Show LIFE TEH I If f FOR R 8 MB TH WR I AT j First Degree Murder Murd Is I Verdict Returned by Jury Against All Alleged ed Dynamiter of jr f arade r de deWarren Warren K Billings Is IsI Stunned d at Y Verdict dict I I Cries My God Go God Why I Didn't They Hang Me SAN FRANCISCO Sept 23 Warren K was was' Billings vas vas' convicted convicted con con- of murder in the first con I degree degree degree de de- de- de gree today for planting a bomb bomba a at t Steuart and nd Market streets on on July 22 In the midst o of ot a a ay y vast st crowd gathered to watch the the preparedness parade i The sp specific charge against Billings Billings Billings Bill Bill- ings was the murder O of ne Van Lo Leo Loo one of ot t ten persons peron killed by the explosion of ot the bomb Besides the theten theten ten killed forty-eight forty w were wee re injured Th The Jury jury stipulated life I Imprisonment imprisonment Imprison imprison- on- on ment ment for Billings Billing Superior SuperIor- Judge Dunne will sentence him Tuesday Thomasf as t 1 Jl T Mooney Mrs Irs Rena Jlena Mooney loone Ir Israel i t arid and Edward D. D D. D Nolan D.-Nolan f ai-f are a so O unde Indictment asa as asa asa a re result o of the he Q J plot ot The They will willbe b be he placed oi on trial rr Dietrict District Die Dis Attorn Attorney y Ficker r stated this atter- atter after noon BOMB SCATTERS DEATH The preparedness parade explosion was one of ot the most tragic Incidents In San Francisco's police history At the tho height of ot the paradA while Market street was lined with thousands of ot people people peo peo- pie watching the procession a terrific explosion scattered death in the crowd In front of ot the Ferry Inn at Steuart and Market streets Four were killed outright Six died later Never Kever before did a crime arou arouse arouse- I such Intense and widespread indignation tion in San Francisco Mass meetings meet meet- ings inge were held The police were de denounced denounced denounced de- de in bitter terms for allowing the plot to be hatched In their midst Bomb squads of detectives were or organized organized or- or I and put to work worl to ferret terret out the criminals Two weeks weel after atter the tragedy five persons Including l one woman had been arrested They were quickly in indicted in- in and the trial of ot Billings who was alleged to have planted the bomb started last week SEES SUIT CASE LEFT I The police pollee theory was that the bomb was contained in a a. suitcase which was left standing beside the saloon building build build- ing Half Halt a dozen witnesses were produced who saw the suitcase sitting sitting sit alt ting there a few minutes before the explosion The states state's star witness John McDonald testified that he saw MW Billings Billing deposit the suitcase beside the building Other witnesses said they saw Raw Billings Billings Bil Bil- lings n n ar nar ar Steuart and Market arket streets before and after the explosion The de defense tense which was as conducted by Attorney Maxwell l Ic McNutt at attempted attempted attempted at- at tempted a complete alibi During the whole parade Billings declared he ho was nearly a mile further up Market street A sensation was sprung by bv the defense I when Al De Do Cassia a clerk was called to the witness stand as Billings' Billings dou dou- ble Da Do Cassia testified that it was he he not Billings who was seen een on the roof of a building at Steuart and Market Market Market Mar Mar- ket streets on the afternoon of ot July 22 The defense contended that the bomb was a cylindrical affair and was as hurled from a nearby root roof They produced produced produced pro pro- one witness who declared he saw a cylindrical object descending to the sidewalk an instant before the explosion VERDICT IS REACHED The Jury retired at 1050 this morning morning morning morn morn- ing and returned with the the- verdict at p p. p m. m The verdict was reached on the eighth ballot which proposed life Imprisonment as Billings' Billings pun pun- The conviction was a complete surprise surprise surprise sur sur- prise and stunned the crowded courtroom courtroom courtroom court court- room into silence Most of ot those in inthe inthe inthe the courtroom were radicals and Billings Billings' Billings Billings' Bil Bil- lings' lings sympathizers sympathizer T They Tiey ey crowded around him patting him on the back and shaking his hands My G God d. d if it they thought me guilty wh why didn't they hang me gasped Billings Robert nobert Minor cartoonist who has assisted in the defense patted the prisoner on on the back and said Raid Cheer up boy weve we've Just begun the fight tight One woman became hysterical threw her arms around Billings and kissed him Attorney McNutt immediately announced announced an an- noun ed that he will move for tor Il a new trial He characterized the case against Billings a as t a frame up and asserted that he had evidence e In his possession to prove that much of Continued on page 2 LIFE TERM Continued from page 1 the states state's evidence was from fixed witnesses I I Billings and those indicted with him Jum himI were known to be radical in their anti- anti preparedness views Billings himself served one year In the California penitentiary penitentiary peni pent for transporting dynamite on ona ona ona a passenger train He was once acquitted of another dynamite charge |