Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-25
I'd SAT- IIG IS PROBABLY
AFTER CHEAP NOIOR|EIY.
TELLS ST. LOUIS POLICE 4 STORY
ABOUT cossrIniNG WITH
CTOiGo>z.
A VERY IMPROBABLE STORY.
HELPED THE nuFFtIo MUIR
pERER's PLANS.

ST. LOUIS. September 24--The Post
Dispatch to-day says;
Edward saftig arrested Monday af-
ternoon. suspected OF petit larceny. told
Chief OF Detectives Desmond to-day
that he was one Of three men who con-
spired 20 assassinate President Mckin-
ley at Buffalo. and that he. Saftig tied
around C1olgosas hand the handker-
chief that concealed the weapon with
which he shot the President.
Chief Desmond is convinced that SAT-
tlg is telling the straight story of Pres
ident McKinley's assassination. Tho
chief says that he will hold Saftig.
saftig was arrested Monday afternoon
on suspicion OF having stolen "a from
department store This morning
detective remarked the resemblance the
prisoner had to Czolgosz. Safug said
that he had more than once been taken
for the assassin. In reply 10 Chief Des-
mond's question, he replied that ne
knew CzoKosz and other anarchists.
saftlg told Desmond that he would tell
all he knew regarding the
plot 10 kin the President He prefaced
his remarks by telling of his life prior
10 the present year.
ct was on the Monday before the
President was killed that first knew
anything was To happen In anarchist
circles" said Saftig.
"On that date Frank Harrigan, an
/ 4
York and other eastern cities. located
me and made an appointment for me
10 meet him at the Michelob saloon In
this city.
4 did not know before why | was to
meet him. He kenw me of old and he
knew that my weakness was liquor.
We both drank. but what ! drank
affected me most.
''Harrigan told me that he wanted
me to 20 to Buffalo with him. He
said that there was man 20 be killed.
prominent man. | asked him who II
was. He told me TO wait and | would
see.
Il finally consented to go. We left
here Tuesday aud got into Buffalo on
Wednesday evening late. Harrigan
gave me $50 and paid my way there
and gave me return ticket to st.
Louis.
when we got TO Buffalo we went 10
boarding house. | do not remember
the name of the proprietor nor the
street where Il was located. The man
was arrested. after the President was
shot.
when we got into the boarding
house we saw Czolgosz ! knew him,
having met him IN Chicago several
years before Czolgosz told me that he
intended killing the President. He
said he had gone TO Niagara Falls with
that in view. but had failed. lie was
10 make another attKpt soon. Harrl-
gan was present at That time. Harri-
gan told Czolgosz that he had better
POSTPONE II until the President left
Buffalo.
"He said that there were so many
people present that II was sure thing
that he would be caught. Czolgosz
said he didn't care II he was caught.
He said he would shoot dhe President
Che called him 'MackD whore adj peo-
ple would know why he was killed.
"Harrigan told him 10 20 ahead. IL
money could save him he would be
saved.
Next day. Friday, got up about 10
O'Clock. Czoigosz told me this was the
day that the killing was to take place.
He asked me 10 tie handkerchief
around his hand. did so and he plac-
ed a revolver in his hand under the
handkerchief He asked me II | could
see that there was o weapon In his
hand. ! said that ] could not.
Then he told me that ] was TO go to
the Temple OF Music. / was TO fix up
my hand the same as ! had fixed his.
n the guards allowed me 10 get by he
would have no trouble in getting by.
But II they stopped me he would not
try it.
But that afternoon we went out as
he suggested. | tied the handkerchief
about his hand. Mine was fixed up the
same way. Harrigan was to meet us
at the grounds and he was to be imme-
diately back OF Czolgosz 10 prevent any
interference.
AT the gate weakened. | told
Czolgosz that I would go back and get
Harrigan to do what had been laid out
for me.
81 left Czolgosz then, and never saw
him any more.
AT the boarding house | met Harri-
gan He told me that he had not been
on the grounds when the murder took
place. He gave me $40 as I was going
home. | feared 10 take train for ST.
Louis for fear of being detained.
tramped it part Of the way and beat
my way on trains. 1t took me four
days to get back"
Saftig is "a wars old and says he
was born in Cologne. He left his
country when he was 10 years old. He
has lived, he states, in many cities OF
the United States. He was present he
stated. at meeting of anarchists at
Paterson, N. j.. in 1898. when the
assassination of King Humbert, OF
Italy. was planned. Saftig said that
Harrigan presided over that meeting
and that he, Saftig. was employed by
Harrigan TO write letters to German
anarchists over the country.
A waiter named Petit, who is employed
at so3 Market street. where Saftig board
ed. told the Post Dispatch that Saftig
was in ST Louis on the day President Nc