New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-15

special Correspondence Of The Tribunel
San Francisco, May lathe battle
over the guilt Of Thomas J. Mooney
and his four fellow prisoners, which
has been wagcd in the courts, the
newspapers and all strata Of society
for the last month, has been reopened.
The fight inclined in favor OF the
defendants to-day. when II was an
nounced that the trial of Mrs. Rena
Mooney wife of the condemned man,
had been postponed one week.
This action followed the voluntary
refusal of Superior Judge Dunno TO
sit in any of the cases arising out OF
the Preparedness Parade outrage. The
Judge took this stand after denying
the motion which sought TO disqualify
him on the ground that he was BIASED
and prejudiced. lie contradicted the
insinuation that he was in any way
hostile to the prisoners, and then with
drew Of his own accord.
This is the latest development in a
case that has stirred feeling in San
Francisco to a more bitter state than
that which existed during the old graft
fight Here are the facts which led
up to the present situation:
What Led TO Situation
During the Preparedness Parade on
July %. 1916, bomb was thrown INTO
the marching ranks of citizens. Ten
persons were killed and fifty were IN
iured. In the weeks tina. followed the
foIlowinp were arrested, charged with
the crime:
Thomas !. Mooney. Socialist labor
agitator. lie is not an anarchist as
his opponents have alleged. In 1919
he was tried and acquitted OF the
charge Of attempting to blow up the
tower Of the Pacific Gas and Electro
Company. He hss never had the con
fdoncc OF organized labor. and has
becn accused OF fomenting. trouble Tor
personal gain.
Warren X. Billings. twenty-three
years old. served year in foisom
prison. in 1924. having been ar
rested with dynamite in his possession
ia Sacramento. While ne IS MEMBER
of the Shoe Workers Union, his laoor
activities have been negligible ana ne
was little known among labor union
lists.
Mrs. Rcna Mooney, wife of Mooney
also known as Wild agltaVor' 'nc
was at her husbands side when ne
made An attempt to organize the
United Railroads, two weeks before the
explosion. by stopping the cars ana
routing the platform mon.
Israel Weinberg, member OF the oN.
ecutive board of the Jitney Drivers
Union. which at the time of the eN-
plosion was lighting an attempt by the
United Railroads TO drive the Jitneys
from the streets Weinberg was little
known in labor circles.
Edward d. Nolan. a member OF the
Machinists' Union. While he is known
to have radical views. he has never
been apprehended in any connection
with dynamiting and violence. a week
after the discovery of the Oxman let
ters he was released on $3.50 bail; the
District Attorney admitting after hol
inL him in jail nine months, that the
evidence was insufficient.
San Francisco Shocked
San Francisco was shocked at the
.ime of the outrage, then indignant,
then hotlv determined that the alleged
perpetrators should suffer 20 the full.
extent of the law.
Hang them first and try them after
ward" was the often repeated slogan,
in which all except the most RAJ lcal
group in California Joined. Union
labor repudiated the prisoners and
Joined for the most part in the demand
for their execution.
Last September Billings was founo
guilty and sentenced to life imprison-
ment On February 9 Mooney was con
demned to die on May II. The verdict
was one Of the most popular ever re-
turned in California.
Chief witness against Mooney was
Frank c. Oman. of Durkee. Ore. he
testified that he had seen four OF the
five defendants at the snot where the
explosion occurred on the day OF the
parade. He told IF seeing the suitcase
in which the bomb was concealed. The
honest old cattlemsn's' story was a