The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-09-26
TESTIMONY TO
SHOW MOONEY
FRAMED GIVEN
Allege Offer OF $4,000
Made On Behalf OF en-
terests" For Conviction
BY JACK WELLER
United Press Staff Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 90
(UP)-A mysterious Nathan Far,
Der, purpOrted go-between for the
interests who allegedly Framed
Thomas J. Mooney end Warren
K. Billings in the 1916 San Fran
cisco Preparedness day bombing,
last night became the key figure
of the famous convicts' 1S-year
fight for freedom and vindicatlon.
Israel Weinberg, San Francisco
and Cleveland taxjcab driver -
himself once a defendant IN the
dynamiting caSe-injected the
new personality into hearings on
MONEYS petition for a writ of
habeas corpus and sent cries of
'frameup" resounding through a
packed hall of justice courtroom
yesterday. =,
All rumors of personal feud
erased by their open exhibition of
affection, Mooney and Billings
sat at counsel table, frequently
whispering together or to defense
counsel as Weinberg began his
testimony.
He told of being arrested in
connection with the dynamite out
rage in which 10 persons died
and Sc others were injured. Then
he exploded a veritable bomb
shell.
While he was being held in Jail,
he said, a Russian friend, Nathan
Farber, came to him with an as
serted offer from District Attor-
ney Charles NJ. Fickert, San Fran
cisco county prosecutor in 1917,
to pay $4,000 for aid in the
Mooney prosecution.
Weinberg said Farber told him
Fickert had asked him (Farber)
to ''see if Weinberg couldn't do
something to help the prosecution
there might be 100000 in it
if he could give some evidence
that would help" ,
Weinberg said the purported
offer was verified in the presence
of the police chief after he had
been acquitted of implication IN
the bombing.
State and defense attorneys
agreed that this portion of Weln-
berg's testimony should be strlck-
en- from the record as hearsay.
Frank P. Walsh. defense coun-
sell created another sensation,
however. when he said ne expect
ed TO produce Farber as a wit
ness and clinch the testimony.
Weinberg also related another
o+tpmnt TO frame" Mooney,
whom interests opposing Moon
ev's labor agitation among dIsor-
ranized workers - particularly
Street car men-wanted to put
ON the spot" according to defense
claims.
He said Martin Swanson, a prl-
vate corporation detective, APP
proached him on July II, 1916,
prior to the parade bombing, and
showed him a poster offering
$4,000 reward for the arrest and
conviction of persons responsible
for dynamiting power towers II
south San Francisco. =,
Swanson suggested cit would
be easy" for him to help fasten
guilt on Mooney, Weinberg testl,
fed. The witness said he refused
the offer because he knew Moon
ey was innocent.
From Weinberg's testimony
and previous defense procedure,
it became increasingly apparent
that counsel would attempt to
prove Mooney and Billings were
FRAMED" in the Preparedness
day case by persons seeking to
check their assertedly radical Ia
Dor activities.
The alleged frame-up was
achieved by perjured testimony
and a skein of fabricated evil
dence, defense forces charge in
their petition to the California
supreme court for a habeas cor
pus writ which automatically
would free and exonerate both
Mooney and Billings confined in
San Quentin and Folsom prison,
respectively, under life sentence
since 1917.