The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-04-04
INCONSISTENCY Of
ST. FRAME-UP GANG
Interesting Reading From the
Tri-City Labor Review
of Oakland

Billings on the story that they
planted a bomb made by their
friend, Ed. Nolan.
Now F1ckert admits that Nolan
did not make the bomb. Yet two
innocent men are in Jail for life
on Fickert's lie that they planted
Nolan-made bomb.
When Fickert admitted the in
nocence of Nolan, he completely ex-
onerated Mooney and Billings. They
were convicted as accomplices of
Nolan.
Mooney and Billings are now in
Jail for life as the accomplices of a
man whom Fickert admits commit
ted no crime
In the history of jurisprudence
there are cases like this: Jack
Smith is accused Of being the prin-
cipal in a crime. Jim. Jones and
Bill Green are held as accomplices
Smith is cleared. When this hap
pens Smiths alleged accomplices,
Jones and Green, are automatically
found not guilty.
But the detention of Mooney and
Billings after the man said to have
made the bomb is found innocent is
something quite new in the annals
of American "justice," God save
the mark!
The making of the bomb by No
Ian was the foundation OF Fickerts
story of the bomb murders. First
the bomb-making, then the plant
ing.
If real justice had been respected,
Billing would not have been tried
first and Mooney second. The man
accused of making the bomb would
would have attempted first to prove
the foundation of his story-that
Nolan made the bomb. But he
didn't dare to do that. He knew
he couldn't prove it. He knew that
if the jury declared Nolan not gull
ty of having made the bomb no 9TH
err jury could be found to convict
Mooney and Billings of having
planted the bomb Nolan didn't
make.
Fickert, to be sure had little to
do with the arrangement of the
trials. We will say that to his
credit. He took his orders from
corporation agents like Martin
Swanson. The corporations knew
Fickert wasn't bothered by scrup-
les; they knew also that he wasn't
burdened with brains.
So they kept the man they said
made the bomb locked up in his
cell in the county jail while they
tried the men whom they said
planted the bomb.
They never attempted to bring
to trial the man they claimed made
the bomb. After the Oman ex-
pose, 1.-The man who made the
bomb" was released on small bail
at the recommendation of the Bomb
Squad.
Numerous attempts were made to
force Fickert to try "the man who
made the bomb" Fickert finally
joined with Captain Matheson and
admitted that there never had
been a scrap of evidence against
Nolan.
"We never had anything to show
that Nolan made the bomb" says
Fickert, in effect. Nevertheless,
we can't let Mooney and Billings
out because they are the scoundrels
who planted the bomb Nolan did
NOT MAKE. we Idlleu W piONS IAdt
Nolan made the bomb. But we did
prove that Mooney and Billings
planted the bomb Nolan didn't
make"
And Captain Matheson says in eff
feet:
"Moonev is a menace to society.
If he's turned loose, he'll plant an
other Nolan bomb. I'll admit No
Ian didn't make the bomb. but the
fact remains that Mooney and Bill
lings planted that engine of de-
srtuction Nolan didn't make.
And Cunha says:
Mooney is guilty as hell. He
planted a bomb that never was
made. We convicted him of 1t. He