0atly Nnmp JnkuHtnal Worker.
Published Daily except Sunday
Nome Mine Workers’ Union, No. 240, Western Federation of Miners.
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Entered as second class matter March 1, 1*11, at the post office at
Forne, ■ Alaeaa, under the Act of March I, 1871.
Address all Communications to Dally Nome Industrial Worker,
Box 210 Nome, Alaska. Phone, Black 1S4.
Nome, Alaska, January 5, 1017.
TIIK BILLINGS VKltDICT.
The subjoined article is one will
be read with interest in view ot
Bourke Cochran's strictures on pro
fessional jurors:
“Billings has been < ot noted < on
victed in spite of his proven inno
eence. For it i- literally true that in
'he Hillings trial tl • prosecution not
only failed to make out its case,
but the defense u'-tUaly I’ROVFD
the innocence of Billings, proved
that, even according to the State’s
testimony, it was a physical imposs
ibility for Billings to Have been at
the place of the explosion.
And yet Billings was convicted.
Was there ever a more crying injus
tice? Xo. not since the days of the
Chicago Anari liists foully murdered
by blind rage and bitter prejudice.
Indeed, the San Francisco case is
even more heinous in its cold-blood
ed bestiality. For history can at
least explain, if not palliate, the ju
dicial murders of 1 8S7 by a tempo
ray mental aberration of the peo
ple, a virtual insanity of fear and
hatred resulting from the bitter
class feeling in the tremendous labor
struggles of tl^ke days.
No such ^^Hse can he given in
the Billing^^Be. The people of San
Francisco ^ffe deeply stirred by the
preparedness parade explosion, hut
they did not lose their heads. The
tragedy tilled them with grief, but
they scorned the infamy of lynch
law suggested by the Hearsts and
their vile ilk. They refused to
sanction a debauch of blood-drunk
vengeance. They would not turn
murderers. deem^^n^Jiey mourned
tlrtr patiently
for the authorities to apprehend the
guilty. They wouldn't shed innocent
blood.
What little hysteria the yellow
press, which thrives on it, was able
to arouse or stimulate, had all died
out long before the Billings trial be
gan. The city had resumed its nor
mal life, the people followed their
accustomed pursuits, and even in
the court-room nothing disturbed
the even tenor of the usual legal
proceedings. save the occasional
Holy Jumper antics of the public
prosecutor.
There was nothing in tlie atmos
phere in or out of the court-room,
nor anything beneath the surface ot
the life of San Francisco, to indicate
unusual interest in the trial. The
preparedness parade, nay, its very
object, was all but forgotten. The
bomb passed into history and the
great bulk oi the citizenship evinced
no particular interest in the trial
because it was generally felt that
the police had failed to find a clew
to the real perpetrators of the ex
plosion, and that the criminal pro
ceedings against Hillings, et i!.,
w re a somewhat ungraceful mode
of the District Attorneys’ office
rather than a serious attempt to
fasten the crime on the accused. It
was tlicr-fere generally felt that the
arrested labor men were mere puli.-e
a ipcgoats. and that there was no
ease against Ultra. And when the
public prosecutor insisted on cnarg
ing Hillings et al . with a "cnt'iir
acy to dynamite people holding mi
lt rent social views'' and was sarcas
tically sat upon by Judge Dunne,
who demanded actual evidence in
stead of “vague charges of a general
conspiracy against the whole
world,” the public was convinced
that the District Attorney was mere
ly trying to save his official face.
Hut when the actual trial of the
“bomb plot’’ began, and the prose
cution introduced its witnesses, it
quickly became apparent that there
was indeed a plot, a deep, sinister
plot, not a bomb plot, however, but
a plot to clear the Disctrict At
torney’s office of the charge of in
efficiency and at the same time stifle
the voices of certain men who had
become a thorn in the flesh of the
enemies of Labor.
Like the scenes of some absorbing
drama, the “conspiracy” was being
unfolded on the stage of the dingy
court-room. Within the railing, on
reserved seats, sat the main actors
of this intense human play: Warren
K. Billings, the first of the accused
to be tried; District Attorney Chas.
