THE DYNAMITARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 199, 20 February 1912, Page 5

THE DYNAMITARDS.

HOW THEY WERE TRAPPED. A PHONOGRAPHIC DEVICE. By 0»U«—Fr«» A*oei»tioa—Copyright. New York, February 18.

In connection with the recent dynamite investigations in Indianapolis it appears that the Government used a secret phonographic device concealed in a desk in a room where the suspected trade union officials, who were arrested, conferred. Stenographers, hidden in the room beneath, took notes of the conversations. It is believed important evidence was thus secured against the accused.

THE USE OF DYNAMITE.

FURTHER REVELATIONS.

San Francisco, January 22,

The deeper the Federal investigators dig into the dynamiting activities of union labor officials, the blacker jrows the situation. It seems now to have been established that in certain of the unions dynamite was a recognised weapon in the warfare against capital, and particularly against those who insisted upon maintaining open shops. The most sensational of the recent, revelations come from Indianopolis, where Oritie McManigal, the associate of the MaoNamaras, has repeated.his confession before the grand jury, giving certain details that have not before found their way to the public ear. Five representatives of organised labor who have not yet been indicted in connection with the dynamite conspiracy were connected with the plots by McManigal in his testimony concerning the blowing up of non-union ironworks at Akron, Ohio, on July 4, 11910.- The names of these men have '. been furnished by McManigal, but have not been published. The methods of the lawless crew are well exemplified by the recitals of McManigal with reference to this dynamiting. He said he left Indianopolis two days before the explosion with a man who had received instructions for John J. MacNamara, and went to Rochester, Pennsylvania, where they received twelve quarters of nitroglycerine, which they packed in a suitcase. Fifty-one quarters of the explosive, he said, were left at Rochester for future used. At Cleveland, Ohio, next day, they met two other men and discussed the job, which was to be directed against an employer who maintained a non-union job. "The man who had accompanied me ■ from Indianopolis wanted me to do the job," said McManigal. "He said I was experienced and could be relied on, but one of the Cleveland men said the job had been promised to a couple of other fellows, and they wanted them to have it. I had no fuse, so I went to Chicago and sent them a fuse by special delivery."

In his confession the dynamitard told of walking about the streets of Pittsburg, in his hand a suit-case filled with explosives and time fuses, accompanied by union labor representatives,, who pointed out to him "open shop" jobs that were to be blown up. It transpired that John J. MacNamara, as secre-tary-treasurer of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Ironworkers, obtained wherever possible photographs of structures blown up by McMariigal, in order to keep a check on the dynamitary in paying him fees out of the £2OO a month allowed MacNamara by his union for -'organisation purposes." Many of jthpse photographs are in the hands of the Government.

McManigal went to Buffalo in July, 1908, and blew up a bridge. Just before he went there, he says, he tried to quit the business, but he was visited in his home at Chicago by a man whose name has not yet been publicly connected with the conspiracy, but who is known to the Government. " This man told me I dare not quit, because, on account of my earlier jobs, they had it on me," said MeManigal. "He told me I had gone too far, and I would have to stick to it. Finally we both went to Buffalo. The man with me said he wanted to get to Canada before the explosion. I took the dynamite out of my suit-case, and planted it under the bridge with a «oft. fuse. It blew up that night."

No success has yet been achieved in the attempt to prove that Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Workers, or any of the officials of that organisation, had actual knowledge of the dynamiting conspiracy. Nevertheless, when Gompers sent a petition to Congress last week in connection with conditions in the Government printing office, several. Senators attacked him and said no petition from him should be received. They were voted down, and the petition was received.

There is now proceeding in Los Angeles the trial of Bert H. Connors, a union structural ironworker, accused of Having conspired to destroy the hall of records in that city with dynamite. Explosives were found in an alley adjoining the building, which contained ironwork from a non-union establishment, on September 9, 1910. The principal testimony against Connors consists of that of men who state he told them he was going to blow up the building. The Los Angeles prosecutor says other union officials will be connected with the attempt.