The 1911 McNamara Bros. Murder Trial was the OJ Simpson/Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Case of Its Time
History Unplugged Podcast
History Unplugged
4.2 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 19 January 2023
⏱️ 36 minutes
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Summary
Though his fifty-year-long career was replete with momentous cases, specifically his work in the Scopes Monkey Trial and the Leopold and Loeb Murder Trial, Darrow’s Nightmare zeroes in on just two years of Darrow’s career: 1911 to 1913. It was during this time period that Darrow was hired to represent the McNamara brothers, two union workers accused of bombing the Los Angeles Times building, an incident that resulted in twenty-one deaths and hundreds more injuries.
Along with investigative journalist Lincoln Steffens, Darrow negotiated an ambitious plea bargain on behalf of the McNamara brothers. But the plan soon unraveled; not long after the plea bargain was finalized, Darrow was accused of attempting to bribe a juror. As Darrow himself became the defendant, what was once his shining moment in the national spotlight became a threat to the future of his career and the safety of his family.
Today’s guest is Nelson Johnson, author of Darrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer: (Los Angeles 1911–1913). Drawing upon the 8,500-page transcript saved from the two trials, Johnson makes Darrow’s story come to life like never before.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The best known criminal defense attorneys in American history is Clarence Daryl. Spencer |
| 0:09.8 | Tracy was patterned after him in the 1960 movie Inherit the Wind, and companions of the |
| 0:14.5 | greatest speeches in American history, who were put out in the early to mid-20th century, |
| 0:18.4 | usually include his speeches along with those of Daniel Webster, Patrick Henry, or others |
| 0:23.0 | in the American political pantheon. He was nationally recognized for his eloquence, |
| 0:27.0 | cross-examinations, and support for the underdog, both in and out of the courtroom. His |
| 0:31.3 | 50-year-long career was full of important cases. They had the time where every bit the media |
| 0:35.8 | sensation of the OJ Simpson trial or the Johnny Dap Amber Hurd civil case, including his |
| 0:40.5 | work in the Scopes Monkey trial and the Leopold and Lobe murder trial. |
| 0:43.8 | But in today's episode, we're going to zero in on two years of Daryl's career from |
| 0:47.8 | 1911 to 1913. Today's guest is Nelson Johnson, author of the book Daryl's Nightmare, a forgotten |
| 0:53.4 | story of America's most famous trial lawyer. Daryl was hired to represent the McNamara brothers, |
| 0:58.3 | two union workers accused of bombing the Los Angeles Times building, an incident that |
| 1:02.0 | resulted in 21 deaths and hundreds more injuries. He wasn't getting into the heart of the |
| 1:06.8 | tensest times of the labor movement when big businesses hired goons to rough up protesters, |
| 1:11.8 | and unions had plenty of their own muscle to threaten anyone who would walk across a |
| 1:15.0 | picket line. This is a forgotten but extremely important chapter in American history, and I |
| 1:18.5 | hope you enjoyed this discussion with Nelson Johnson. |
| 1:24.1 | And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for a word from |
| 1:27.3 | our sponsors. |
| 1:28.3 | What was it like to watch the Twin Tower's collapse on 911? How about to be sent to Auschwitz |
| 1:33.8 | during the Holocaust? Our past is a collection of stories that bring us to where we are and |
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