Georgia Historic Newspapers

    i’w « - —— -y <w ;
VOL. XI.
I EMPRESS DOWAGER
F LENDS S2.OOD.DOD
TO DEFEND THRONE
Mother of China’s Baby Em
peror Would Carry on Fight
for Ancient Supremacy of
Manchu Dynasty
>
(By Associated Pratt.)
PEKING. Jan. 2-—The empress dow
ager. who is desirous of carrying out of
a campaign against the revolutionaries.
* today advanced 3,000.(00 teals (about 12.-
000,006) to Premier Tuan Shi Kai for
that purpose. There are many Indications
that the northern troops are anxious to
resume hostilities.
Dr. Sun Pledges to
Disenthrone Manchus
NANKING. Jan. 2.—Dr. Sun Tat Sen
today took the oath of office as pr>»-
viaional president of the Chinese re
public and was'formally invested with
the powers of chief executive.
The ceremony was simple but digni
fied and was attended by all the prom
inent members of the revolutionary
party.
Dr. Sun. who is well known in Amer
ica and Europe, after his arrival in
Shanghai some days ago was elected
president by the Nattional Assembly
of Reformers, representing the province
of China proper, then in session here,
by an almost unanimous vote. His
proposed cabinet comprises Li Huen
Teng, Huang Sing and Dr. Wu Ting*
Fang, all of whoip are in the front rank
in the reform movement.
The first official acf of Dr. Sun Tat Sen
president of the new Chinese republic,
was to change the Chinese calendar. He
made New Year's day the first day of
his presidency, thus marking ’he co-n
--mencement of a new era and making
the Chines begin henceforth cn
the same day as the year begins m most
other countreis of the world.
Accompanied by a numerous suite and
protected by a strong body guard. Dr.
Sun Tat Sen left Shanghai in a special
train for Nanking. The trip was made
without incident except for the enthu
siasm of the greeting accorded to the
new president at ail the principal sta
tions.
Dr. Suo reach edtbe new Chinese cap
ital at 6:30 o'clock in the evening, and
was greeted with loud cheering Man}
prominent men among the revolution
aries met him at the station and &>
companiM him to the government house,
the route to which was lined by 10,0)0
soldiers. The whole town was beflagged.
the warships and merchant vessels along
the river dressed ship and a presiden
tial salute was fired from the guns of
all the forts in the vicinity.
Government house was reached at 7
o’clock. The gates, the inner avenues
and the court yards surrounding it were
decorated with myriads of multl-coiored
Dr Sun. who was dressed In a? khaki
■niform. on his arrival, held a reception
which was sttended by governor gen
erals and other high officials.
TAKES OATH OF OFFICS.
In the audience chamber, an immense <
apartment in government house, dele
gates representing 1? provinces of China
proper, took up their positions around
a raised platform. When Dr. Sun entered
the apartment all bowed their heads.
The president-elect proceeded to the cen
tral platform and there he took the oath
of office. Afterwards he delivered an ad
dress in which he promised to disen
throne the Manchus. to re-establish
*** peace,, to promote trade and to de
vote his entire energy to the Chinese
nation, and aid the Chinese people to
realise their aspirations. When the
Manchus had finally abdicated and peace
was restored to thf nation he would,
he said, resign his provisional office.
The chairman of the delegates from
the provinces then handed the new
president the seal of office.
STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.
President Sun then delivered a lengthy
address in the form of a proclama
tion. In tiyh he announced that a strong
central government ’ would be organized,
the entire administrative system remod
eled and modernize*! and a parliament
repv£sentative of the people be elected.
The provinces, he said, would be au
tonomous as regards local affairs and
each would select its own governor. The
army and navy would be made national
institutions and be under the control of
the central parliament which would also
deal with tbe finances of the country.
The whole fiscal system would be read
justed, but he was sure that the whole
income of tbe country was sufficient to
discharge is Uabiliies and defray or
dinary expenses.
