The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-03
THE BECKER SIDE.
Mr. Flegenhcimcr Controversies some oi
Commissioner Fitchic's Statements


Sir~Tn vour issue of Yesterday appears
a letter from Commissioner lhohlas -
chic of the immigration Ofhce ih -"
York 90 the Commissioner btl ti"i "l
migration. Powderly, at SSlille 49,, w,
which as TO nv connection WIN VIC -,
is absolutely incorrect. came 10 ~"
York ON Monday night the l'lh Oh 80
month. ou other than tie Becker W,
ness ON Thursday morning. WV 49,
1 received a letter from my son 'SN'"S
me 90 see AIR White ana ln' d"''"4
lt the Barge Office and tndtaNoi 10 ~
tain their release and have mem I"sl., ~
90 AR Becker the husband ana tdtnet
here. and I Immediately went 70 tHe
Barge Office saw Mr.. Abraham Niitv'
who introduced me 10 ihc assistant cpn'-
missioner Mr.. insolvency. MT. Nhl'S
had the certificate of naturalzau non al.n
the ahidavits which had been hlale" ~
MIN by my SON. and ] took them To MT.
McSweenev. I argued with him IN every
conceivable way 90 lrt these ptVpl' ="
90 Richmond. but 80 IVES OF no aFail, il0
stated that they had He'd ana mi3itN'
scented cvcrything that Becker "Dlaliltt
his naturalization papers by fraud lnaN
they would prosecute him ana h"u III,
matter referred go the Department on
Justice Z requested 90 Doe permitted 70
see Mrs Becker which was grantee, anu
l saw her in company with Mr. Nhile'
sailed under the assumed name OF FRANK
and that snc told a falschood as 10 "i
Becker being hsr brother ana inc uH,le
NJ the children and @Wore TO me n'ly.
her God that me was her husband wa.
She was timid and lab0ring under great
excitement and while she did wrong, she
thought at the time that 30 was Tor ln7
best All these things / recited 90 MT
Sweeney. but 20 no effect zee -lti"n
that the one child had iavus. winch was
"A contagious disease. ana the fanny
would have Go Doe dep0rted.
] left the Office and saw some or my
lawyer friends iu New York 90 'ou-ulL
them and 20 obtain some lnIuenuh
friend 90 aid me ON Friday. the -ih'
the Hon Ferdinand Lew rA- ne lal'l'
gave me some assistance by pn"hlhh !"
NY AfoSwccnry FOO stay proceenin-s. ll,
was answered that they had tne case
under consultation and he would lct hih
know lu the afternoon we a1"lI
'phoned him. Iie was 90 lunch. ana
then . Thought best 20 go fo the Barge
,eica AGAIN and there saw Sir Thomas
Fitchle. ! made my appeal ON behal OF
This family 10 him. and Doe tncn stated
mar ~ they would OF could satisfy MN
that Becker was the husband ana mar
ricd 20 the woman. he would OF r'iil'
! thing 20 that effect. Jet them go. sens
| Ar White to Mrs Becker Co see h ~h'
| had q marriage certificate. naming lt lh
| Hebrew TX 'OVOwOI and be returned say
| ing that she said she had the paper, nuL
that &c was in her baggage locked up ihu
could not get at II then ABOUT lhdl
| time Mr. insolvency came In with a i'i'-
| cram u his hand from % Max kapIan OF
! baltimore saving. "What DO YOU think
| OF this matter now. Mr. fle8enleih'i
| Here comes telegram from this man
| I am satisfied now that her name IS hol
! Becker but Frank, ana she may nave ="
| husband in Baltimore.
| answered that could NOT understand
| how that man kaIlan came lhlo ll,l7
! natter. / knew nothing ana heiid noun
| Ing of him and remarked at lh' @"i.,o
| time IL there was anything wrong ln ihl7
! matter n ouId wash my hands ot DC
! mighty quiDk j have never stattd 10
| any ~ those, commissioners that pro-
| posed 90 submit any evidence before 'nr''
| ass 90 these people OF any lhlns 'H'l 7,'-
| evidence had been delayed by Nl'n .
J could clatr On. matter mp any l"I til.
! chan what they have seen hy inc "i" ,
| dsvits which were before them. TT. l
/ "a induce these commissioners % let "e
| family go 60 the husband by aIEe'u5
| about the prosecutions ana I't.e cul''.l7
| 10 which they were suojec''u ia ,f
| tive land. and that these staleII'"l5 vi
these uututored people should be over
, have neither presented any letters or
| recommendation Is 10 myself or any ono
/ else % the Commissioners of lmnlt~
I ffNa. .NiIIA~ IiI'ilt' ~ .'tf'
| New York ! had none and required nome,
| nor was 3 advised hy them as 10 any
| auuoal COR writ of hanetS corpus or amy
| thing else. such Trims was never ih"p''i
! by any of them. The only advice a7 20
| .ho mode Of redress was received 10y my
! som iu a letter from Alr. Nathauie. =.
| Rneenan Manager of tho United ltr-
| brew Charities of New York ou January
| 2sth. chat tho deportation OF the Becker
/ family wts determined upon 10y the COM
| mi-sioners. and they would go on SaluI
| dav next. and that under these rirchm
| stances We have hut two c0urscs 200 pm
! sue. one au appeal tO the commissioner
/ General of immigration A. Washington
York. "''
We preferred 10 make a personal APP
| neal 10 Mr. Powderly. which We did on
| last Friday. 2th ult. and f7ilec- We
| ondeavored also ou Saturday. by tele-
| graph. 10 obtain counsel in New York 10
| try habcas corpus proceedings. but his
| absence from home and Sunday BOO The
| vav prevented this. and Tho family had
| already been dcuOrted ON board the
| Steamship PENNSYLVANIA. a German bot
| tom on SATURDAY, which laid ln hohokeu,
y. J.. and sailed Monday morning ~
o'clock IL Is exceedingly ooubtiui ~
| habeas cOrnus could have been obtained
I ON fiirisdfctional grounds as 20 territory
and III the writ had been optalneh,
whether enough time interviewed 20 serve
Sd and obtain relief
TO me this case secms unfortunate TOT
an parties concerned. nut mere Us ho
! other wav out of 10 now except 10y the
authorities 10 roscind their cruel rulings
and for them 10 restore them TO the
husband and father who claimed them
and 20 whom they desired 70 go. A. "a
Inc mixed and perhaps untrue statement
made by tho unfortunate woman before
the star chamber Inauisifion OF the New
York immigration commissioner Wher,
couns.1 ~ friends was I'm itself enough
10 frichten ana scare her ont OF her Wits
ana 7 presume she still imagined herself
under even worse than Russian espoin'
age. II IS surprising that such thlns'
| are permitted 10 exist I'm country Whose
| pride has always been that IL IS th'
| asylum OF the oppressed .,....,....
WM FBEGENHElMER.
Richmond. Va. Feb. ? l'f'
I