California's Case

Petitions for pardon of Warren K. Billings and Thomas J. Mooney have bothered governors of California since 1916, when the two were jailed for a Preparedness Day bombing which they have continued to insist they did not commit. Last July several States' witnesses renounced the testimony which had convicted Mooney & Billings, reopening the case (TIME, July 14 et seq.). The State Supreme Court, which has sole jurisdiction over Billings because he is a second-offender, sat not as a court but as an advisory pardon board. They heard the entire bombing rehashed. The Governor said he would do for Mooney what the Court did for Billings. Last week the Court declined finally to recommend a pardon for Billings.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.