The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-30
PACK OF LIES
ADMITTED BY .
MOONEY KEY
Macdonald SobS Confession
on Stand He Perjured
Self in Bomb Case.
STICKS TO REPUTATION
Man He Saw Place Blast
Suitcase Not Billings,
Says Witness.
BY GEORGE d. CRISSEY
United Press Staff Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO, July 30
John Macdonald told the California
supreme court today that the man
he saw place bomb at the scene of
the July % 1916, Preparedness day
dynamiting in San Francisco, in no
way resembled Warren K. Billings,
who was convicted of completely in
the crime.
The admission came shortly after
the second day of a court hearing
on Billings pardon application
opened.
Macdonald, who identified Bill
ingS as the man who placed the
bomb when Billings was tried in
1916, repudiated his testimony UNI
der the questioning of Eugene v.
Mckenzie, attorney for Billings.
The man L saw leave a suitcase
at the corner where the explosion
occurred was taller, heavier, darker
and older than Billings, MacDon-
aid said.
Associate Justice John w. Pres
ton, acting as an examiner for the
court, subjected the witness to a,
searching questioning through four
hour session Tuesday and although
he confused him many times and
caused him to cry, in the main Mac
Donald stuck to his reputation
story. Today the witness was given
a friendly coach, Edward v. Nc
Kenzie, attorney for Billings.
Wants Clear Conscience
II want to clear my conscience"
Macdonald sobbed when Justice
Preston demanded an explanation
of his repudiating the story that
he saw Mooney near the scene of
bombing outrage, July %, 1916,
which broke up a Preparedness day
parade and killed ten persons.
He insisted that he did see man
place a suitcase near the scene Of
the explosion, but that he could not
have identified him.
Serious charges against officials
who conducted the investigation and
trials in the Billings and Mooney
cases in 1916 and 1917 we're repeat
ed. Charles M. Fickert, the district
attorney, Influenced and coached
him, he said, and Edward Cuhna,
deputy district attorney, told him
what to say.
Reward Not Factor
Macdonald said he wrote to Cap
tain Duncan Mathewson of the San
Francisco police in 1921, saying his
trial testimony was true, in hope
of getting part of the reward Of
fered for conviction of the bombers.
He denied, however, that the fact
no reward money was forthcoming
had anything to do with his first
reputation affidavit.
Confictions due to faulty mem
Dry and inconsistencies, permitted
Justice Preston, an experienced
prosecutor, to tangle and confuse
Macdonald many times, but OH
such occasions the witness wept
and, after gaining composure, in
sisted he couldn't remember.
Sometimes he would burst out:
They we're a pack of lies-all of
it Che trial testimony was un-
true"
Governor TO Listen
When Macdonald finishes telling
his story to the supreme court, he
will be called upon to repeat it to
Governor G. G. Young and the state
advisory board, Young informed
Frank P. Walsh, attorney for
Mooney. by telegram Tuesday night.
The present hearing deals only
with the Billings case, the case of
Mooney being one for the Governor
to handle himself. Because Bill
ings had been convicted of felony
before he was convicted in the
bombing trial, it was required by
law that his case go before the
court.
Youngs statement he would hear
Macdonald as soon as the present
hearing ends, was in answer to
Walsh's request that definite date
be set for the second hearing,