After giving many details as to his
program for the development of the
resources of China, President* Sun re
ferred to the relations of China with for
eign countries. He expressed on behalf
of the new republic tne feeling of htank
fulnass that prevailed at the consistent
neutrality of the foreign nations. He
•aid that the anti-foreign feeling which
had previously existed would not appear
in the new China.
The government, he concluded, was re
sponsive to the will of the people and
he was assured that unity would prevail
among all the provinces in supporting
the central government of the republic.
By doing its duty as a nation he hoped
that new republic would be recognised
in the council of nations end he could
promix that the foreign policy of his
government would be conducive to the
peace of the world.
The constitution of the republican cab
inet will be announced tomorrow. There
is every probability that Li Tuen Heng,
the republican commander-ln-chief, will
i*ecome vice president of the republic,
while len Huang Sing will be selected
a* premier and Dr. Wu Ting Fang will
retain the portfolio of foreign affairs,
which was handed to him at the time of !
the formation of the provisional cabinet
some time ax;o.
President Sun this morning held a re
ception of the principal generals In com
mand of the revolutionary troops in
Nanking, which will remain the seat of
she provisional government for the pres
ent. It is possible that the capital will
afterwards be changed to Wu Chang,
bat it is certain that Peking will not
be se‘ecred.
Shoots Self to Death
DALLAS. Tex.. Jan. A—Volney E. i
Armstrong, for many years a prominent |
Dalias banker, shot and killed himself
at his home here this afternoon. He had
long b«en HL
Mr. Arn strong, who was preparing to
leave the city on a short business trip,
chatted with members of his family, re
paired to another room and was found
a moment later with a wound in his fore
head. He lived four hours.
NOTHING HUT DEATH
CIN STOP MY RICE.
CREDITED TO TIFT
Roosevelt to Be Conceded
Nothing by Present Occu
pant of Presidential Chair,
Taft’s Friends Declare
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Jam B.—" Nothing
but death can keep me out of the fight
I now.”
President Taft is reported to have
made this statement to White House
(Millers today and to have added that
he had no objection to the statement
| being made public.
It undoubtedly was intended to set
I at rest all reports that Mr. Taft might
| withdraw from the race for the Re
publican nomination for president tn
favor of Col. Theodore Roosevelt.
i The president is said to be thoroughly
I aroused to the gravity of the situation
' in the Republican party and determined
i to let his attitude be generally under-
I stood. He has declared that under no
. circumstances will he withdraw his name
from consideration by the Chicago con
vention next June, and has asserted that
his position with respect to the nomlna-
I tion has not changed in any particulir
; since he first entered the White House.
OBLIGATIONS TO PARTY.
' Mr. Taft has told friends and party
| leaders from the first that if he should
,be called upon to stand for re-election
he would be glad to do so; that he felt
1 under obligations to the party for having
made him president, and was willing to
abide its decision in the convention. He
adheres to this position, according to
1 announcements today, and will not quit
the race until the nominating ballots are
cast at Chicago. <
I The president was urged by a num
ber of his closest friends to make a defi
nite statement as to his position and
agreed to do so in the language quoted
above. With this, statement as their
inspiration, it is said, Taft supporters
will begin an active campaign in his be
half at once. '
WON’T CHALLENGE ROOSEVELT.
It was stated today that some of Mr.
Taft’s friends have gone so far lately
as to advise him to break openly with
Colonel Roosevelt and io challenge the
latter to make plain his intentions. The
president has declined to do this. The
White House has been fairly flooded with
callers lately who have brought Word
to President Taft that Colonel Roose
velt so far has declined to say that
he would not accept tTie nomination if it
were tendered to him.
It also has been reported to the White
House that Colonel Roosevelt believes
an organised effort is being made, to
"smoke him out," aid that he declines
to be “smoked” either by the Taft or
LaFollette forces.
The president has listened to all of
these reports with an indulgent smile,
but has’ refused to indicate whether or
not he believed them. It is vehemently
denied at the White House, however,
that Mr. Taft has sent an y"messengers"
to Mr. Roosevelt, “qp any subject what
soever.”
