Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-11-29
MOONEY NOW FACIl;|ee
LIFE INPRISONNk'1y'T
Governor Stephens Says His Action Was Taken Because OF
New Evidence Which Could Not Be Considered By State
Supreme Court And Because OF Requests by President
Wilson For Communication OF llooneys Sentence
Sacramento, Cal, Nov. 2s.-Thomas

Sacramento, CAL, Nov. 29.--Thomas
j. Mooney faced life in prison today.
By committing Moneys death SEN
tence to life Imprisonment, Governor
William d. Stephens saved mooney s
life, but failed to make the provision
for a new trial which labor organiza-
tions in the United States and other
countries have demanded.
The governor s action was predicted
exclusively yesterday by the Unlss,d
Press.
Governor Stephens issued statement
is which he said his action was taken
because Of new evidence which could
not be considered by the state supreme
caurt, and because Of "earnest requests
Of the president for commutation."
Made Telegrams Public.
The governor made public two tele-
grams sent him by President Wilson
y, which the president urged commu
tation Of Moneys sentence, stating
that he respectfully suggested the COM
mutation of the death sentence. I1e
president explained his action by re-
&crring to "she international signifi-
carce which attaches to the case.'
The governor declares as absurd"
uhe propaganda which has "been car.
RED on to make it appear he (MooneyJ
is q martyr to the cause of labor. -
II refuse to recognize this case as
in any fashion representing q clash be-
tween capital and labor says the
statement.
Reviewed Outrage.
Reviewing the preparedness parade
bomb outrage, Governor Stephens tells
how on July %, 1916, ten persons were
killed and about SO others wounded In a
iJonib explosion in San Francisco.
HManifestly, because Of the occasion
chosen, hostility to the nation s defense
measures must have part in actuating
the perpetration of so horrible deed, -
he says.
He adds that { number of persons
of pronounced .nai chistic tendencies
we're arrested s,olliy after the explo-
sion, and Of tLtse Warren X. Billings
was convicted and sentenced to life I'M
pcisonmpIt, and Thomas J. Mooney
found guilty and sentenced to be hang
ed -
F::.llains Long Silence.
Stephens explains his long silence on
the Mooney ease by saying that as long
as the avenues of appeal remained open
to Mooney, he deemed it improper for
executive authority to Interfere.
The attempts to obtain new trial
for Mooney were carried through all
Eic state courts and to the United
States supreme court without success.
All the state courts refused to grant
Il new trial on the grounds they could
not go outside the records in the ease
The trial Judge, Franklin A. Griffin
has since twice asked Governor Steph
ems to grant conditional pardon
which would allow a new trial.
Efforts of the defense for new trial
were based largely upon the assertion
that since the trial it has been discov.
cred that material evidence against
Mooney was perjured evidence.
Governor Stephens acted without
svailing himself of the proffer by Sec-
fetary of Labor Wilson of the report
submitted by John B. Densmore, direc
tor general of employment, who was
commissioned by Wilson to investigate
tue Mooney case.