The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-01-12
HISTORY OF THE CASE

Washington, Jan 1Z.-tUF)- The Spanish War veterans of San Francisco had just caught step with | their band as they wheeled out of Steuart into Market street July 22, 1916, when the Steuart street side- walk erupted and there flashed around the world story of a bombing that still echoes in the courts of the land.
 The clocks on nearby towers reg istered 2:06 D. m. when, that bomb exploded, and timed the beginning of the now famous Mooney Billings case. Nine persons, died in that blast; 40 were wounded.
 It was period of alarms, and San Francisco was both indignant and frightened. Two days after that "preparedness day parade" the city organized the first bomb squad in it's history. .fea. ta ee
 Five days after the bombing there had been arrested:
 Thomas. J. Mooney, a labor or- ganizer; Rena Mooney, his wife; Warren K. Billings, Q machinist who some years previously had been convicted of carrying dyna- mite, and Israel Weinberg, a friend of the Mooneys and taxi driver. ''."l
 Zechariah Chaffee, Walter H, Pollak and Carl s. Stern, investiga- tors for the Wickersham commis- sion, write the story of what fol- lowed in a volume of many hun- dred pages, which was given to the senate last week on demand of that body.
 The report was intended for the Wickersham commission. But the commission decided 1t was out o1 it's province. It never was pub' lished. tf
 It tells how the four were indict. ed by a grand jury which met Aunvist 1, on eight counts of mur. der. The police theory was that the bomb had been brought te Steuart street in sa suit case " and that Mooney and Billings had rid den with Weinberg in his cab tc Steuart street and placed 1t there Tho defense contended the bomt was dropped from roof.
 Billings was tried first, before Judge Frank H. Dunie. Witnesses identified Billings as having beer seen with a suitcase on the root of 721 Market street about three quarters of a mile from the ex. plosion scene some time prior te
 TWO other witnesses Identified him as having subsequently beer at Steuart and Market Sts. One said he had a suit case and the other had not seen 1t. Billings was convicted of first degree mur. der September. ,23,. 1916, and was sentenced to prison for life. Mo. tions for retrinl were denied, as were subsequent appeals. Mooney came to trial January 3 1917 before Judge Franklin A Griffin. The same witnesses tes. tifed they had seen Mooney witf tional witness, Frank c. Oxman said he had seen Mooney arrive a' Steuart and Market streets, witf Mrs Mooney in Weinberg's cab. OK man said he saw the suit case 1T position and that the party ther left.
 On February 9 Mooney wa. found guilty of first degree murder. The Billings jury hat fixed the penalty. The Mooney jury did not. Judge Griffin sen tenced Mooney to death. ,e
 In April, 1917, a. man named Rigall came to San Francisco witf letters written him by Oxman. Il is contended that on their fact they tended to show an attempt b, Oxman to suborn Rigall to perjur, against Mooney.
 Judge Griffin has said he imme' diately suspected Oxman himself a! a perjurer. There began ther Griffin's attempt first to obtain fol Mooney a new trial, and later t obtain his pardon. California authorities stood firm against al pressure except that of Presiden Wilson, through whose activitieI the sentence ultimately was re- duced to life Imprisonment.
 Mrs Mooney and Weinberg were tried and acquitted. A fifth sus pect, Nolan, never was brought tt x~tol