dynamiters

According the the 1/1/1913 Washington Post (page 3 "Prison train on Way"), the train left Indianapolis and headed to the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. This was a special prison train with two passenger coaches and one baggage car that departed at 12:10 in the afternoon. 33 convictec conspirators were transported at once. The train carried the nickname "dynamiters' special". It was boarded at a siding near the county jail. US Marshals and news reporters accompanied the prisoners. According to the 1/3/1913 Washington Post (p1 "Plotters in 'Pen'") the train was greeted by cheering crowds at every station, though the trip was supposed to be somewhat secret. Midnight was spent passing Jefferson County, Missouri, where the prisoners were allowed to drink coffee to celebrate the new year. Near Kansas City they passed a rail road bridge which the dynamiters had blown up as part of their conspiracy. Ironically, "almost the first question on entering the penetentiary was about the library" -- they blew up part of the Hawthorne Library in Indianapolis.

Here's some of the background to the photo, in New York Time, 1 January, 1913: query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9505E5D91E3AE6...

Clarence Darrow represented some of the labor movement dynamiters: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MacNamara_Brothers

After doing some research, I believe this scene occurred December 31, 1912 in the afternoon. On December 30th, 32 officials of the International Assocation of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers were sentenced to Federal prison by Judge Anderson for their part in the "dynamite conspiracy". Thirty-two "dynamiters" under arrest were transported from the Marion County Jail in Indianapolis by an equal number of deputies under Marshal Schmidt. They marched south on Alabama Street to the Virginia Avenue viaduct where they boarded a special train. A squad of Indianapolis Police was also on hand. They were transported to Leavenworth Prison via St. Louis. Source: Indianapolis Star, December 31, 1912 and January 1, 1913.