2-377-985 - Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images

The McNamara brothers on their way back to jail, California, USA, 1911. John and James McNamara were Los Angeles trade unionists who bombed the offices of the 'Los Angeles Times' in 1910 during a labour dispute, causing a fire that killed 21 workers and injured a further 100. They were represented at their trial by the celebrated lawyer Clarence Darrow. Darrow realised that evidence proved that the brothers were guilty and convinced them to withdraw their original not guilty pleas and plead guilty instead. James McNamara was sentenced to life imprisonment, dying in prison in 1941, while John served 15 years. Although Darrow had succeeded in avoiding the death penalty for his clients, he was widely perceived within the union movement as having sold them out. In addition, evidence came to light of attempts, in which Darrow was implicated, to bribe members of the jury, for which he faced two lengthy trials. He was acquitted in the first case, but the second trial resulted in a hung jury. The District Attorney agreed not to proceed with a retrial on the proviso that Darrow promised not to practice law in California again.