Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-03-31
RUSSIAN JEW IS
ANARCHY LEADER
ALEXANDER eERKMANN WILL
SUCCEED HERR MOST AS THE
LEADER OF ANARCHY.

Special to the Herald.
Pittsburg, Pa, March 31.-There is
nothing in the appearance of Alex
ander Berl1mann to suggest the high
priest of anarchy. The late Johann
Most, with his unkempt beard and
hair and his uninviting countenance,
was so far as appearances went the
typical bomb-throwing anarchist as
pictured in the public press. But
Berkmann is of an entirely different
appearance. He impresses the cas-
ual observer as a quiet inoffensive
man and about the last person in the
world to be given to deeds of VIC
lence.
But those who have had an oppor
tunity of studying Berllmann during
his confinement in prison declare
that he is fitting successor to Herr
Most as the fountain head of anarch-
istic propaganda in America. He il
not of the same noisy, clustering type
as Most, but beneath his quiet ex
terror he is believed TO conceal more
personal daring and an even deeper
hatred of the existing social fabric.
He has been an exemplary prisoner
during the fourteen years he has
been behind prison walls, and has
studied increasingly He has per
fected himself in several languages,
French. Italian and the Slavonic, and
is prepared to make an active cam
paign in favor of the red flag. 1t has
been said that he is now an advocate
of education instead of an apostle OF
force. But those who have closely
studied the man declare that he will
leave prison as much of an anarchist
as he was on the day he shot at
Henry c. Frick, and an anarchist of
the same type he was then. Mr..
Prick evidently shares this opinion.
When the man is released one of the
best detective agencies in the world
will take up his trail, and until he or
Mr. Prick dies. Berlmann viii never
be left unmatched. 1t viii cost Mr.
Frick $4,000 a year.
It was during the excitement Incl
dent to the Homestead strike that
Berl1mann attempted the life of Mr..
Frick in the latter's offices in this
city. The would-be assassin shot
him twice. once in the neck and in
the back. and then endeavored to
complete his work with a dagger.
The men who came to his rescue
would doubtless have killed the an
archist had not MI Fricls with ad
mIrable self-possession directed them
not to hurt him The crime was com
mItted on July 20. 1892. Berlsmann
was sent to the Riverside peniten.
tiary and his term expired last year
He was then transferred to the work.
house to serve year on a charge Of
carrying concealed weapons.
Though the public at large had
never heard of Berkmann prior to his
assault upon Mr.. Frick, he had been
for some time previously a conspic.
uous figure among the anarchistic
groups in this country He is Rus
sian Jew. After coming to this coun-
try he worked for time for Herr
Most, then editor OF the Frelhelt in
New York. and later came to Pitts
burg and attempted to organize
group OF anarchists here. II is also
understood that he helped to spread
the doctrines of anarchy in Paterson,
where the plot for the murder of the
king of Italy was Matched. Afterward
he devoted his time TO going about
the country organizing groups"
whose object was to exterminate an
archists While working in Eliza
beth. n. j.. Berhmann formed the ac.
quaintance OF Pinkert. the Australian
anarchist and joined the deadly band
known as "Pinkert's Group" 1t was
this band which sent Berkmann to
Pittsburg with the especial mission
of killing Mr. Frick. who was much
hated at that time as result of his
connection with the Homestead
strike