Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-30
LABOR TO KEEP
UP EFFORTS TO
FREE MOONEY
Leaders CriticiSe Governors
Action; Contend Charges
Of Perjury Make New
Trial imperative.

Washington, Nov. 2o.-Commuta-
ton of the death sentence Of
Thomas ]. Mooney by Governor
Stephens of California does not in
any way settle the case from the
viewpoint of organized labor, says
a statement issued today by Frank
Morrison, secretary of the American
Federation of Labor, taking the po-
sition that charges of perjury in con-
nection with the conviction make a
new trial imperative.
Mr.. Morrison's statement follows:
"Organized labor will be in full &C
cord with Governor Stephens state
ment that:
1t is, of course, unnecessary to
argue the point that whatever
MONEYS character of his past rec
ord might have been, this particular
case must be determined upon its
merits
I'm my judgment, however, the
communication does not in any way
settle this case.
Demand New Trial.
"It must be recalled that the trade
union movement, in urging new
trial for Mooney, takes the position
that the charges of perjury in con-
nection with his conviction make a
new trial imperative. This position
is identical with that of Superior
Court Judge Griffin, who conducted
Moneys trial and sentenced him
to death. In letter to State At
torney General Webb on April Is,
last year. Judge Griffin, in urging a
new trial, said that if the perjury
evidence was presented to him be-
fore the case left his hands, he
would unhesitatingly have granted
new trial. On November q OF
this year, Judge Griffin renewed his
request in a letter to Governor
Stephens.
Under these circumstances the
trade union movement has urged
that Mooney be given a new trial.
This could be accomplished by the
governor pardoning him and having
him Immediately arrested on one OF
the other murder indictments re-
sulting from the bomb explosion.
"As the matter now stands
Mooney is to serve a life imprison-
ment on evidence that the trial
Judge says bears directly upon the
credibility of the witness and goes
on the very foundation of the truth
of the story told by Oxman (the
states chief witness), on the wit
ness stand
Will Continue Fight.
New York, Nov. 2o.-Efforts to
set Tom Mooney free will not be
abandoned, said w. D. Patterson,
representative of the international
Workers Defense league. in a state.
ment issued at the headquarters of
the organization here today.
Patterson further declared that
the plans for a general labor strike
on December 9 in behalf of Mooney
would be continued.
San Francisco, Nov. 29.-Dissatis.,
faction with Gov. w. D. Stephens
action in committing Thomas J..
MONEYS death sentence to life i'm
prisonment was expressed in state
ment issued here today by E. D.
Nolan. secretary of the International
Workers Defense league.
1.-THE final word on the Mooney
case has not been spoken" said the
statement. Labor will recover
from this temporary setback and
continue its fight for justice"
"Itw as a case of Money versus
money and money won a costly VIC.
tory" Maxwell McNutt, chief OF
council for Mooney, said in COM
menting on the commutation OF
MONEYS sentence.
The defense would be powerless
to act further, even if all of the
charges in the Densmore report are
substantiated, McNutt said.