The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-07-23
Mooney
Case Is
EIldinQ!
By Mabel Abbott

The Mooney case went to the jury
at / p. m. Immediately on re-
uring the jurors took one ballot
without an agreement and then
went to lunch.
The final argument for the
state, delivered by Deputy District
Attorney Ferrari, was violent
attack on the credibility of the
defense witnesses. He charged
that perjury had been freely used
by the defense and asserted that
the alibi which the defense at
tempted to set up for the defend
ant was built up by false test,
mony.
He asserted that the fact thai
so many defense witnesses knew
exactly the time of certain Incl
dents was suspicious.
The trial, as most people now
know, is the aftermath of the bomb
explosion that killed and wounded
many persons during a prepared
ness parade on Market street lit
tie more than a year ago.
Tom Mooney, a. labor organizer;
Rena Mooney, his wife, music
teacher; Israel Weinberg, jitney
bus driver; Warren K. Billings,
and Edward d. Nolan, all active in
union labor circles, were arrested
and charged with murder.
Interest Lays
Billings was tried and sentenced
to the penitentiary for life. Mooney
was tried and sentenced to be
hanged. His appeal is pending.
Mrs. Mooney is now on trial.
They claim they knew nothing
of the bomb plot, and that the
prosecution is an act of revenge
by a corporation for union activi-
ties.
In San Francisco. the tickle, the
forgetful, the shock of the bomb
tragedy made the trial hold public
interest as it dragged along, much
longer than San Francisco is in
terested in the average event. But
a year is long time, and San
Francisco has many other interests
to keep pace with-the war, the
draft, high prices, the cafes and
the shows.
Comes a Sensation
And in other parts of the coun-
try, outside of labor circles, the
case soon became only a name, IL
so much.
Until last April, when it sud
denly took new turn.
Alleged letters from a states
witness, Oman, to a friend, F. e.
Rigall, offering him money to give
manufactured testimony against
the defendants, were discovered
and published, with charges of per-
Jury, official connivance, etc.
San Francisco buzzed once more
with the sensation. Oxman was
arrested and is now awaiting trial.
Europe Knew of 1t
Eastern papers we're astonished
by receiving cables from Russia
and Holland, inquiring about the
Mooney case. Of which they them
selves had not heard.
The trial had become a world
event, like the Dreyfus affair and
the Bells ritual murder" case,
before America found 1t out.
California still hangs murderers
and murderesses.
So across Rena Mooney, rs 1
have seen her in the courtroom,
hangs the shadow of a dangling
moose.
The courtroom has been crowd
ed every day of the trial, entrance
is roped and guarded by police.
Charles M. Fickert, district at
torney. conducting the prosecution,
Is big man, broad of shoulder
and long of limb.
Maxwell McNutt, his chief OPP
ponent in the defense, is slender
and wiry. They argued like duel
ipts who are using different
Weapons. Fickert smashed away
with the club Of pronunciation. Nc |
Mutt thrust with the sword OF
dramatic simplicity.
The Old and the Young
The jurymen that listened--the
men who are deciding TOD,
ssace~--c <lsfs1iss