Tracking down the bombers Los Angeles Times bombing

william j. burns

the times , law enforcement authorities announced perpetrators caught immediately, weeks passed, , no arrests made. city of los angeles posted $25,000 reward capture of bombers, , m&m raised $50,000.

los angeles mayor george alexander hired private detective william j. burns on october 2, 1910, catch guilty parties. burns had been investigating nationwide wave of iron manufacturing plant bombings past 4 years on behalf of national erectors association, , took city job part of investigation. paid iron workers spy, hockin, burns learned iron workers union member ortie mcmanigal had been handling iron workers bombing campaign on orders union president ryan , secretary-treasurer mcnamara. mcmanigal , mcnamara borderline alcoholics liked drink , hunt @ same time. burns infiltrated 1 of late-winter hunting trips spy, , during trip mcnamara boasted of having blown times building. undercover private eye surreptitiously took photo of mcnamara. burns showed photo hotel clerk in los angeles, recognized mcnamara mr. j. b. bryce had checked in day before bombing , hurriedly checked out following morning.

arrest of j. b. mcnamara , ortie mcmanigal

on april 14, 1911, burns, burns son, raymond, , police officers detroit , chicago went oxford hotel in detroit , arrested mcmanigal , james b. mcnamara. dynamite, blasting caps , alarm clocks found in suitcases. men told being arrested robbing bank in chicago. since had watertight alibis alleged crime, both men agreed accompany burns , police officers chicago.

in chicago, mcmanigal , mcnamara not taken police station, private home of chicago police sergeant william reed , held april 13 until april 20. burns apparently convinced mcmanigal knew , mcmanigal save himself cutting deal authorities. mcmanigal agreed tell knew in order secure lighter prison sentence, , signed confession. said had not participated in times bombing, jim mcnamara had told him it, , done jim (j. b.) mcnamara , 2 others, matthew schmidt , david caplan (schmidt , caplan evaded arrest until 1915). mcmanigal said others involved included union president ryan, j. j. mcnamara, hockin , other iron worker leaders.

burns wired california officials , secured extradition papers mcmanigal, j. b. mcnamara , j. j. mcnamara. burns left indianapolis, indiana, iron workers had headquarters. assistance of officials of national erectors association, convinced governor thomas r. marshall issue arrest warrant j. j. mcnamara.

raid on union headquarters , arrest of j. j. mcnamera

on april 22, burns , 2 local police detectives burst executive board meeting of iron workers , arrested mcnamara. j. j. mcnamara taken before local circuit court. judge refused mcnamara s request attorney and, without legal authority so, released j. j. mcnamara custody of burns. arrest departure took 30 minutes. same day, mcmanigal , j. b. mcnamara taken los angeles police train california. 3 men arrived in los angeles on april 26.