The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-16
MALATESTA.
The Chief of the Anarchists.

The Chief of the Anarchists.
 Paterson does not contain all the lat ter day anarchists of America. There is a very large colony of them in West Hoboken, N. J., many live in Mac dougal and Houston street tenenments in New York city, while others are scattered from the Atlantic to the Pa cific but, wherever they are they con stantly are in touch with the group in Paterson, whom they recognize as the center of anarchist ctivity in the western hemisphere. It was in the midst of this group that Enrico Mala- testa appeared in 1898.
 To say that Malatesta ever arrives at place is almost misapplicatlon or terms No one, not even the anarchists themselves, knows the reasons which cause his advent anywhere. For al- most twenty years he has appeared among men of his creed in almost ev- cry large city of the world. His visits are sometimes short and sometimes prolonged into months and even years. After his purpose, whatever it may be, is accomplished he disappears again. perhaps not to be heard from for a long while, and he may then turn up
 in some distant corner of the globe.
 Enrico Maatesta is, without doubt the most important figure in the an- archy of these latter days. He cannot correctly be called either an agitator or a prophet, because he never appeals publicly for his cause. Silent, cold and plotting. he is, rather, the living, work ing genius of anarchy itself. With these men whose lives are devoted to the destruction of all authority Mala- testa's word is law. When he advises or suggests any ambitious member of an anarchist group throughout the world for some act of assassination, the man selected feels honored at the choice, and becomes the object of his companions envy. For him to weaken or show the slightest degree of hesi- tation would make him coward to his own conscience and bring upon him. self the death by secret assassination by which anarchists punish traitors. Malatesta is now about fifty years old. He is one of the very few anarchists who originated in southern Italy. He belongs to an old family whose natural legacy to him would have been wealth ana SOC1dt ID5t but 4'it'iti tNSteI seAi ii ed his back on the allurements that would have appealed to the ambition of most men.
 After graduating with honor from an Italian university, he became an anarchist. His family disowned him and the government hunted him. He was driven into exile and began the mys- terious nomadc wanderings which he has continued ever since. AS his pow CT and influence grew among anarchists all over the world, he became dreaded and feared as much in other countries as in Italy. With the exception of Eng land the appearance of Malatesta in any nation in Europe would at once be the signal for his immediate arrest and close imprisonment. Yet there is no doubt that incognito, he has lived Tor long periods in the capitals where he IS dreaded as an evil spirit. He is known to have been a resident during the last five wears of both France and Spaln His residence anywhere is said by Flu ropean detectives to be always followed by an attempt to kill the head of the nation. This may be something of an exaggeration, but there can be little doubt that Enrico Malatesta was the head and moving spirit of all the con- spiracies which have recently startled the world by the awful success which attended their execution. Personally he is quiet and reserved to the point of taciturnity In manner he is mild and gentle; his conversation, in any of the several languages of which he is master, is that of an accomplished man of the world He is described as having a very pleasant smile, but sel- dom laughs.
 As at every previous move in his life, Malatesta's appearnce in Paterson was unheralded and unexpected. He was seen by some of his friends one day drinking at the bar of an Italian saloon called "The Bartholdi." From that moment anarchists everywhere recognized the group at Paterson as