New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Speakers in Union Square
Call Bomb Plot Case
"Frame-Up"
Want Citizens to
Demand New Trial
Perjury in San Francisco
Court Admitted, Says
Cochran

With a rousing "aye," mass meet
ing of more than one thousand per-
sons, held yesterday Afternoon in Union
Square. directed the Central Federated
Union to appoint committee repre-
senting all classes in the city to de-
mand new trial for Tom Mooney, the
labor leader convicted for the bomb
outrage which killed ten persons dur
ing preparedness day parade IN San
Francisco. July %. 1916.
The Judge who presided at the trial
of Mooney has gone on record as con-
vinced that the labor leader and War
rem K. Billings. now serving a LIE
sentence, were the victims of perjured
testimony. An investigating commits
sion appointed by President Wilson re-
ported the same conclusion. But the
California Supreme Court few days
ago handed down decision refusing
to remand the case.
"This court" said Bourke Cochran,
MONEYS chief counsel, refused to
take cognizance of the truth. 1t ruled
that it could consider only the record,
which was a record of perjury, and
thereby lent itself to the most glaring
perversion of justice in the history of
the United States. Great Britain or any
other country"
To Enlist New York City
Mr.. Cochran, Anton 1ohannsen. OF
the California Building Trades Coun-
Gil; Selig Schulberg, Charles c. Shay,
president of the international Theatri-
cal Stage Alliance, and other labor
leaders addressed the meeting, which
was held under the auspices of the
Central Federated Union for the an
nounced purpose of getting New York
City in the movement to save Mooney.
They spoke from the porch Of the
park foreman's little cottage, in the
north end of the square, which was
considered too weak to hold more than
ten persons. With twenty crowded
upon it the police, under Captain
Routh, dispossessed the brass band
present for the occasion and sent it
down among the crowC.
can natiopal anthem. The hat Of every
man in the crowd came off instantly
excepting one, and the owner of that
took the h MT of neighbors to move on
down the street. Near the close the
Russian hymn was played, but only
half a dozen hats were doffed then.
Mr.. Cochran and Johannsen, who has
gone through several California bomb
trials since the Mcnamara brothers
were convicted for blowing u. a Los
Angeles newspaper in 1910, both at
tributed the trial and conviction Of
Mooney and Billings to the strife be-
tween labor and capital that followed
the Ruef Schmitz United Railroads
graft exposure in San Francisco twelve
years ago.
Conviction Called a "Frame-Up"
Mr.. Cochran said that the same in
tercsts which hired an assassin to shoot
Francis ]. Heney while he was trying
a graft case in 1908 had framed up"
Mooney. He expressed the belief, how,
ever, that Judge Griffin, who presided
at the trial and who afterward wrote
the Attorney General Of California that
convincing proof of perjury had been
adduced, would refuse to resentence
Mooney to death when the prisoner is
again brought De1Ore MIN.
Johannsen said that President Will
sons efforts on behalf OF justice were
highly appreciated. He declared:
''ff they hang Mooney, then the in
terests which will have been respon-
sible for numbering him must expect
that labor will no longer refrain from
exercising its power to take Charge OF
the wheels Of industry
The resolution adopted at the close
of the mass meeting says, in part:
"Organized labor in the City of New
York, convoked by the Central FEEDER
ated Union at mass meeting in Union
Square March 9, 1918. proclaiming its
allegiance to the government and It's
attachment to the Constitution of the
United States, records its solemn con
viction that execution of a capital sen
tence pronounced upon testimony ad
mittedly perjured by any state of this
Union would discredit the whole ju
dicial system of this country ant
would be a national calamity grave
than bombardment of our cities by
hostile feet.
Denounced by Judge
"The conviction of Tom Mooney ha
been shown by subsequent DISCLOSURE
to be the result Of a conspiracy so fla
grant that IL has been denounced b.
the judg. who presided at Ills trial an,
by the Attorney General Of the state
who asked the Supreme Court to re
verse it, a request which was denie,
on grounds that showed the Judi
cial system of California to be NOR
mindful of tectnicalities than careful
Of human life.
Believing that the noble, unselfisl
efforts of this country to extend the do
minion Of justice abroad will hA re
tarded and imperilled if our own courts
organized to enforce justice at nefae
become agencies to perpetuate mon
strous injustice upon citizens entitle
TO the protection of our laws,
I'VE do hereby resolve, That organ
ized labor urges on the authorities o
the United States and Of California tn
imperative necessity Of taking effec
tive measures for yindicating in thi
country the justice which we are seek
ing to establish throughout the worl
by the prompt liberation Of Tom Moon
ey from the peril Of death in whic
he has been placed bv perjury an
conspiracy.
We do further resolve, That the Ger
tral Federated Union be requested {
appoint committee representative d
our entire citizenship for the purpos
Of presenting these resolutions 70 til