New-York tribune., 1918-06-10
resident S Effort to Save
Mooney Stirs Californians
Labor Element Elated Wilson's lnsstence While
Capital Fights Hope of New Trial for Man Con-
victed of San Francisco Bomb Plot
(Specio, D;spa,eh 70 The Tr;b,tne

Especial Dispatch to The Tribnne)
SAN FRANCISCO, June s. - That
PRESIDENT Wilson should have again
appealed to Governor Stephens of Cali
fornia in behalf of Thomas J. Mooney
has made sensation here. 1t sug-
gests that in spite of the tremendous
influence brought to bear against
Mooney in San Francisco and through
out the state there is chance of his
life being saved.
Some of his friends have lately been
dlsheartened. One, man familiar with
what goes on behind the scenes in
polltlcs, and known for his sound
Judgment recently declared: "Gov-
ernor Stephens is going to let
Mooney hang"
The President has kent in close
touch with the situation. He knows
the findings of the Federal Mediation
committee that he sent here last
winter to investigate the case. have
been belittled by the District Attorney.
Charles A. Fickert. who spread the re-
port that he did not have fair
chance to present his side.
The labor people are naturally elated
over the Presidents persistence.
me nope now is that an arrange
ment will be made between the Gov
ernor and the District ATTORNEY bv
which Mooney will be granted new
trial. 1t may involve a technical par
don, with the understanding that
Mooney is to be tried for the murder
OF another of the ten persons killed
by the bomb explosion.
On May 23 Judge Griffin, who SEN
fenced Mooney to death. decided that
he could not grant another trial. He
said that judgment could not be set
aside because it was "predicated upon
perjured testimony" or because "ma-
terial evidence" was "concealed or sun
pressed
The Mooney case dates back to july
~, 1916, when a preparedness parade
was held here. At a street corner
crowded with spectators a bomb ex-
ploded. Fifty people were injured,
some of them horribly mangled. Ten
OF them died. The procession was not
interrupted.
Suspicion was directed against la
Dor agtators who were known to be
opposed to the parade
For several days beforehand letters
had been sent to editors and others
containing threats. A handwriting ex
pert, says they all came from the same
hand and that the hand was foreign.
Shortly after the explosion arrests
were made of Thomas J. Mooney, his
wife, Rena Mooney; Warren K. Bill
lings. Israel Weinberg and Edward D.
Nolan.
Mooney had long been active in la
Dor unions. He was believed to be a
direct actionist. He had been tried
and acquitted on the charge of blow
ing up the towers of the Pacific Elec-
trio and Gas Company near San Fran
cisco. His wife was suspected Of
sharing his opinions. A short time
before they had both tried to force
strike of the men working for the
United Railroads in San Francisco.
Billings, friend of Moneys, had
been convicted of carrying explosives
and had been sentenced to serve b
term in Folsom prison. Weinberg was
a jitney bus driver, union man, and
Nolan was conspicuous figure in the
unions.
Billings was the first of the five to
be tried. In San Francisco it was
generally thought that he would be
acquitted on the evidence. There
were those, however. who said he
ought to be sent to his death anyway
for being an anarchist Considerable
surprise was expressed when he was
found guilty and there was further
surprise when a representative of the
District Attorney asked that the SEN
tence be not death but imprisonment
for life. Billings was given life
sentence.
Praised for Fairness
Mooney was tried next. The case
seemed to be going in his favor. Some
snapshot photographs, showing him
and his wife on the roof of building
a half mife away from the explosion.
virtually established an alibi. A clock
in the pictures, magnifed twenty-five
thousand times, indicated that the