The has been urged for
weeks to make a more progressive cam
paign in his own behalf. He has re
plied that he did not think political ac
tivity comporte dwith presidential digni
ty. He now has consented that his
friends carry forward the fight as vig
orously as they desire and he will lend
what assistance he properly can.
GOVERNMENT’S WITNESS
DISAPPOINTS LAWYERS
Former Armour Manager Fails
to Give Expected Testimony
Against Packers
(By Associated Press.) •
CHICAGO, Jan. 4.—A mass of docu
mentary evidence consisting of circulars,
letters and statistics bearing on the al
leged agreements of the packers and the
summary statements of total
average price received and the margin
of profits earned based on th euniform
test cost, alleged to have been sent oijt
by agents of the defendants, were read
to the jury today in the trial of the ten
Chicago packers.
The documents were inspected by Wit
ness Wlljiam D. Mlles, former manager
of the Armor Packing company, at
Kansas City, and most of them were
identified and their contents explained by
him.
Mr Mlles reiterated that the sole ob
ject of the old packers’ pool was to con
trol shipments to prevent glutting of
the market with fresh meat. He added
that the use of uniform test cost was ab
solutely necessary
Counsel for the government are disap
pointed at the showing made by Miles,
as it was expected, that he would re
veal important secrets of the alleged
combination.
SCHLEY HOWARD MAKES
APPEAL FOR COL. PERKINS
Marine Corps and Navy At
tacked in Heated Speech of
Georgia Congressman
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.—Representa
tive Howard, of Georgia, in urging to
day before the house naval affairs sub
committee, the reinstatement of Col.
C. M. Perkins, of the Marine corps, de
clared that Perkins’ discharge for ai- |
leged "mental incompetence’’ was a i
“Dreyfus” conspiracy, hatched at the
Army and Navy club in Washington.
Mr. Howard attacked both the Ma- 1
rine corps and the navy.
“Only 32 per cent of the officers or |
the navy,” he said, "are in actual ser
vice. The remainder sit about Wash
ington engaged in social pursuits.
Naval battles are planned and fought
in the clubs, where liquor takes the
place of the briny deep with a red
cherry as the ship and a toothpick as
the propelling force. The officers fur
nish the wind.”
The cpmmittee took the Perkins case
under advisement.
Earthquake in Havana
HAVANA, Jan. 4.—A shock of earth
quake was felt at Santiago, Cuba, early
this morning. No damage is reported.
, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1912.
ROOSEVELT ALREADY
HAS ENTERED RACE.
PARTY LEADERS SAY
Intimate Friends of Former
President Declare He Ad
mitted to Them That He
Would Become Candidate
BT RALPH SMITH.
1 WASHINGTON, D. C„ Jan. 4.-For the
first time Col. Theodore Roosevelt’s po
sition ( was made known today by per
sonal friends in legislative life in this
city.
They declared that Colonel Roosevelt
is in the fight for the nomination and
admitted that they personally waited
on Colonel Roosevelt several months
ago for the purpose of ascertaining his
wishes in the matter.
They say that they then declared to
Roosevelt that in their opinion Taft
could not be re-elected if renominated.
I They went over the ground with Roose
[ velt, remarking that the president’s
I reciprocity measure had been very in-
I jurious to the Republican party, espe-
I cially to the farmers in the states from
I Maine to California on the Canadian
: border.
These friends of Colonel Roosevelt said
further today that they left the ex
president with assurances that they
could go forward in their work of or-,
ganizatlon in his behalf, that he would
not interfere with their work, but that
they did not expect from him any posi
tive declaration, to his own candidacy,
that he would merely “sit tight,” using
I one of the ex-president’s favorite ex-
I pressions.
So it may now be said that the Roose
velt movement has . not haphazard,
| without direction, without need or tail,
but from the start 1 as had formative
and determined purpose and moreover
that the ex-prasident ha:, been fully fa
miliar with what has been going on
and that he acquiesced in it and sanc
tioned it.
