Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1911 — CHARGES BURNS USED DYNAMITE [ARTICLE]

CHARGES BURNS USED DYNAMITE

Structural Iron Worker Confesses as an Aid. BLOW AT UNION IS ALLEGED ■. i Men of National Erectors' Association Are Accused of Plotting to Injure Iron Workers' Union— Detective Makes Denial. Pittsburg, May 19. That he has been in the employ of Detective W. J. Burns of the National Detective Agency is the claim advanced by James Elliott of 2349 Bedford avenue, a structural iron worker. He made an affidavit at the Labor Temple before the officers of the Structural Iron Workers’ Union, in which he implicated Detective Burns, Walter Drew, a New York attorney and secretary of the National Erectors’ Association; John Buehey, local representative of the National Erectors’ Associar tion, and William Tanney, owner of a local detective agency, in dynamiting plots. The sum of Elliott’s confession is that Detective Burns was employed by the National Erectors’ Association to destroy property belonging to them which had been erected by non-union labor and do it in such a way that it would appear to have been done by union men. The object of all the dynamiting cases was to arouse the people of the country in such a way that the Structural Iron Workers’ Union would be injured. His statement is that the National Erectors’ Association, through. Detective Burns, is responsible for almost all the dynamite outrages that have been committed throughout the country for the last three years. Elliott says that he never saw any Of the plots executed, but that it was his work 10 show where to place the dynamite for the worst effects. Elliott was taken to the Central police station by Detective Roach, where he is being detained until some further investigation can be made of his story. Following the statement at the labor temple, Elliott made another one at the police station covering the same ground. The first statement was made before William J. Kelly, president of the Iron City Trade Council; H. A. Ashton, A. L. Collins, secretary of the Structural Iron Workers’ Union, and H. W. Legleitner, vice preisdent of , the International Association of National Bridge and Structural Iron Workers. Denied by W. J. Burns. Chicago, May 19. —William J. Bums said that he never heard of Elliott and laughed at the idea of his being implicated in a plot to ruin McNamara.