The Indianapolis times., 1931-12-08
The Clocks Evidence

Probably the strongest item in Tom MONEYS proof
of his innocence of the bombing Of the parade in San
Francisco July 22 1916 is the evidence of the clock
in the pictures taken of Mooney, his wife, and his
friends at the time of the explosion
Authentic pictures showed Mooney and Mrs.
Mooney on the roof of building nearly two miles
from the of the explosion These pictures
showed them at this spot ten minutes before the
plosion, as we'll as fifty minutes thereafter.
But skeptical writer F. W. Hoey holds that this
really is proof of MONEYS guilt. Mooney had
ranged to have these pictures taken in advance, so
that he might have them to prove his innocence in
he was arrested. In short, the pictures were
part of the explosion plot. Mr.. Hoey says:
Il have followed many strong arguments in favor
of pardon for Mooney But Mooney was too careful
in preparing his albi in having his picture taken far
away from the explosion in front of clock. I would
have convicted him that alone If I had been
juror
"How could there have been some one there with a
at that time and place and be to get the
face of clock so as to show where Mooney was?
Most people in California believe Mooney justly
victed"
Ina~much as many others may share the views
of Hosy it is worth while to poi& out the facts about
the clock evidence.
In the first place. it is not at all strange that the
pictures should have been taken. The parade an
important event in San Francisco life, and this was
the age of amateur "kodaking." There is not the
slightest evidence that the persons who took the pic
lures had any personal interest in Mooney and his
whereabouts. 1t simply happened that Mooney
and his wife fell into the field of vision of the
lens in some of the pictures
Most of the pictures showing that Mooney
top of the Eers Building at the time of the explosion
were taken by Wade Hamilton, an employe of the
Elers Music Company whose store was located in the
building. He took six snapshots four from the roof
and two from the street
Hamilton does not appear to have been conscious
Of the existence the clock in his pictures when he
took them. Without enlargement of his picture the
clock itself hardly distinguishabe. The time
registered by the clock could not be made out at all
until after honest and competent enlargements of the
pictures had been made by court approval.
AS further proof that the pictures were not taken
at MONEYS ORDER or by MONEYS friends, or to aid
Mooney the fact may be cited that Hamilton did not
turn the pictures over to the defense. Rather he
turned them over to the prosecution about week
after the explosion
During the Billings trial the defense learned of the
pictures and tried vainy to get possession of them
Finally through court order they obtained them
during the Mooney trial and had reliable enlargements
made.
The prosecution made serious effort to discredit
the pictures according to the hypothesis suggested
by Hoey because the facts about them too obvi
ously contrary to any such theory The enlagements
at the Mooney trial actually threw the prosecution
INTO CONSERVATION.
John Mcdonald had testified at the Billings trial
that he saw Mooney and Billings at the scene of the
explosion only fifteen minutes before the pictures
showed Mooney on top of the Elers building, about
two miles away
In the Mooney trial, Mcdonald changed his testi
mony to give Mooney ten fifteen additional minutes
to get from Steuart and Market streets to 72l Market
street where the pictures taken.
But the prosecution afraid to rest content
with this msy refutation of the impregnable CLOCK
evidence So they introduced Honest Catteman"
Oxman to swear that he saw Mooney and Billings at
the scene of the explosion in time to allow Mooney
to motor back hurriedly to have his picture taken.
Oxman had remarkable powers OF vision, heng at
Woodland Calr ninety miles from the explosion at
that moment