It is suspected today that President
Taft and several of his advisers have
I been well aware all along of the un
i derlying features ot this Roosevelt
j movement an i that knowledge of it, to-
I gether with recent events, induced the
, president to make his declaration for
publication this afternoon.
Representative Calder, practically the
head of the Kings county Republican
organization, returned from New York
today and was in earnest conversation
with a number of his Republican con
gressional brethren ta the New York
delegation.
Representative Calder has no hesita
tion in telling his New Yofk brethren
that Colonel RoosevefJ is a candidate
I for the Republican nomination for presi
dent and added that certain business in
terests did 'Ot believe that President
Taft could be re-elected.
Taft Will Make No
Attacks on Roosevelt
WASHINGTON, Jan-4.—Word wars se.rt
broadcast today th supporters of Presi
dent Taft that under no circumstances
would the president countenance attacks
on Col. Theodore Roosevelt, no matter
what the ultimate Intention of Mr.
Roosevelt in 'regard to the Republican
presidential nomination might be.
It was said today that the president
has expressed himself as being qt a loss
to account for reports that relations be
tween himself and Colonel Roosevelt were
seriously strained. He has not taken op
portunity to reply directly to any ut
terances of Colonel Roosevelt that have
been interpreted in some quarters as at
tacks upon the policy of the administra
tion and it is said does not 'wish his
friends to go any further than he has.
LA FOLLETTE DELIVERS
ADDRESS IN ILLINOIS
Wisconsin Senator Suffering
from Attack of Ptomaine
Poison, Yet Speaks
JOLIET, Hl., Jan. 4.—Still suffering
from the effect of ptomaine poisoning
which attacked him late last night, Sen
ator Robert M. LaFollette spoke for
half an hour here today in a crowded
theater. Several hundreds persons were
unable to gain admission to the build
ing and were turned away.
Senator LaFollette reiterated hia sup
port of the principles involved in the
initiative, referendum and recall and ar
gued *for the election of United States
senators by direct vote and for the
general •‘‘restoration of representative
government.”
After his brief speech he and his party
left on a special trolley car for Morris
and other Illinois-towns.
BRYAN CAN'T SEE ANY
REASONFOR CANDIDACY
•Nebraskan Will Not Discuss
Action of Ohio Democracy
in His Indorsement
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 4.—“1 cannot con
ceive any condition that would make
It possible for me to consider the ques
tin ’of my becoming the candidate for
the presidential nomination of the
Democratic party in 1912.’’
This was th/e declaration of Col. Wil
liam Jennings Bryan shortly after nis
arrival here 'late Thursday from Ha
vana, in company wih Mrs. Bryan.
They left last night for St vPeters
burg, Fla., where they will remain sev
eral days before proceeding home.
Mr. Bryan declined to comment on
the action of the progressive Demo
crats of Ohio yesterday, in pushing his
name to the front as a candidate, ano
the utterance of Congressman Lentz,
who has said Bryan was the natural
candidate of the progressive Demo
crats. t
PROBAfFwOGECANNOT
FIND RECORD OF BIRTH
MANCHESTER, N. H., Jan. 4.—George
A. Wagner, of this city, has run up
against a peculiar obstacle in the pre
liminaries necessaty to his taking the
office of probate juflge to which he was
recently elected. He cannot find any
record of his birth and the law requires
that a certificate of birth must be filed
with the secretary of state before a
judge can be commissioned.
Mr. Wagner has always been led to
believe that he was born in Manchester
on May 28, 1873. His parents told him
so. and he has seen it stated in print
many times, but when he called at the
office of the city clerk he was told that
there wai no record of his birth on file
there. , . '
id
“IN DEAR OLD GEORGIA”
MMIML HOBLEV EVINS
IS CONQUERED B) DEATH
“Fighting Bob” of World-Wide
■" Fame Dies 'SudnenlFkt"”
Washington
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.—Rear Admiral
Robley D. Evans, "Fighting Bob” to an
admiring nation. died suddenly late
Wednesday at his home in thia city.