Fickert and his assistants, Brennan
and C’unlia; the attorneys for de
fense, McNutt, Lomasney and Law
lor; and on the box-like bench to the
left of Superior Judge Dunne, the
twelve men. “good and true-', all re
sired business men, well known to
shi distrb-t Attorney for their loyal
serv'i-e in similar capacity on nnm
j crous previous occasions. The jurors
whose combined age was more than
1 equal to five centuries, listened
with varying degrees of attention to
the straggling stream of witnesses—
witnesses for the prosecution who
testified under oath, so help me God
i that Hillings was in three different
1 places at the same time, dressed in
ns many different suits of clothes.
According to these witnesses. Bill
| ing was—between 1:50 to 2 p. ni.
I on the fateful day of July 22d—
j on the corner of Stouart and Market
1 streets, the place of the explosion.
. with a heavy suitcase, variously and
positively identified as black, yellow
: ish, and as a small grip; Billings
was, at the same time, on the roof
I of 721 Market street, over a mile
from the scene of explosion, and lie
was also, at the very same moment
talking to Policeman Earle Moore
in front of 721 Market street, and
also having a long conversation with
i Estelle Smith in the dental office of
her employer.
The prosecution's identification of
Billings was no less positive anil
sure than the establishment of his
whereabouts. Kstelle Smith, chief
witness for the State identified him
by a "peculiar scar on his forehead,"
her certainty remaining unshaken
even after it was proven that the
only scar or rash Billings ever hud
I was —on h^i Nor could Miss
: Smith be swerved from her faithful
ness to obligation when it was
established that her mother, Mrs.
| Kidwell, had been promised by the
prosecution a pardon for Mr. Kid
well, her husband, serving time in
| Folsom penitentiary for forgery, and
• that Miss Smith’s uncle is imprison
j ed in San Quentin for murder. She
protested that the reward of $17,000
offered for "the conviction of any
one for the outrage of July 22nd,”
had no temptation for her whatso
[ ever, though her salary as attend
ant at a dental office was insufficient
for her mode of dressing.
Kqually protesting and confident
was the other star witness of the
prosecution, a certain McDonald, a
man about town and notorious dope
fiend, who, according to his own tes
timony, "as in a dream saw the
suitcase placed on the sidewalk.”
Confronted' by several witnesses who
swore that he boasted of being well
paid for his testimony, McDonald
admitted that his hotel expenses
were being paid by the police to
"protect” him against the defense.
Quite as devoid of any hope of re- j
ward were a number of other State j
witnesses, mostly police and deter- |
lives, whose testimony impressed ev
ery one as told with the facility bred
of practice, and who unanimously ;
agreed that they were incapAble oi j
being mistaken or telling a lie.
Subtly woven through the State
testimony could be traced the fine
handiwork of • Private Detective
Swanson, confidential representative
of the Pacific Gas & lCleetric Co.,
the Pnited Railroads, chief detective
of the Public Ptilities Bureau, etc.
It was Swanson, looming large in
the background of the District At
torneys' office; Swanson offering a
bribe of $5,000 to Billings and
Weinberg, in turn, a week before
the bomb explosion, to implicate
Mooney in the blowing up of some
power towers of the United Rail
roads Corporation; Swanson,
through Brennan, promising $15,000
to one of the attorneys for the de
fense for double-crossing Billings
and Mooney; Swanson threatening
friends of the accused labor men
with dire punishment for refusing to
bear false witness against them. It
was always Swanson, the private de
tective, hovering about the court,
prompting the District Attorney
at the trial, smiling encouragement
at the State witnesses, gliding in
and out of the court room, nnd
nodding familiarly to the Jurors in
the corridor during recess.
All this in full view of the big au
dience attracted by the sensational
trial. But unseen by the casual ob
server, unseen even—unfortunately
—-by the attorneys for the defense,
there loomed behind the scenes e.
grim figure, silent and commanding,
whose invisible presence was yet
palpably manifest to every one of so
cial intelligence; a figure whose
heavy breath surcharged the atmos
phere with an ominous sense of a
stealthily waged class war, pregnant
with mysterious hints of hidden
forces of whispered threats—“Cham
ber of Commerce”—“Open Shop”—
"Labor and Capital”—“Law and
Order Committee.”
At last came the turn of the de
fense. Witness after witness expos
ed the false network of the State's
accusation against Billings. Reputa
ble citizens, professional and bus
iness men, Grand Army veterans,
participants in the preparedness
parade and members of patriotic or
ganizations—total strangers to the
accused—completely disproved the
testimony of the prosecution. They
tore its evidence to shreds. The de
fense produced the man who had
spoken to Officer .Moore and whom
! the latter mistook for Billings. A
| youth on the roof of 721 Market
street, resembling Billings, was
j proven to have been mistaken lor
the accused prisoner. It was a pa
! tient nt the dental office who had
, held the conservation with Estelle
i Smith, attributed by her to Billings.
