Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-11-29
TOM MOONEY
SAvEDBYACT
0FGOvERN0R
Death Sentence Is Com
muted to Life Imprison-
ment by Stephens.

Sacramento, Cal. Nov. 29-Thn
sentence Of Thomas J. Mooney.
sentenced to be hanged Dec. 13 in
connection with the deaths of 10
persons from a bomb explosion Ia
san Francisco in July, 1916 was
Commuted by Governor W. D.
Stephens today TO Imprisonment
for life
Governor stephens, in commut-
ing the sentence Of Thomas J.
Mooney tO life Imprisonment. gave
out the following statement:
~ on July -, 1916. 10 persons
men. women and children-wer
killed and about fifty other
wounded in a homb explosion dur
ing a preparedness parade in the
city of San Francisco The parad-
was patriotic manifestation into
which the people had entered with
much spirit and loyal impulse
ManifestIy, because OF the occa-
sion chosen. hostility to the ma
tion's defense measures must have
had a part in actuating The perpe
tTatiOn Of So horrible a deed II Is
not unreasonable to assume that
sympathy or even "A definite rela-
tionship existed between those
murders and the propaganda and
violence then being engaged i'll
throughout the country by agents
OF the German government.
Presented Only aS Murder.
The case as presented 10 the
California courts was that of mur-
de-. without further evidence Of
motive than the impossible tencts
of anarchists. whose svmpathie7
are we'll known. Their wild paci-
fst theories filled into the wide
spread actiyitIas--of the kaiser S.
agents in this country.
a number Of persons OF pro-
nouuced anarchistjc tendencies
We're arrested shortly after the ex-
plGsion and of these Warren X
Billings was convicted and sen
tenced to life Imprisonment and
Thomas j. Mooney found guilty
and sentenced TO be hanged.
Authority jor Clemency.
So long a. avenues Of appeal to
the courts remained opened -
Mooney and he was ayaiIing him
sell thereof. | deemed il improper
for executive authority 10 inter
ferp. Although the constitution Of
California clothes the governor
with power 10 exercise cIemency al
any time after conviction. il is i'm
portaut as far as practicable not
To interfere il any criminal case
until the judicial branch mas finally
disposed OF it. Only recently has
lnal action been taken by thc
United States supreme court ana
the case Of the people v. Thomas
J. Mooney placed sQuaTtly before
me
In considering the Mooney casa.
have had before me the urgent
appeal OF the president Of the
United States that ] grant cOmmu-
tayiuu.
Says Wilson Hisinf0rmed.
"OriEinalIy. in January OF this
wear. received letter from tn
president asking mo il il would no
be possible Ju postpone the eXecu-
uOu OF Mooney until he could bt
tried upon one OF the other iadict-
ments against him.
"IHasmucb as an appea. already
mad been taken ID the supreme
court OF California. which appeal
itself acted as a stay Of the eXecu-
tiun. there was at that time no
occasion for action on nv part.
take ir that the president was nos
correctly informed as TO the status
Of rne case"
NOt Clash OF Classes.
The statement reviews the case
fully and quotes IN their entirety
the TWO messages from President
Wilson. in which the ac.lon nov
taken by the governor was sug-
Eested. The Communication. says tho
governor. reduces the case 10 the
status OF that Of Warren X Eli
l5uEs-
III refuse 10 recognize this case
as n any fashion representing a
clash between capital and labor
the governor SAYS. and he charaC-
teriZes as absurd the propaganda
That would make Mooney appear a
q DaTtyTe 20 the cause OF labor. In
Df This statement he quotes
a letter from Alexander Berkman
outlining The plan afterward adopt
ed for the Mooney campaign.
Not Friend Of Labor
The governor denies that M0ouev
IS q true friend Of labor and char
acterizes his previous record Is
such that If does not enlist faith
in him among law-abidinE citizens.
but SAYS ~ conclusion that his par
tcuIar case mas been decided upon
Its merits
Nothing More 10 he Done.
The death sentence u Thomas
Mooney, eonyicred OF murder in
connection u IN the bomb explosion
which Killed 10 people July -,
1916. during a preparedness day
parade, having been commuied TO
life seutenr- by Governor Steph-
eUs last evening. no further legal
steps can b.. invoked in Mooney
ichas. afcoruey's said today