New-York tribune., 1918-11-23
Federal Agent Accuses
San Francisco Dis
trict Attorney
Dictaphone Used
To Get Evidence
Tax Collector, Ex-Supreme
Judge and Other OFF,
Gals Involved
fspekial Dispatch to The Tribune)

fSpeSiaI Dispatch to The TriJune)
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov, 22.-
With Thomas J. Mooney in the shadow
Of the galIows, his reprieve from the
death sentence for alleged participa-
ton in the preparedness parade bomb
murders, expiring December 13, a SEN
sation was created to-day by the pub
cation by John B. Densmore, Federal
director of employment, of a report
charging wholesale corruption in the
preparation of the case against Mrs
pena Mooney and other cases.
The report, sent by Mr.. Densmore to
Secretary of Labor William b. Wilson,
transcribes in minute detail the con-
versation of District Attorney Charles
NJ. Fickert. with the assistants in his
Office and persons outside the Office,
with whom he talked over the tele-
phone.
Dictaphone in Office
A dictaphone installed in Fickerts
private Office, Densmore says, was the
means of securing the record of con-
versations, in which appear pete" Nc
Donough. Tax Collector Edward F.
BRYANT, former Justice of the Supreme
Court F. w. Henshaw, Martin Swanson,
private detective. and others, besides
various assistant district attorneys,
secretaries and stenographers in Flick
ert's Office.
The first conversation recorded
through the dictaphone was on Septem-
ber of this year, and the report con-
tinues to give minute picture of the
intimate transactions in the private Of
the remainder of September and Octo-
Der.
The purport of the record thus OBJ
tanned is to show the methods of the
District Attorney and his assistants in
securing evidence in the Mooney case
Talks of the District Attorney with
Martin Swanson, detective formerly
employed by the power companies and
who had collected much of the evidence
: 10 the Mooney case, are incorporated
BY Densmore in his report at length.
In summarizing the record obtained
through the dictaphone, Densmore says:
"The record established three sets of
fats, each one of which has a bearing
upon the question at issue, namely,
Enethor Mooney and his fellow de-
isndants received fair trials at the
aands OF the District Attorney.
Doubts His Honesty
these three sets of facts are:
Flrst-That Fickert is in constant
association with men and interests of
Il such a nature as to render it incredi-
Die that he should be either impartial
4 Or honest in the conduct of a case of
this nature; that he is and has been
ior pme time past cooperating with
notorious jury and case fixers; that,
ior instance, he is guilty with Pete
+ acDonough IN consplring to free a
wealthy man charged with crimes of
! degeneracy; and that he has also been
I. WORKING with the same notoriously cor
rupt McDonough and others to save
nom conviction Dave Blaine, an auto
mobile tire thief. These cases are men
noned simply to illustrate his common
Practice, OF which abundant evidence is
furnished by this report.
Second-That Fickert and his as
,stants and associates have within the
iast month framed and conspired to
frame cases with which it was his
sworn duty to deal impartially.
Ihlrd-Ihat FIckert and his asso-
GATES, within the last month, have con-
spired to tabrlcate evidence with which
70 convict Mrs. Rcna Mooney, and that
70 this end they have attempted in the
gfossest manner to intimidate and
oisckmai a prospective woman wit
Hess"
Plot, Declares Fickert
,f1ckert spent the greater part of the
ssiternoon in reading the transcript of
ais conversation in the Densmore re-
port When he had finished he said:
Inls IS desperate attempt to break
aoWn the Mooney case 1t may result
Ii
"flai evidence recently secured"
several brief conversations between
,rormer Justice f. w. Henshaw and
i sckert are part of the dictaphone
iscord. These conversations relate to
..'.ioence which Fickert obtained from
s.a lug 10 time in various parts of the
raT, Tor the most part concerning j..
". v" plots and anarchistic activities,
.e .s.h as the prosecution claimed char
ssxrzed the history of the defendants
~ me Preparedness Day crime.
an affinity is shown to exist be
ss seen them" says Densmore, speaking
a ei the Fickert- Henshaw conversation.
ss v,sn henshaw exercising sinister
masence over the District Attorneys
,.asNhough not part Of his investi-
,s'Vh ,s.a OF the Mooney case, Densmore
snouuced IN his report an account of
h. Syua,iession y, which, he says. was made
". ). Dingee. and which, he says,
! ,,sn, ,v" IN MS possession, in which Hem
Mio ~ accused of having received
Sspooo following reversal by the
ri rsRifeme Court in the famous Fair
,s.t ease. Densmore goes on to say
4 ueiter this confession was called
sre,. .n1snaw'S 20 attention he resigned
d 'la a she Supreme Court and promised
sri.s his influence TO secure a new
w.. ''r Thomas J. Mooney
viii hooney, Thomas J. MONEYS
hssL..rwaas was indicted together with her
iels ilsoand ~ following the bomb tragedies
ese %. 1877, on ten counts Of murder,
tsslas;r ,or each Of the ten deaths in the
giII;y.,p". Two alleged accomplices,
sss sNa Mrs. Mooney Won acquittal on
sbjlss jls'uht' aI' four counts we're dismissed,
II s5s sae ne IL stiil awaiting disposition
isys' 's otser charges against her. Bill
til fmas convicted and sentenced TO
sittsJptisonment. Weinberg was ac-