Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-26
is IT A FRAME UP?
Case Of Thomas J. Mooney Attracting
Worldwide Attention.

Worldwide Attention.
The case Of Thomas ]. Mooney. the
Los Angeles, California, labor agltator,
in Jail in San Francisco, under death
sentence. to be executed December 13.
is exciting increasing national interest
and concern.
Mooney claims to be the victim Of an
official frame up Of kind that has
been more or less common in different
parts Of the United States. especially in
California, and Investigations by the
national department Of labor at Wash
ington, seem to corroborate his claims.
The crime for which Mooney is suf-
fering was committed in San Francisco
on July %, 1916, in connection with a
big preparedness parade that was held
in that city on that day.
There was a tremendous bomb ex-
plosion in the procession, as the result
Of which ten people were killed and a
number were wounded, and although
there was no evidence as to the perpe-
traitors Of the outrage at the time,
Mooney was subsequently arrested as
the result of the efforts Of detectives
employed by the open shop committee
of San Francisco, an organization that
had been for some time pitted against
the union labor committees with which
Mooney had been affiliated as chair
man and otherwise.
Not only was Mooney charged with
responsibility for the explosion; but
also his wife and several others, and at
the trial there developed lot Of direct
and indirect testimony which seemed
to make out the case. Mooney was
convicted, but as to his wife there was
a mistriai.
Mooney and his friends claimed that
all the testimony for the prosecution
was cold -blooded perjury, and they
sought new trial; but were unable to
get II Notwithstanding the fact that the
presiding judge himself expressed very
grave doubts as to the convicted mans
guilt. The supreme court Of California
refused to interfere and the supreme
court of the United States held that
there had been committed no technical
error that would warrant II in over
turning the proceedings of the court
below.
Labor people throughout the United
States took the matter up. and in con-
nection with the overthrow Of the Ke-
rensky government in Russia, Lenine
and Trotsky cited this case as an evil
dence Of the injustice Of capitalism in
using the civil courts to destroy those
who stood for the rights Of labor, etc.
Upon the representations Of organiz-
ed labor leaders throughout the coun-
try, President Wilson himself took oc-
casion to suggest to Governor Stephens
of California the propriety OF granting
clemency in the case Of Mooney: but
Governor Stephens has not yet seen
proper to act upon the suggestion.
Within the past few days II has been
reported that Federal Director Of La
Dor John B. Densmore. had investigat-
ed the matter, and that he had found
the judicial system Of the whole state
of California permeated with corrup-
ton that made justice a mockery.
Different labor organizations over
the country have resolved on their
own account to institute strikes on
December 2 out Of protest against what
they claim Is the legal outrage that Is
being perpetrated against Mooney, and
Samuel Gompers. president OF the
American Federation Of Labor Is being
urged to engineer a nation wide strike.
The Densmore report has caused
Frederick w. Henshaw, former Justice
of the California supreme court to Is
sue a denial that he received a bribe
Of $4,000 in connection with the
James G.. Fair will case or that he had
anything to do with any frame up in
connection with the prosecutions grow
ing out Of the preparedness day explo-
sions.
Mooney. through his wife. has issued
a statement from his prison, calling at
tention to the complete corroboration
Of his previous claims by the Dens-
more report and winding up with a re-
minder to the country: But I am still
under sentence Of death and the date
Of my murder Is Friday, December 49,"