The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-11-29
MOONEY BEYOND
AID NO W
Gov. Stephens Communication
of Sentence PrecIudes
Further Steps.
VIEW OF ATTORNEYS
Wilson's Appeal Had Weight.
Labor Leaders to Con-
tinue Efforts.

II tluuo GAAOItSs
Sacramento, Cal, Nov. 29.--(I. n
S.)-By an eleventh. hour grace
Thomas j. Mooney, who was sen
tenced to be hanged Dec. 1S. has es
capped the gallows. Gov. w. p. Ste
phens issued q statement in connec
ton with the commutation to lif'
Imprisonment. saying: -
II refuse to recognize this case al
IN any fashion representing q clasi
between capital and labor" He ex.
planned that he had put of taking
lction which his office empowers hin
% take until after final action of the
courts had been taken.
Wilson's Appeal Effective. =
San Francisco, Nov. 29.-(A. P)--
Tho death sentence of Thomas j.
Mooney, convicted Of murder In con-
iection with the bomb explosion
which killed ten people here July %
GIG, during O preparedness day pa
,ade, having been commuted to life
Imprisonment by Gov. Stephens last
light, no further legal steps can be
INVOKED in Moneys behalf, attorneys
aid today. In explaining causes
which led him to commute Moneys 9
,entence, the governor said he had
made a careful review of the case
lnd found no reason why Mooney
,hould escape punishment. The gov
srnor declared there were certain
eatures IN connection with the case
vhich convinced him that the SEN
Ance of death should not be exc
:uted." Another reason for the COM
mutation, he said, was President
Wilson's Earnest request" for Glenn
,ncy. The governor said he declined
O be Influenced by the theory that,
Ii maximum punishment is not JUS
ified, pardon should follow.
SAYS He Would Rather Hang.
Many strikes had been planned for
Dec. 8 by labor organizations as
brotest against Moneys execution,
which was set for Dec. 13. Whether
hese proposed strikes now will be
|arried out labor leaders here were
Unable to say today.
| From his cell Mooney issued a
~. M s,..| :, 3 r. ss{ {yiss ea 4 agRls 6Sld
afher hang" he said. ''than to be
ondemned to q living grave" MOO
ley also appealed to labor leaders to
continue their efforts in his behalf.
SUMMARY MOONEY CASE
San Francisco.-Refusal Of the United
ytates supreme court, Nov. IS. to re-
lew the sentence Of hanging imposed
pom Thomas ]. Mooney ended court
ction in case that excited interna-
fonaI interest. The death sentence
|assed upon him was for the murder
Il Mrs. Myrtle Irene Van Loon. Of Me-
bed, Cal. one of ten persons killed by
! clock-work bomb which exploded on
karket street in San Francisco during
Preparedness day" parade there July
p. 1916. Four others were indicted with (,
Linn on ten counts of. murder, but his
|ase was singled out as an issue by
hbor nrga nizations OF several countries. !
str.kes were urged In various parts of |
he country, and others were urged in /
|ther countries as labor's protest. |
kooney's appeal to wartime workers not !
% strike ended agitation for general |
|trke May 1. 1918.
President Wilson intervened by asking |
kov. William D. Stephens to obtain
Few trial for Mooney. He ordered an |
by commission, which
recommended a rehearing.
Four of the five persons indicted were
|ried for murder. Mooney was SEN
ence0 to be hanged May II. 1917. War /
len K Billings, shoe clerk. now Is
lerving his sentence of life imprison-
|ient Mrs. Rena Herman Mooney. Tom
iooncy's wife. and Israel Weinberg. an
.ulOIIOUllc Ouc uIiNCts WStC oSANsst~N
IN one charge and now are at liberty
In bail on other charges of murder.
;hle Edward d. Nolan, machinist.
till Ia awaiting trial.
Moneys alleged activity in San
Francisco street car strike. character
led by violence. and his alleged Indus
rial Workers of the World affiliations
rev suspicion toward him and his wife.
they were arrested five days after the
Mt Gnarnn1ytlln Cal ThaV said
hey had read in newspapers that they
rere wanted and they had telegraphed
he police they would surrender them
elves. Four of the ten counts of mur-
er against Mrs. Mooney. Billings.
Weinberg and Nolan were dismissed.
he state admitting inability to proceed
n them.
MONEYS trial opened Jan. 3. 1917.
nd ended with his conviction Feb. 10.
cattIsman as Witness.
Frank C. Oxman. a cattleman Of
)urkee. Ore. the states chief witness.
estified in the Mooney trial that he saw
he Moneys. Billings and Weinberg
rive to the spot where the explosion
ccurred. and saw Billings deposit a
uitcase supposed to contain the bomb:
harged that Oxman testified falsely
gainst Mooney, and that he sought to
1duce F. q. Rigall, Of Grayville,- ILL.,,
) do likewise. The Illinois State Fed
ration of Labor announced 1t had sim
ar information. Rigall came to San
'rancisco and testified at Oxman's trial
hat Oxman induced him to come here
nd offered to divide with him portion
a large reward offered for MONEYS .
onviction. Oxman was acquitted.
It also was charged that three others.
wo Of them. women. had perjured
hemsevcs to railroad" Mooney to the
allows, but the charges were not
Mooney appealed to the California SUI
RENE court for q new trial. and he
,as supported by consent" filed by
1e state attorney general. U. s. Webb. !,
harles NJ. Fickert, district attorney Of
an Francisco. who prosecuted the
omb murder cases. opposed the ."con,
was dismissed. MONEYS appeal was
enied March l. 1918. the supreme court
.ipulating 1t could not consider EVIL
ence outside the record.
Worldwide Appeals. ~.
Mooney appealed to Gov. Stephens for {
pardon. and meantime Moneys at q
rit of "coram nobis" before us. the :
nr), nm action seldom resorted to. q
hereby suitors under the common law
mia seek reversal Of a Judgment OBJ {
incd by fraud. Attorneys said all
her legal means were exhausted ex- 3
III this appeal to the basic law. The '
,plication was denied and the hanging
net for Aug. %. 1915 Mooney had I
,en IN death row" at St. Quentin
'lson since July IL. The California 1
Iofc.1o court affirmed this denial July d
! 1918, just two years after the ex-
1sior 4 Five dax4 later. exactly two 1
l& fter "a ersre41 Y Mooney q waa r. 9