Acute indigestion ended the career of
one of the most popular officers in the
navy. He was ill less than two hours.
Admiral Evans, born 65 years ago in
Floyd county, ‘ Va., arose Wednesday
apparently in better health and spirits
than he had enjoyed in some time. For
years a sufferer from old Wounds sus
tained in the civil war and fgjnn recur
rent attacks of rheumatic gout, the aged
fighter seemed to have shaken off the
burden of his advancing days. He dis
played high spirits at breakfast and ate
a hearty luncheon at noon.
While In his library at 2 o’clock the
admiral was stricken. Instantly his
family sent for Dr. S. S. Adams, who,
on his arrival, found the patient in great
pain. After treatment. Admiral Evans
fell into a restless sleep, and It was
thought that the danger had passed.
Shortly after 4 o’clock, however, he
awakened and, raising himself with
difficulty, announced that he was chok
ing.
> "I cannot get my breath,” he said, and
sank back. At 4:45 o'clock he died, con
scious to the end.
At his bedside at the time of his death
were his wife, his daughter, Mrs. H.
I. Bewail, and bls daughter-in-law, Mrs.
Frank T. Evans, wife of the admiral's
only son, a lieutenant-commander in the
navy, now on duty on the torpedo boat
destroyer Monahan at Boston. The only
other member of his Immediate family
who was not present was Mrs. Marsh,
wife of Capt. Charles C. Marsh, com
manding the armored cruiser North
Carolina.
One of the iron links that bound the
old navy to the new, a commanding fig
ure in each, was Robley D. Evans. He
did not take kindly to the sobriquet of
"Fighting Bob," for, although of gruff
exterior, he was a man of the kindliest
impulses. Thus it never was used in
his presence by his friends. But his
dauntless courage in times of great
emergency, the grim determination with
which he faced overwhelming odds and
the stoicism with which he bore his
wounds and gazed unflinching in the
face of death made the title so appro
priate that as “Fighting Bob" he was
known wherever the English language
is spoke;!.
Most of official Washington did not
learn of the sudden demise last evening
of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans until
today. It caused*a great shock and
many were the expressions of sorrow and
of sympathy for the aged wife and fam
ily of the brave old sailor.
It had happened that Lieutenant Com
mander Evans, only son of the deceased
officer, who was supposed to have sailed
yesterday for the West Indies on the
torpedo boat destroyer Monagham, had
been detained in Boston and consequently
received the telegraTh dispatched to him
last night informing him of his father's
death. He caught a night train and
reached home this morning.
Captain Marsh, who married one of
Admiral Evans’ daughters, was reached
by wireless on the battleship Michigan,
but was unable to interrupt his cruise
to the West Indies and return to Wash
ington.
Funeral arrangements were well ad
vanced this morning. There will be serv
ices at 2;80 o’clock tomorrow afternoon
at All Souls Unitarian church here. T>e
pallbearers have not yet been selected,
but will be chosen from among the na
val officers who had served under Ad
miral Evans. The funeral cortege will
be four companies of marines, two Or
three companies of blue jackets from the
Washington navy yard, one battery of
artillery from the Washington navy yard
and the entire battalion of midshipmen
from tbe naval academy at Annapolis.
CONFIDANT OF M'NWI
IS QUESTIOSED ON STAND
Eckhoff Said to Be Ready to
—FeIT Details of Alleged Dy- ~
namite Plot
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 4.—Frank Eek
hoff, of Cincinnati, Intimate friend of
John J. McNamara for years, appeared
at the federal grand jury chamber to
day. R. H. Johnson, manager of the
street railway lines at Peoria, DL, also
came in answer to a subpena and both
men are assumed to have related details
of various dynamite explosions now be
ing investigated by the government.
