OCR Text |
Show Gen. Harrison Grey Otis, Owner of Los Angeles Times. Visiting Vis-iting in New York. TELLS WHY TRIAL OF THE . SUSPECTS' IS HELD BACK Attempt Being Made to Capture Alleged Accomplices, Supposed Sup-posed to Be in Europe. By Leased Wire to The Tribune. NEW YORK, May 13 For the first time since the Los Angeles Times building was dynamited last. September Septem-ber General Harrison Grey Otis, the newspaper's owner, is visiting New York. Ho is at the Waldorf-Astoria. He plainly shows the effects of the long strain under which he has been laboring since in August, 1000, a strike was declared against his paper. He was ill toda'. The tedious ride across tho continent had tired him, but when tho information clerk sent up word that reporters desired to interview inter-view him he dressed and received them with this admonition: "Now, bo careful what you write, boys; remember I'm a newspaper man myself." "Do ynu still receive threatening letters since the jailing of the two Mc-Namarns Mc-Namarns and McManigal?" he was asked. "T should say T did. Thirty or forty letters J. have received, and they all threaten either my own personal safety or that of my family. Since tlie McNamaras and McManigal were arrested ar-rested I boliove T havo received three. Thoy road, 'We'll get you yet,' or 'It's to bad old Otis wasn't in the building when it went, up in smoke.' Why Trial Is Held Back. "I will be frank, and sny that the trial is being hold back while an attempt at-tempt is bciiig mado to capturo Kaplan Kap-lan and Schmidt, the alleged accomplices accom-plices of the MV.Namaras and McManigal. Mc-Manigal. Thcso two men aro supposed to :be abroad. "Sinco I arrived hero today I havo been apprised that suspicion has been cast upon a high otlicial in San Francisco Fran-cisco and several prominent labor leaders in California. If they aro arrested ar-rested tho charge will probably be one of harboring, aidiug and abetting the dynamiters. "As a matter of fact, I had a pretty narrow escape. Shortly before the disaster I had gono down to Mexico City as a commissioner from tho American Amer-ican government to attend the oenton-nial oenton-nial of Mexican liberty. I was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on the very night tho explosion occurred. But when I got, to El Paso X found that a relative of mi no was sick, and I stopped over a day. Tho next morning I read in my own paper while tho train sped on to Los Angeles, of the dynamiting." "Of course you aro carotully guarded?" ono of tho reporters suggested. sug-gested. , . ,. , -. The general brought las fists down on his knees with a crack and sat bolt upright, as he replied with emphasis: "Not a bit of it, sir; not a bit. of it. Thoro was a tiuio shortly after tho ox-plosion ox-plosion when a guard was stationed around the house, but that was, at tho earnest solicitation of my good l'rionds and not at all through my own desire. . Does Away With Guard. "But I've done away with them now. Haven't a guard around my hquso or to follow me when out walking or to look for mc when I am traveling. And, what's more, I have yet to carry a gun or any other arms. As a matter of fact, mv friends and relatives are always after me because I don't take any "precautions. Maybe if you boys say so in your papers thoy '11 stop pes lering mo. " "But, General Otis, do those threats come to your family, too?" was the next question, General Otis remained silent for a minute. His eyes dimmed. Then ho turned to the reporter and said simply: "You know, boys, that's one ot the objects I don't like to talk much about. Fact is, T have no family living with me, and I'm kind of a lonesome old fellow. T have two daughters both married who live in Los Angolcs, but they live quito a distance from me. I want to get them as far from tho danger dan-ger zone as possible aud I don't quite dare to go often to their homes. "Then there is another family of mine my grandchildren nnd the sturdiest stur-diest lot of youngsters you ever say; but their grandpa can't sec them either. "Harry L. Chandler, my nssistaut manager and strong right aTm he's 1113-son-in-law. lie has boon followed for months by those fellows who aro after us. They seem to waut to get him as badly as thoj' do me. "Since the arrest of the McNamaras and McManigal their watching has redoubled re-doubled and it worries my daughter Harry's wife a good deal. Only a little lit-tle while ago she said to mo 'Father, why can't we go and live with you' This eternal spying on narry is more than 1 can bear.' " 'Why, daughter,' I told her, 'if you came up to my house it would simply double the danger." Purpose in Visiting New York. General Otis was asked what brought him to New York. He replied that he had eomo to Now York at the earnest invitation of the National Association of American Manufacturers, which meets at the Waldorf on Tuosdav. Ho has also business hero connected with his paper, but it has no bonringj upon the dynamiting of the Times building. Ho may spond several days hero, .but contingencies may ariso which will lengthen his stuy several weeks. Ho did not care to say what those contingencies might be. "Will you soo Detective Burns?" was a question put to tho general. "I certainly shall," he answered, "if Mr. Burns is iu town during my stay." Burns left for Chicago lTrida3-night. lTrida3-night. "I want to express right here," the general continued, "my admiration for Mr. Burns 's work on this case. He has pursued the most admirable methods, meth-ods, and has been tireless on the quest, working night and day. I am more than nnxiou.t that, amplo pay and credit be given Burns, Wc wore on outs with him because of some of his work during the graft investigations investi-gations in San Francisco during the rogimes or Sehmitz and Euef. "Wc opposed him strenuously then and opposod his selection as the trailer of the men who had committed the outrago on our building. But. the city authorities employed him, and now I am frank to say' that I havo nothing but praise for him. "I tjiink that, wo have a perfectly straight case against the. McNamaras and McManigal. Everything seems to indicate that thcyt are the men who did the work." |