The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-05-29
MOONEY FRAMEUP BREAKS DOWN
COMPL EXPOSURE MARKS TRIALS END
Original Transcript Forged Disappearance of Important
Documents Revealed Removed From File in Cover.
nor's Office at Sacramento
FICKERT DENIES PHOTOsTATIC COPIES

suitcase" standing at the place
where the explosion later occur
red. On crosS-eXamination, how
ever, he acknowledged that he had
no real memory of the incident at
all, but was simply repeating his
former testimony, a transcript Of
which he had read.
The remainder of the week was
taken up with the examination of
James f. Brennan, in 1916 on
Fiekert's staff, and the man who
prosecuted the Billings case. Bren-
nan, who has been in the State
Assembly since then, and is now
running for the Republican nom
nation for Congress, was a re-
luctant and wavering witness. His
stand was that he thought "and
still thinks" Mooney and Billings
guilty, but that he has made num-
erous moves for their release Che
wrote to Governor Richardson
asking for a pardon, he gave a
long interview to the same effect
to The Call in 1920, and he intro
duced the Assembly resolution
asking for the communication of
MONEYS sentenence to time serv-
ed) just because he was sorry for
them, and because in view of the
recantations of the chief witness
es against them, and his doubt Of
those witnesses from the begin
ming, he thinks no one ought to
stay in Jail on such testimony.
He then wavered to the other
side, and in the style of Cunha and
Fickert, brought in again all the
old accusations which are being
permitted to state witnesses to
show "their frame of mind" He
recited again the story of the Mar
tinez and Sacramento trials, he
dug up articles from The Blast
and Revolt, and he added a few
new touches of his own. He told
of a labor delegation consisting
of Andrew Gallagher, Michael
Casey, and Arthur Brouillet-all
ultra-conservative labor leaders,
which called on Fickert and asked
him, in 1916, mot to lay this case
at the door of labor" He cited
MONEYS resolutions before the
Labor Council and the Moulders'
Union, warning labor to stay away
from the parade for fear some VIC
lence might be perpetuated and
blamed on the unions, and inter-
preted this as meaning that Moon
ey had previous knowledge that
the explosion would occur!
He even tried to blame on Moon
ev the anonymous postcards sent
broadcast before the parade, warn
ing the recipients that there might
be trOuble-though there has new
er been the slightest evidence that
Mooney knew anything of them.
He repeated alleged communica-
tons to the effect that Maxwell
McNutt when he heard of the ex-
plosion blamed it on Mooney,
though Judge McNutt was later
MONEYS own attorney and in this
very hearing testified to being
convinced of his innocence. Bren-
nan even reported a conversation
with a man named Cardes in 1916,
which alleged hearsav on hear
say-that Mooney had engineered
the blowing up of the San Bruno
electric towers. Finally he drove
Mr.. Davis to saying that if all
MONEYS enemies were to be al
lowed to make any irresponsible
statements they pleased against
him, then Mooney himself would
take the stand again and would
give the lie to word of this dam
nable propaganda"
Brennan also denied Hands
story of his saying that "they
had the wrong men, after he
heard the witnesses who were On