The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-29
MOONEY GETS
COMPUTATION
TO LIFE TERM
Gov. Stephens Grants Pleas
to Save Labor Leader
From Death.
CONVICTED IN BOMB CASE
Long Court Fight for New
Trial Fails and Strikes Were
Threatened.

SACRAMENTO. Cal. Nov. 2S.-Gov.
William d. stephens tonight COM
muted Thomas J. Moneys death SEN
tence to life imprisonment. He was
TO have been hanged December 13.
Gov. Stephens's statement announc-
ing the Communication said that in con-
sidering the case he had had before
him "the urgent appeal OF the Presi-
dent of the United States that 1 grant
Communication"
Originally, in January of this year.
says the statement, "I received let
ter from the President asking me II 1t
would not be possible to postpone the
execution of Mooney until he could be
tried upon one OF the other indict-
ments against him.
"Inasmuch as an appeal already had
been taken to the Supreme Court Of
California, which appeal itself acted as
a stay of the execution, there was at
that time no occasion for action on my
part. l take 1t that the President was
not correctly informed as to the status
of the case"
why stephens Did Not N, .."Torc.
In explaining why he had not felt
called upon to act previously the Gov
ernor said:
The case as presented to the Cali
fornia courts was that OF murder,
without further evidence OF motive
than the impossible tenets of anarch-
lists. whose sympathies for the Ger
man cause in the war are we'll known.
Their wild pacifist theories fitted into
the widespread activities of the kais-
er's agents in this country.
so long as avenues of appeal to the
court remained open 10 Mooney, and
he was availing himself thereof,
deemed il improper for executive au-
thority to interfere. refuse to recog-
nize this case as in any fashion repre-
senting a clash between capital and
labor"
The Governor characterized as alb
surd the propaganda that would make
Mooney appear as martyr to the
cause of labor. He denied that Mooney
was n true friend Of labor and char
that 1t did not enlist faith in him
among law abiding citizens.
President Wilson's telegram to Gov.
Stephens March 81. 1918, read:
With very great respect take the
liberty of saying to you that If you
could see your way TO commute the
sentence of Mooney it would have a
most heartfelt effect upon certain in
ternational affairs which his execution
would greatly Complicate.'
June the President teleGraphed
again as follows
Il beg that you will believe that l
am moved only by sense OF public
duty and Of consciousness of the many
and complicated interests involved
when | again most respectfully sug-
Gest IA Commutation of the death SEN
tence. imposed upon Mooney. | would
not venture again to call your attCu-
ton TO this case did l not know the
international significance which at
taches to It,"
Convicted of Womnn's Murd,r.
Mooney WAS convicted for the muir
der OF Mrs. Myrtle Irene Van Loo.
MERGED. Cal. one Of ten persons killed
by a CloCkwofk bomb which exploded
on Market street in San Francisco at
y preparedness Day" parade there
July %, 1916.
Four others were indicted on ter
counts of murder. but Moneys case
was singled out as an issue by labor
organizations of several countries.
Strikes were urged in various parts
Of the country, and others were urged
in other countries as labor's protests.
INSIST ON STRIKE PLAN.