District Attorney Fredericks, of Los
Angeles, announced that he had tele
graphed his assistants in Los Angeles
that he take no in the dis
pute between Samuel L. Browne, chief
of the county detectives there, aid Wil
liam J. Burns, over the rewards offered
in connection with the arrests of the
McNamara brothers.
Interest In the reported business con
nection of Samuel Gompers and former
Mayor Bookwaiter, alleged by Burns V,
have significance in Bookwaiter’s drop
ping his dynamiting inquiry two years
ago, is following Burns to Philadelphia.
He will arrive there late today and it
is believed will examine the labor union
affiliations of Hugo Thorsch.
Thorsch, In a statement today, deny
ing partnership with Gompers or seek
ing the labor leader's influence in get
ting printing contracts with unions, »id
that the reason he moved his business
from Philadelphia to Indianapolis seven
years ago was that the National Union
of Carpenters and Joiners transferred
its headquarters. He had obtained
printing orders from Frank Duffy, sec
retary of the Carpenters’ union, in Phil
adelphia and he whs advised, he said,
that other labor organizations purposed
to imitate the carpenters and move their
head offices to Indianapolis. Duffy was
treasurer of the McNamara defense
fund board.
"After I came here and as other labor
organizations moved their national of
fices here,” said Thorsen, *1 succeeded
in getting big orders from the unions
of teamsters, barbers, carpenters and
coal miners.
“John Mitchell is a good friend of
mine and he was president of 1 the mine
workers. I never gat any business from
iron workers, though I often asked John
J. McNamara for printing work.”
At none of the various national union
headquarters in this city today was it
possible to obtain confirmation of
charges that labor officials were advised
of the dynamiting operations of John J.
McNamara two years, ago.
No affirmation was issued of Book
waiter’s statement he told “a score of
national labor leaders”, his investigation
of local labor explosion had exclusive
evidence of tbe McNamaras a year be
fore the Los Angeles disaster.
LOCOMOTIVE JOY RIDE
IS CAUSE OF COLLISION
WEBSTER, Mass., Jan. A locomo
tive joy ride is declared by railroad of
ficials to have been the cause of a head
on collision here last night between a
passenger train and a wild cat engine.
Eleven passengers were injured. The po
lice are today holding Ralph I. Jar
dine, a Worcester cigarmaker, . who is
said to have been at the throttle of the
runaway locomotive.
While the engine was standing without
an occupant in the railroad yard, at
Worcester Jardine is said to have climb
ed aboard and to have tun it 17 miles
in a wild flight to this city, where he
collided with the passenger train. Fly
ing coals set Are to an express car
and the fire department spent an hour
extinguishing the blaze.
WAR-RIB CHINA HAS
I SAAALL HOPES OF PEACE
i Imperial Soldiers Ordered to
"Tlesurhe Fighting
Armitsice Enos
SHANGHAI. China, Jan. A—The 1m
! perial government in Peking has sent
orders today to all the generals in
command of the Imperial troops that
> they are to resume hostilities at 8 o’clock
> in the forenoon of January 6, unless they
receive notification in the meantime that
i the\ armistice between the two forces
has been again renewed.
This step has been taken, it is assum
ed here, as a result of a refusal of
1 the revolutionaries to continue the nego
tiations with the Peking authorities by
i telegraph in accordance with the demand
of Premier Yuan Shi Kai. Telegraphic
, negotiations are regarded by both Dr.
Sun Yat Sen and Wu Ting Fang as un
satisfactory.
President Sun Yat Sen yesterday in
i structed Dr. Wu Ting Fang to telegraph
to Premier Yuan Shi Kai at Peking,
asking him to come to Shanghai and
negotiate personally with the president
of the new republic.
The fact that Premier Yuan Shi Kai
is now in possession of a considerable
sum of money which he received from
the empress dowager to repress the re
bellion and with which he can pay the
imperial troops has, it is believed, in
spired him with fresh confidence in his
power to check the revolution, as he is
aware that the republicans lack re
sources.
