The Cases of Mooney and Billings

Abstract

A number of years ago, a vast amount of public interest was manifested in the trial and conviction of Thomas J. Mooney and Warren K. Billings for a bombing outrage at a San Francisco preparedness day parade in which a number of persons were killed and injured. The two men were known labor agitators and many members of the public entertained grave doubts at that time of the guilt of the accused. In fact so much public interest was created and so high ran the indignation of certain classes at these convictions that President Wilson urged the governor of California to intervene in the matter, which request resulted in commutation of the sentences from execution to life imprisonment.