneaning of the blackmail statute
and that there never was proof of
any pecuniary reward involved.
". Ed Funk, deputy attorney
general, upheld the conviction for
the state
Blown Up in 1910
SStatehouse attaches went TO the
door of the courtroom to peer at
the man whose name was on every
tongue back in 1911 when he was
arrested here by Detective William
q. Burns for the Los Angles Times
bombing
The Times had been blown up
and twenty employees killed on Oct
4, 1910. The paper at the time was
carrying on an intense anti-union-
ism campaign and bomb also was
found in the palatial home Of the
publisher and owner, General Har-
rison Gray Otis.
Burns investigation brought him
10 Indianapolis, where Mcnamara
had headquarters as secretary of the
International Association of Bridge
and Structural Iron Workers.
Both John and his brother, James
B. Mcnamara, were well-known in
labor circles and had taken proni-
nent part in conventions of the
American Federation of Labor. then
headed by the late Samuel Gompers.
Four Named Plotters
The Mcnamara brothers we're ar
gested upon a confession from Ortie
aIcManigol, who said they we're the
brains of a dynamite plot being put
across in labor disputes throughout
The country M. A. Schmidt and
David Kaplan also we're named as
blotters.
Storm of criticism broke in labor
circles when John Mcnamara was
sskidnaped" here and spirited to Los
Angeles for trial for murder without
b warrant or extradition papers. The
late Thomas r. Marshal then was
Governor of the state.
Months were consumed in Selec-
5ion of jurors and getting the trial
hinder way. Clarence barrow be-
bame chief defense counsel. 1t was
alleged that attempt was made to
bride jurors.
Both Pleaded Guilty
Then barrow dramatically
Brought the Mcnamara brothers
into court and pleaded them guilty.
James was given a life sentence
while John got fifteen years i'm
brisonment on a guilty plea for
blowing-up the Llewellyn Iron
Works. He served nine years OF the
sentence.
>Compers issued formal state
nlent of the Federation stand. He
Condemned bombing and all such
use of force in labor disputes, but
he still asserted that the way John
Mcnamara was unlawfully man
handled in Indiana smacked of the
Russian manner"