Denver labor bulletin., 1917-01-20

IN tne case, every one OF tne Twelve ex-
perienced writers and investigators bet
on a prompt acquittal when a pool was
formed just before the case went to the
jury.
The charge is made by the defense
that professional jurors are strongly
inclined to follow the wishes of the
district attorney. who is represented in
the criminal trials and who by chai-
lenges and objections can control to
considerable degree the extent of their
jury service. The prosecutors infer
ence in his closing speech that a convic-
tion and life sentence would lead to
a full confession from Billings also in
fluenced the jury. Yet in the two
months that have elapsed since his con-
viction the district attorney has not at
tempted to obtain such a confession.
Campaign to Gust Unions
The bomb outrage of preparedness
day played directly into the hands of
the organized interests then already
launched on a campaign to discredit,
weaken and destroy effective labor or
ganization. Petty acts of violence in
connection with a strike of longshore-
men had been seized upon by the recent
ly organized law and order committee Of
the Chamber of Commerce as material
for an indictment against the lawless-
ness of labor, and this in spite of the
fact that the only murder occurring DUR
ing the strike was committed by ne
gro strikebreaker and that Captain Rob
ert Dollar, ship owner and leading
spirit in the organization of the law and
order committee, had openly advocated
sending union men to the hospital as
means of breaking the union and this at
the very meeting at which the claw
and order committee was organized.
Captain Dollars utterance to this eff
feet was admitted to the writer by Fred
erick j. Roster, president of the Cham
ber of Commerce and chairman of the
law and order committee.
Labor Baiters in a Panic.
Following the arrest of Mooney and
his wife, Billings, Nolan and Weinbers,
District Attorney Fickert gave to the
press a series of interviews asserting
that he had evidence to land all five Of
the defendants and that there was not
the slightest doubt of their guilt. These
eXtTavagant statements, disproved al
ready in the case of Billings by the ex-
tremely tenuous and circumstautial ma
ture of the evidence, as well as by Flick
ert's repeated unsuccessful efforts to OBJ
tain confessions, were designed to throw
leaders into a panic and discourage their
coming to the support of the accused
uniouists, lest developments should
prove the men guilty and thereby seem
ingly conf irm and immeasurably
strengthen the claims of the law and
order committee and render compare.
lively easy its campaign to destroy ell
fective union organization in San Fran
cisco.
Added to the force of this peculiar
situation, another set OF circumstances
operated to prevent trade union leaders
from coming to the support of the ac-
cused men with the usual alacrity and
enthusiasm. Mooney, Billings and No
Ian had been leaders in the radical min
ority wing OF the San Francisco labor
movement, and had taken part in the
persistent wrangles and disputes over
methods and policy that are part OF the
proceedings of every healthy labor move
ment in the world. They had openly
and bitterly attacked some of the most
prominent union leaders in San Fran
cisco-always within the organization
and at union meetings, and had incurred
the animosity Of some of labor's strong
est men.
But while they had undoubtedly been
extreme and perhaps unfair during some
of these controversies, and had advo,
Gated and practiced methods which more
experienced unonists rcpudiate and con-
denim, they were men whose devotion to
the union cause could not be questioned.
Nor, the writer is convinced after sew
eral personal interviews, are they OF the
type of fanatic who would have entered
into conspiracy to commit a crime
not only abhorrent to any humane man,
but one that would obviously strike
deadly blow at the cause to which they
were devoted.
Cochran Leads For Defense.
Today the rank and file of organ
lied labor in San Francisco refuses TO
believe that the men in jail are guilty,
and responsible union officials are more
prepared than formerly to go to their
defense and insist at least that they
receive fair trial The California State
Federation of Labor has issued an ap-
peal for funds for their defense, and
the Machinists Local Union of San Fran
cisco has contributed 81 900 toward No
lan's defense.
Robert Minors bulletins and circular
letters relating the scant and flimsy
evidence on which Billings was convicted
and the suspicious circumstances sur
rounding the prosecution have succeeded
in arousing the interest of many persons
thruout the country. Frank p. Walsh,
chairman Of the committee on industrial
relations, has declared his belief that
the men are being held on insufficient
evidence and has contributed to the de-
fense fund. Mrs. J. Sargent Cram ana
others in New York have taken an ac-
tive interest in the cases. And W.
Bourke Cochran, brilliant orator and law
yer of New York city, has agreed to de-
fend Mooney, Nolan, Weinberg and Mrs.
Mooney free of cost to the defense.
The trial Of Mooney began January