Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-02-08
Mooney Case
Frame Up Is
Walsh S Claim


Walsh of counsel FOR Thomas ]
Mooney, convicted of murder ii
San Francisco in connection witt
1he Preparedness Day bomb ex
plosion in 1916, early today tele.
agraphed San Francisco authorities
sapprising them of an alleged con.
fession by one of the witnesses ir
xhe case that ne had given per
1ured testimony at the trial.
The witness named by Mr.. Walsh
was John Mcdonald. now a resi-
'sfent of Trenton. N. j., with whom
Mr.. Walsh had a long conference
East night. According to Mr.
Walsh, Mcdonald declared in an
affidavit covering thirteen type
written pages, that the case
against Mooney was a frame up
Mcdonald swore in confession"
Mr.. Walsh said. that he could not
identify Mooney as the man he
mad seen with a suit case prior to
thel Preparedness Day explosion,
szithough he identified Mooney
during the trial. He said District
Attorney Fickert, the San Fran
scisco prosecutor had forced him to
make the Identification.
Mr. Walsh quoted Mcdonald as
Saying he stood in Stuart street in
San Francisco at about / o'clock
on the afternoon of July 22, 1916.
HE said he saw man set suit
case on the sidewalk, then, accom-
panied by another man who came
From saloon, walk away.
Mcdonald is alleged to have
kurther said that he walked away
and in a shrot time heard an ex-
plosion. He thought it part of the
Preparedness Day celebration.
Next day he met a policeman and
gold him what he had seen but as
serted he could not identify the
man.
He was induced, Mr.. Walsh
ruoted further, to go to police
headquarters, where he was ques-
sioned by District Attorney Fickert
=and Captain Matheson, and told
chem he did not know Mooney who
was suspected.
He subsequently was taken to
Mooney's cell and to that occupied
by Billings another defendant. He
asserted, according to Mr.. Walsh,
chat Fickert remarked: "These
sare the men you saw"
Further, Mcdonald is alleged to
nave stated he was coached with
s0fsler witnesses In testimony to be
&iven. He asserted he fixed the
kime of seeing the suit case
dropped at l 80 o'clock in Billings
trial. In the Mooney trial he
STATED at the instance of Assistant
District Attorney Edward Cunga
--he changed the time to 1890
s1sclock in order to break Moneys
sMIibi."
Nine persons were killed in the
ssxplosion. Mooney was sentenced
tso death and Billings to life i'm
Iprisonment. After every appeal
hrom the sentence had failed, Pres |
tdent Wilson interceded i'm Moon |
ssy's behalf and Governor Stephens
ssommuted the sentence to slife
xnprisonmont.
San Francisco, Feb. S.-The re-
ported statement of John McDon-
aid of Trenton, ~ j., that the con
viction or Thomas ]. Mooney AMI |
Warren X. Billings, against whom
ne testified, was frame up"
fFaarks the third recent statement
cfr alleged facts tending to show
traat these men were the victims Of |
mer1ured testimony. The new evil
stence, adduced here, Is to be pre-
scented to the county grand jury.
McDonald's reported statement
was characterized as the EFFECT of
erorrupt propaganda" by Edward
"A. Cunha, who as assistant district
attorney prosecuted Mooney. De.
nense counsel said II was natural |
esutcome of the injustice done the
thefendants in these cases"
According to the police and Cum
Iaa. Mcdonald was not intlmidated |
@nd he volunteered every state
Ament and Identification he made.
Two other statements by james
Brennan, who as assistant district
s@,torney. prosecuted Billings and |
policeman Draper Hand, who ar
vested some OF the principals, said
Ihere were indications Of irregular
tty in the evidence against the sus-
poets.
II was hoped by District Attorney
Brady that the grand jury would |
prepare a report to the governor
which would aid him in a final dis
position of the Mooney case.