Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-03
CONNUTATION FOR MOONEY
Death Sentence Changed TO Life
Imprisonment
GOV. STEPHENS MAKES STATEMENT
Celebrated Case Which Has Figured In
National as Well as international
Affarrs-labor Had Threatened to
Strrke-President Was Much Con-
armed

cerned.
Sacramento. Cal. Nov. 2h.-Thc sen
tcnc" Di Thomas J. Mooney. sentenced
to bc hanged Oh December Is. tor the
deaths Of ten PERSONS killed hya bomb
oxI,in~inn III san Francisco during Il
ur..,,,r.ducsS parade in July 1915. Was
cu.uimut"d 10y GOV. Stephens tonight
- Imprisonment for lite.
Court action to save Mooney from
the gnIlnws was exhausted by tn" pri-
Sur"r. III" supreme court Of tn" United
States having recently decided II could
not review the case.
Threats Of Il national strik" IN case
the governor did no, interfere had been
made IN various PARTS Of IN" country
and some tim" ago IT WAS reported
that Pr, Sld"ut Wilson had written In"
governor to ~" that Mooney suffered
no injustice. rh" trial JudE" had also
requested Il new trial Tor Mooney.
Governor stephens statement an
uounrIus th" communication said that
ia considering thu, ease tc had had he
fore him "th" urgent appeal oil III"
president of TN" United States that |
Grant communications.
"pria.inally. in January Of this year.
| received Il lrtt"r from the president
asking me II it would not h" possible
To- l.pSiIOuc the execution OF Mooney
until hr could hc tried upon on" OF the
other indictments against him.
"Iuasmlirh as an appeal already had
hru taken to the SuprCm" court OF
California. which appeal itself acted
as a stay at execution. there was AT
that timr no occasion for action on my
Iart. take II that the president was
not correctly Informed as To the sta
trIS or the case"
Statement of the Governor.
In explaining why he had not felt
called on to act previously, the GOV
rrnor said:
"'rhr cas-. rs presented 10 tn" CAN
(nrnia courts WAS that murder. without
further evidence of motive than IN"
imtoSSiblr tcnCtS Of anarchists, who's"
sNruI,athics for the German caus" in
the war are, well known. Their Wild
paciiist theories fitted into the wide
srrrad activities of tn" kaiscr's agents
in this country.
~ number of persons Of pronounced
unarChistir tendencies were arrested
shortly after the explosion ana OF
these Warren X Billings was convicted
and sentenced to life Imprisonment
and Thomas J. Mooney found guilty
and sentenced to be hanged.
so long as avenues of appeal 10
the courts remained open to Mooney
and ne was availinG himself thereof
deemed II improper for executive
authority to interfere"
The statement reviews the cas-" fuliN
and quotes the two messages IRON
President Wilson in which the action
now taken by the governor was Sn"-
r.stcd The communication says the
governor reduces the case to the status
of that Of Warren X. Billings.
"I refuse to recognize this cas-" as IN
any fashion pprcScntinC n clash ne
tween capital and labor" the governor
soid. and he characterized as absurd
IN" propaganda that would make
Mooney appear as martyr I" 'h'
cause Of labor. In support oi TINS
statement. hc quotes a letter from
Alexander Rcrkman outlining IN" plan
afterwards adopted for the Mooney
campaign.
He denies that Mooney was true
friend Of labor and characterized ms
rr,.yious record as such that II dld
not enlist faith in him among law
abiding citizens. but said In conclusion
that this particular case had hccn de-
cidrd ON It's merits.
Presidents Message.
The two messages sent 10y President
Wilson follow:
The White House.
Washington. March -. 1919.
Gov. William u. stephens.
sacramento. Cal.
with very great respect TAX" the
liberty To say TO YOU that II YOU coui"
s,,. YOUR way 10 commute IN" sentence
nf Mooney it would have most heart
felt effect upon certain international
affairs which his execution would
greatly complicat".
Woodrow Wilson.
The White House.
"Washircton June 1. 1918.
"lIon. William u. stephens.
Sacramento. Cal.
81 beg that YOU will believe that |
am moved only Ivy sense ot pune
dutv and OF consciousness OF the many
and complicated interests involved
when again most respectfully suggest
n communication Of the death sentence
imrosrd uron Mooney. Iwould not rcn-
turr q .ain to call your attention TO TINS
case did not know the international
Significance which attaches to H.
"Woodrow Wilson"
The governor said that there were
,,r,ain features connected with the
case which convinced him that the sem
,.nc, nC death should not he executed.
For this reason and because or the
earnest request" Of President VIII
son for communication he did not believe
that the extreme penalty should p'
paid
Governor stephens said he accepted
full responsibility for the wisdom an"
Justification Of the action.
In reviewing the case the governor
said his action was taken after
nains-,aking survey Of the evidence
rroduccd at Moneys trial. not because
OF certain new Developments to'I""-
inc the conviction which could no'
he considered hy the state supreme
court. to which the case has been ap-
ncoled he found justification for setting
aside the death sentence.
In arriving at this conclusion the
governor continued. Il have exercised
that caution which must be observed
In weighing evidence presented outside