Bombing Los Angeles Times bombing

los angeles times building, after bombing disaster on october 1, 1910

on evening of 30 september 1910, j. b. mcnamara left suitcase full of dynamite in narrow alley between times building , times annex, known ink alley. suitcase left near barrels of flammable printer s ink. dynamite had detonator connected mechanical windup clock, set close electric battery circuit @ 1 am, , set off explosion. left similar bombs, set explode @ 1 am, next home of times publisher harrison gray otis , home of felix zeehandelaar, secretary of mma. mcnamara boarded train san francisco, , out of town when times building bomb went off.

this escalation of bombing campaign. previously, nonunion workplaces had been targeted. union expanding targets homes of anti-union leaders, , newspaper noted anti-union editorial policy.

at 1:07 a.m. on october 1, 1910, bomb went off in alley outside three-story los angeles times building located @ first street , broadway in los angeles. 16 sticks of dynamite in suitcase bomb not enough destroy whole building, bomb ignited natural gas piped building. times morning paper, , had employees working during late-night early-morning hours. bombers unaware number of times employees working overnight produce edition next afternoon carry results of vanderbilt cup auto race. bomb collapsed side of building, , ensuing fire destroyed times building , second structure next door housed paper s printing press. of 115 people still in building, 21 died (most of them in fire). times called bombing crime of century , , publisher otis excoriated unions anarchic scum, cowardly murderers, leeches upon honest labor, , midnight assassins.

the exact number of deaths uncertain. remains of 20 identified. parts of either 1 or 2 additional bodies pulled rubble.

an unresolved contradiction j. b. mcnamara’s knowledge of gas pipes in times building. after confessed bombing, insisted had not known of gas pipes. however, ortie mcmanigal testified before arrest, mcnamara had told him had gone times building – challenged twice, each time passed saying on way composing room – went basement , wrenched off gas valve, maximize destruction.

other bombs

on morning of 1 october, zeehandelaar’s maid found package behind bush beneath bedroom window. police called, , opened , disarmed bomb. spring of mechanical clock had apparently been wound tightly, slowing clock, , preventing bomb exploding on time. unexploded bomb contained valuable clues bombers’ method. in addition, investigators able trace dynamite source.

the caretaker @ otis home heard of zeehandelaar bomb, , decided search around otis house. found leather suitcase behind bushes under bay window. again police arrived, , carried suitcase away house , out in open. while cutting open suitcase, clockwork alarm went off inside suitcase. police ran safety before bomb exploded. investigators speculated that, zeehandelaar bomb, clock mechanism @ otis house had been wound tightly, delaying explosion.

on same night times building explosion, there reported attempted break-in @ times auxiliary building, in 2 men chased off security guard. incident @ first assumed bombing attempt.

the iron workers strike committee in los angeles , samuel gompers, president of american federation of labor (afl), condemned bombing , claimed no labor union or individual have been responsible.

bombing returns l.a.

after several months, appeared times bombers had gotten clean away. union decided time more bombings in los angeles, , sent ortie mcmanigal list of 5 bombing targets, including times auxiliary printing plant, llewellyn iron works, baker iron works, , 2 nonunion construction sites: los angeles county hall of records , hotel alexandria. j. j. mcnamara told mcmanigal had promised “coast bunch” christmas present, , wanted explosions take place on christmas day. mcmanigal set off dynamite bomb @ llewellyn iron works, partially wrecking plant , doing $25,000 in damages, found 2 of other sites closely guarded, , never visited remaining two. j. j. mcnamara angry 1 of sites bombed, mcmanigal told him security tight.