There are said to be about 80,000 Im
perial troops in Han Yang and the vi
cinity and a clash with the revolution
aries, whose force is said to be almost
equal, is possible at any moment.
DALTON OFFICER GUILTY
. OF YOUNG BOY’S DEATH
Policeman Van Lewallen is
Sentenced to Imprisonment
for Life
DALTON, Ga., Jan. A—Charging the
jury to either return a verdict of guilty
of murder or of involuntary manslaugh
ter in the commission of an unlawful act,
or else return an acquittal. Judge Fite
placed the fate of Officer Van Lewallen,
the policeman charged with the murder
of George Glenn, Jr., in the hands of the
12 men at 9 o’clock last inght.
At 1 o’clock the verdict was received.
It was guilty of murder with recommen
dation to the court’s mercy. Judge Fite
has no option in the sentence. It must
be for life. Lewallens attorneys will
make motion for new trial.
In his charge Judge Fite told the jury
not to consider any claim for Lewallen
that he unintentionally killed the young
boy, if it was decided that he fired into
the crowd. If the jury decided that he
did fire into the crowd and not in the
air he would be found gluilty of murder
either with or without a recommendation
for mercy.
When the jury filed into the court room
at 1 o’clock Judge Fite polled the men,
seeing positively that there was no error
in the verdict.
WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
OF GROOM’S FINANCES
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 4.—That a
woman has the right to investigate the
financial condition of her prospective
husband and that marriage is a “val
uable consideration,” was held by the
Court of civil appeals yesterday after
noon in the case of C. E. Hight and
wife vs. Mrs. Cassie Green, Davidson
county equity.
The opinion was delivered orally by
Justice Higgins, who declared that a
bride might be an "innocent purchas
er/’ —_______
TOLD ÜBOB CHIEFS
IT J. J. MIMI
BLEW UP BUILDING?
Former Mayor Declares Na- 3
tional Officials Were Inform
ed Who Directed Indianapo
lis Explosions
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Jan. I -XatlotH
al labor officials, affiliated with Samuel
Gompers and the American Federation t
of Labor, were informed two years ago
by Charles A. Bookwaiter, who as may- {
or at that time conducted a sc;ret tn- ’ <
vestimation, that John J. McNamara had i J
directed a series of dynamite explo- I
sions. 1
This was made known by Bodrwalter I |
today when he was Informed :ih*t the i
government’s investigation here embrao-1
ed an inquiry Into the circumstances of <
the four explosions directed agt.lnst Al
bert Von Sprecklesen, a general con
tractor, on account of labor troubles.
Bookwaiter declared that he expected i
to be subpenaed by the federal grand
jury, which resumed Its session today, i
He said he would bare all the detafig
of the municipal investigation which •
satisfied them that John J. McNamara,
as secretary-trdasurer of the Interna-- i
tional Assoc’qtion of Bridge and Struo- ’
tural Iron Workers, was the conspiring i
executive who caused ths explosions in
this vicinity.
ACCUSED M’NAMARA.
Bookwater even said that he himself'
had told John J. McNamara of the >
strong suspicion against him, and that
in his conversations with a score of la
bor leaders he had placed the respon
sibility upon the iron workers’ union.
"We were cm a street car together one
day shortly after the Von Spreckslsen
explo lions in October, 1909,’* said Boolt
water today, “when John J., whom I
knew very well, asked me in a aunting
way if I bad learned who blew up the
buildings. I was Irritated those days;
because I myself had received threaten
ing letters and had to have a guard at
my house for 80 dajs, so I answered
rather hotly, Tes. and I could put my
hand on one of them without leaving
this car.’ ”
Asked whether he told anycna else,
beside McNamara of what his Inverftl
gation had disclosed, he said:
"Yes, I told a sccge of labor eaders
what I knew, and that the Iron work- >
era were to blame. You see, I know
all the labor union boys.”
CALLED IT A SHAME.
"What did they say when you blamed
the iron workers?"
