The Washington times., 1901-09-25
SAYS he AIDED CZoLGosz.
Police Do Not Believe the story of
Edward Saftfg.

ST LOUIS. Sept 24.-Edward Saftig.
Pole, is locked up at the Four Courts a
self-confessed accomplice of Czolgosz in
the assassination of President Mckinley.
His story has been pretty well proven to
be lie. Saftig was arrested last even
ing on suspicion OF being a petty crook.
When taken before Chief Desmond this
morning Saftig stated that he was Czol-
gosz accomplice. Briefly, his story Is
as follows:
Il went to Buffalo several days before
Mckinley was shot and stopped at the
boarding house where Czolgosz was /
WIS accompanied to Buffalo from st.
Louis by Harrigan. the anarchist, who
lives in Paterson. n. ]. He came here
for me. He told me that big killing was
coming off and wanted me to help / did
not know who it was intended to kill
until after ! had met Czolgosz. He
showed me the revolver and said: That's
what am going to kill Mckinley with
Then he explained how he was going to
do the job. He got me to tie a handker-
chief around the hand in which ne car
ried the revolver, and then he told me
what part i was to play.
He wanted me to tie a handkerchief
around my hand IN the same manner as
his was to be bandaged and precede him,
so that If the detectives stopped me and
examined my hand they would find that /
was weaponless and this would induce
them TO be less careful in examining
Czolgosz when he came forward / agreed
to do so and CzoIgosz bandaged my hand.
He went through every motion he intend
ed to go through when he shot the Presi-
dent. This was planned on Thursday the
day before the shooting. Friday morning
/ weakened and left the house Return
ing. / found Czolgosz ready to go to the
exposition grounds. l told him that /
would not accompany him, but he said it
was too late to back out
Il went with him as far as the edge of
the crowd around the Temple of Music.
where the President was standing / saw
Czolgosz get in line. but remained back
l became terribly frightened and tore the
handkerchief from my hand. ! was on the
verge of running away when / heard the
shots fired and saw the commotion they
caused. 1 lost no time then in finding
my way back to the boarding house,
which was already surrounded by officers
and citizens. i remained there a while un-
til ordered by the police to move on. l
left Buffalo at once and came to St
Louis"
Saftig told Desmond that Harrigan
wanted to delay the murder OF President
Mckinley for a few days and that CzoI-
gosz refused. saying. Now or never"
Saftig is character well known TO the
police. The chief OF detectives believes
that his head has been turned by reading
about the assassination and that he is
seeking notoriety. Saftig is twenty-four
years old, greasy looking. and the image
of Czolgoszs pictures. He speaks broken
English. In answer to questions by Chief
Desmond he said that he had been an
anarchist since 1898: that Harrington gave
him the money with which to go to Buff
falo. He admitted knowing Emma Cold
man. He said that he believed in assassi-
nation to rid the world of rulers.
Saftig will be held to await the action
of the Buffalo authorities. Thomas
Pettitt, a waiter, called on Chief Des-
mond tonight and said that 1t was i'm
possible that Saftig's confession could
be true as he PettitD knew that
Saftig was in st. Louis the day the
President was shot. The prisoner was
brought out of his cell and confronted
with Pettitt. lie recognized the visitor
and conversed with him few moments
The police believe that Saftig is more or
less Of a harmless crank and do not credit
his statement that he was the lccomplice
of Czolgosz.
PATERSON. n. J., Sept. 4.-No one
named Harrigan is known here among the
local colony of anarchists. The police
have no knowledge of any such person.
and the few members of the Right of
Existence Group who were found at the
meeting place in Market Street said they
had never heard of such a man.