I Billings had no suitcase on that day,
| nor had lie ever visited the place
| where Miss Smith was employed.
| Eye-witnesses, supported by photo
graphic evidence, proved the accused
j to have been far from the scene of
the explosion and in no way con
nected with it. Billings stood com
pletely exonerated.
The prosecution was shaken to its
very foundation. It did not dare ask
for the death penalty. It ignored the
evidence and wrapped itself in the
folds of the flag. “Gentlemen of the
Jury,” implored Assistant District
Attorney Brennan in his closing
speech, “you must convict this boy
to wash off the stain put on our flag.
We do not ask his life. We want to
give him a chance to tell on the
real men back of this conspiracy
against our civilization.”
Tlie crowded court room held its
breath as the jurors slowly filed in.
They had been out three hou’s. two
of which were spent at luncheon—
at an open-shop place. The fate or
a fellow human was in their hands,
but long deliberation—it was fell on
every hand—was unnecessary. The
case of tlH^efense was too clear for
I doubt.
“We find the defendant, Warren
K. Billings,guilty of murder in the
first degree, as charged.”
Dead silence. The voice of the
foreman of the jury died away, like
a liololw echo, and a pall of dark
ness seemed to settle over the court
j room. The audience sat silent, mo
I tionless, as if stunned by a sudden
blow. Then, as with a common In
stinct, all eyes turned on Billings.
The youth stood with lips twitching
blank astonishment in his eyes, gaz
j ing mutely at the jurors.
It was only an instant—and then
the Judge recovered himself. The
jury was dismissed.
Like shadows, pale and silent, the
people faded from the court-room.
Men and Women of America,
children of liberty and justice
loving sires, will you suffer such ju
dicial assassination of innocent men?
—The Blast, San Francisco.
No. 030s.
NOTICK OK APPLICATION KOU
PATENT.
In the United States Land Office at
Nome, Alaska, December 16, 1916.
Notice is hereby given, that Isaac
L. Osgood, Estate (Heirs, (’ora and
Elmer Osgood and Mrs. Mamie Os
good) By \V. p. Bell and Seattle
National Bank, Trustees and Floyd
W. Osgood, By Fred. R. Cowden
their Attorney in Fact, whose Post
Office address is Nome, Alaska, and
on behalf of Co-Owner Ellis E.
Powell, has made application before
the United States Land Office at
Nome, Alaska, for a United States
Patent for Discovery Claim and No.
1 Above Discovery on Lake Creek
in the Cape Nome Recording Dis
trict, Alaska, being Mineral Survey
No. 1175, said claims being more
particularly described in the field
notes and plat of the official survey
thereof now on file in said Land
Office at Nome, Alaska, as follows,
to-wit:
DISCOVERY CLAIM.
Beginning at Cor. 1 identical with
S. W. Loc. Cor. with Cor. 4 of No.
2 below on Saturday Creek, Sur.
695. a fir post 4 ins. sq. 2 ft. above
ground in earth mond scribed 1-747,
4-695, 1-1175, D. U. S. L. M. No.
11 bears S. 14 deg. 05 min. E.
4110.0 ft. thence N. 20 deg. 16 min.
\Y. Var. 19 deg. 00 min. E. 665.00
ft. to Cor. No. 2; thence N. 9 deg.
57 min. E. Var. 19 deg. 15 min. E.
209.40 ft. to Cor. No. 3; thence N. j
69 deg. 45 min. E. Var. 19 deg. 10
min. E. 670.00 ft. to Cor. No. 4;
thence S. 3 deg. 28 min. E. Var.
19 deg. 15 min. E. 317.40 ft. to
Cor. No. 5; thence S. 64 deg. 4 3
min. W. Var. 19 deg. 15 min. E.
3S6.80 ft. to Cor. No. 6; thence S.
45 deg. 53 min. W. Var. 19 deg. 25
min. E. 273.SO ft.; thence S. 13
deg. 25 min. E. Var. 19 deg. 05 min.
E. 400.80 ft. to place of begining,
containing 5.90S acres.