“There are lots of good men In union
labor and they always have donounped
acts of violence. I tbJnk some of them
said it was a shame.’ 1
“Did any of these men tell Mr. Gom
pers that suspicion pointed strongly to
the guilt of the Iron workers?”
"I don’t know whether they told him
or not, but Sam Gompers is os u of the
best informed men in this country." #
r . Jlnol wats*- sgid-l|i»l ' .Hi n
Indianapolis several times subsequent
to his own conversations with the la
bor leaders, both before and after the
McNamaras were arrested, and that he
(Bookwater) met Gompers himself
twice while with labor union men, but
that no reference was made in Ills pres
ence to the explosions.
“The only remark I made about la- ,
bor matters to Gompers," said Rook
water, "was to teM him that we had a
strike when the city ball was built
and that the unions had made me ac
cede to their demands.”
DID GOMPERS KNOW?
Mr. Bookwater was then told that
investigation was being made as to
whether he had Informed Gompers. He
denied that he was intimate enough to
have discussed the question because
of an alleged business association.
“I don’t know Mr. Gompe’s well
enough to talk about these things,'”.
exclaimed Bookwater. “It's true that
my partner, Hugo Thorsch is a close
friend of Mr. Gompers, having known j
him for 20 years.” ’
"Do you think Mr. Gompers knew
while there explosions were going on i
who wes responsible for them?"
“Gompers is the general of a great I
army and like a general, ht did not tn- 1
quire when any of his men were en- i
gaging in guerrila warfare. But if this ’
were called to the attention of the gen- j
eral,’ naturally he would rebuke them.** ;
"Do you think he could ha ve stop-1
ped it had he tried?" ,
"I do not, as the iron workers wert 1
only an allied organization in the .
American Federation of Labor. John J. I
McNamara was not the kina of man to ,
take orders from anybody.”
PROBE WAS SEARCHING.
Book water asserted that his 1 rrreotfgw
tion convinced him beyond any doubt '
that McNamara and the Iro aworitoM IJ
were guilty. He said the Inquiry, j
though lasting only 46 days, was a |
thorough one and was dropped because ;
his term of mayor expired.
“I myself had financed much of the ‘
work.” said Bookwater, "and when I 1
left office I had no further interest as a I
public official in thb matter.”
Mr. Book water shortly after this be- I
came identified with a large printing;
house patronized chiefly by big labor un- i
lons. He denied ths.t Mr. Gompers had;
any interest In the concern und said
the sole owners besides himself were I
Hugo Thorsch, Frank W. Ball and Leo I
Rappaphort, counsel for the Interna
tional Association of Bridge arid Struct- I
urai Iron Workers here. Rappaphort
defended John J. McNamara in. the ex- 1
tradition proceedings prior to his
moval to California.
BURNS AT WORK.
William J. Burns, who is here in re-,
sponse to a subpena to testify before
the federal grand jury, admitted that
his detectives were working on the de
tails revealed in the investigation by
Bookwater and the circumstances that
at .ended the dropping of the Inquiry oy
city auh tori ties.
"LEADERS NOT HELPING."
"No union labor leaders, not even Sana- J
uel Gompers, head of the American Fed
eration of Labor, have lifted a hand to
help us in cleaning up the big d/uasite
conspiracy, either before or after the Me-;
Namara confessions at Los Angeles,”
today said Oscar Lewler, special gov- j
ernment prosecutor for the district of ‘
southern California. He and John D. >
Fredericks, prosecuting attornew of Los •
Angeles, conferred with Charles W. Mil
ler, United States district attorney, be
fore the federal grand jury of this dis-*
trict today resumed its Inquiry into the !
alleged country-wide dynamiting plot.
Mr. Lawler asserted that though un- |
lon labor leaders were quick to de
nounce the McNamaras after their con- i
session and many of them were quoted
as saying that every* effort should be .
made to prosecute all guilty ]-ersons to * r
the full extent of tbe law, no one had
volunteered to get from the McNamaras
any details of the alleged conspiracy in :
which they hguied.
NO. 31.