The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-04
MOONEY KEY
NOT At BLAST
BARBER Says
Charges Macdonald Was in
Shop When Told of
Fatal Explosion.
BOARD is PERTURBED
Chairman Shakes Perjurer'S
Story by Showing
Bomb Photos.
BY MAX STERN
Times staff Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4.-John
Macdonald, only remaining witness
who testified to having seen Tom
Mooney and Warren Billings plant
a suit case at the scene of the 1916
Preparedness day explosion, was not
in the vicinity of the tragedy at the
time, according to information re-
ceived today from two sources.
One was from William j. Healy,
now living in Los Angeles, who says
came into his barber
shop a mile away from the scene
fifteen minutes after the explosion
for hair cut and shave, and that
his first knowledge of the explosion
came from a postman, who dropped
into the shop.
Healy reports Macdonald as say
ing to the barber who was working
on him: Its like a dream to me
that 1 seen that happen down
there" He came in the next day
boasting that he was sitting pretty
now and soon would go back to
Baltimore on the cushions" accord
ing to Healy.
unfamiliar With Scene"
The other is from Billings coun-
sci, Edwin Mckenzie, who says that
Macdonald on Saturday before
Governor Young's pardon board in
Sacramento unwittingly gave it
away that he was not at the scene
until long after the crime.
Macdonald showed himself to be
just another Oman" Mckenzie
said. HE arrived on the scene
long after the explosion, heard
about it read about the reward and
then faxed his Identification,
changing the time and other cir
cumstances to fit the prosecution
theory.
Macdonald proved on Saturday
he was totally unfamiliar with the
scene of the explosion on that day
He told of having seen the two men
standing on the steps of the saloon
near where the bomb went of.
When Lieutenant Governor Carna-
han showed him pictures of the sa-
loon wall with no steps there he
was speeches..
Aids Mooney and Billings
"He told of having failed to hear
women's screams, because a band
was playing opposite where he stood.
There was no band there then. He
failed to remember women march
ing. He didn't remember having
seen any of the many police officers
he as newsboy and street char
acter must have known.
Furthermore, he couldn't have
got there in time. He says he left
his hotel more than a mile away at
/ o'clock, stopped and had lunch and
drinks at two saloons and walked
through crowds he was trying to
avoid all in forty minutes. Yet he
was sick, and, he says, drunk"
MacDonald's story has moved
Mooney and Billings many steps
nearer to freedom, in the opinion of
many of those who heard him. He
his former tale with
three important new fourishes.
Reverses Drinking Story
One was that he was drunk, and
had been drinking right smart a
day or two before" A week ago
he told the supreme court judges
that he hadn't had a drink for sew
eral years.
He declared for the first time that
he W. positive in refusing to iden-
tify either Mooney or Billings from
their prison photos or at t. cells.
Finally he related the saloon step
incident obviously to make it ap-
pear he could have seen the two
men looking at their watches from
across a crowded street.
Chairman Carnahan of the par
don board for the first time brought
out the fact that Macdonald could
not have seen all he claims t" have
seen through the throng Of people.
It was he, also, who shook Mac
Donald's story about the steps.
Pardon Board Perturbed
81 couldn't under no wise tell who
the men were" Macdonald told the
Governor, what I said were all lies.
You can cruelty me. I'm sorry"
The pardon board viSibly was
perturbed at MacDonald's demon
stration. And MONEYS lawyer,
Frank P. Walsh, refused to cross
examine him. He, however, pointed
out that the witness story now was
told with quite as convincing a
manner as that one the two juries
believed.
"As attorney for Tom Mooney ]
would not address another question
to this witness" Walsh said.
Asks to Be Excused
Macdonald expected today to ask
to be excused by the supreme court
IT have told them I lied in 1917
and 1917 when 1 testified againSt
Billings and Mooney in the Pre-
parednesS day dynamiting trials,
Mcdonald said. "That'S all l car
do. want to get back to my jot
in Baltimore. That is, if I still have
a job"
Whether the court has further
need for the appearance of MacDon'
aid was not known. Action on hi
request for permission to go home
was expected shortly after opening
Of today's session.