NO. ONE ABOVE DISCOVERY.
Beginning at Cor. No. 1 identical
with loc. cor. on line 1-6 of Sur. No.
747 No. 1 Above Discovery on
Wonder Creek and with Cor. No. 2
Discovery claim this survey, previ
ously described, U. S. L. M. No. 11
bears S. 14 deg. 57 min. E. 4771.60
ft.; thence N. 20 deg. 16 min. W.
Var. 19 deg. 15 min. E. 960.50 ft.
to Cor. No. 2; thence S. 48 deg. 26
min. W. Var. 19 deg. 15 min. E.
225.20 ft. to' Cor. No. 3; thence N.
31 deg. 20 min. E. Var. 19 deg. 00
min. E. 269.40 ft. to Cor. No. 4;
thence S. 36 deg. 42 min. E Var. 19
deg. 10 min. E. 647.00 ft. to Cor No.
5; thence S. 31 deg. 00 min. E.
Var. 19 deg. 30 min. E. 1240.00 ft.
to Cor. No. 6; thence S. 69 deg. 45
min. W. Var. 19 deg. 15 min. E.
670.00 ft. to Cor. No. 7; thence S.
9 deg. 57 min. W. Var. 19 deg. 10
min. E. 209.40 ft. to place of be
ginning, containing 16.656 aores.
Said claims are situated on un
surveyed ground on Lake Creek
about 4.5 miles north of the Town
of Nome, in the Cape Nome Record
ing District, Alaska.
U. S. Location Monument No. 11
to which said claims are tied, is a
fir post 6 ins. sq. 5 ft. above ground
in stone mound 3 ft. high 6 ft. base
scribed.U. S. L. M. No. 11, is situat
ed about 2.75 miles Northeasterly
from mouth of Snake River and
about 70 ft. east of the Bessie road.
Is in Latitude 64 deg. 32 min. North
Longitude 165 deg. 22 min. West.
Original locations recorded in Vol.
99 Page 445 and 16 Page 116 and
Amended locations recorded in Vol.
165 Page 225 and Vol. 199 Page
85, Records of Cape Nome Record
ing District, Alaska.
The adjoining claims are: On the
North No. 2 Above on Lake Creek,
Survey No. 698 and Gold Bug Claim
Survey No. 434; on the East un
surveyed; on the South No. 1
Below on Saturday Creek Sur. No.
1117 and No. 2 Below on Saturday
Creek, Sur. No. 695; on the West,
No. 1 Above on -Wonder Creek Sur.
No. 74 7. There are no conflicting
claims.
G. A. ADAMS.
Register.
Date of first publ.. Doc. 20. 1916.
Date of last publ., Feb. 21, 1917.
You Ought To
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HILLS BROS. COPFE, CALIFORNIA GOLDEN STATE BUTTER.
THEN ARE EXCEEDINGLY GOOD FOR BREAKFAST.
211 FRONT STREET
ORDER AT ONCE FROM
Mollers Grocery
PHONE, MAIN 86.
A HAPPY NEW YEAR
TO ALL
The Rose Candy Store And
Arctic Bakery
No. 776 wins the Basket
PRICES AGAIN REDUCED ON
FORD AUTOMOBILES
Chassis price is now $ 325.00
Runabout $ 345.00
Touring $ 360.00
F. 0. R. DETROIT
PUCE VOUR ORDER NOW
HA LIGHTERAGE G COM! CO.
CHRISTMAS TREES
J- Make it a real Christmas, and have a tree,
ff Remember it conies only once a year.
S Christmas isn't Christmas without a tree.
S Nothing pleases and delights the children more than a Christmas
m tree.
# l>o you wish to make an appropriate present to a family? Give
them . tree.
A nice lot : chose from. First come first served.
D. E. Crowley Groc. Co.
DaaEiMBiaaeBii!^
Kent Transfer Oo.
General Transfer & Freighting
poa/ &
Phone Main 139.
TRY
PHIL MURPHY
FOR LEATHER VESTS & COATS, THE LONG KIND OREGON
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WEAR, SWEATERS, FUR CAPS, MITTS, WOOL GLOVES,
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MURPHY HAS THE GOODS
Men’s Women’s Children’s
Since the opening of Navigation we have rec /ved 3270 pairs
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“There is a reason”. Our prices are right and our business has
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P. A. PETERSON SHOE CO.
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