The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09

paper or in the large public discussions.
Yet he was a leader OF the Italian element.
His wife was an Italian woman snd a
virulent anarchist. Legend credits her
with thrashing Paterson's largest, II no.
most active, policeman.
Though others were prominent these
were the two men who really directed the
doings of the group. The Italian group
was larger and more permanent than those
OF the German, English or French workers
It's meetings ook place regularly every
week in a little house on State street.
They were seldom attended by less than
seventy-ive active members, The number
was oftener a hundred. These hundred
were the active element Behind them
were many times as many other workers.
passive but more or less in sympathy.
None of the old memb ers can be found
who will admit that there was ever any dis
Cussion Of violent measures at the meetings.
Assassinations, they say, are the deeds OF
individuals, not Of the roups
Whatever was discussed there was one
! man, afterward world known, who came
! unfailingly to every meeting for a space OF
| six or seven years. His faithfulness was
, the only thing that characterized him.
Otherwise he was rather stolid and kept
out OF the doings OF the meetings.
His name was Gaetano Bresci. The other
members Of the group deny hat they ever
knew Of the quiet members intention to as
sassinats the King of Italy. Some things
which his fellows remembered afterward
showed them that the man must have nour-
ished his plans for years.
The paper Of the group was not wholly
supported by subscriptions. There had
to be contributions. Sometimes when
money was needed Esteve would call
upon the comrades to give their so cents or
81 apiece.
On these occasions the names of the donors
were pencilled down and printed In loaded
! type In the next issue. The Italian Govern
ment was known to be a regular recipient
of the weekly. There wa little effort to
prevent that.
The group well knew that the italian
police would make careful note Of all names
there mentioned, but donor rather liked
the idea. They felt that the Italian Govern
ment was afraid of them.
Bresci. though a close fellow with money,
was always ready to bestow a modest
amount on the paper. The others thought
him a coward; for he never would let his
name go on the list and be printed with
those OF the other donors.
For the joke Of it some one once ran his
name in without his knowledge. Bresci
saw his name in the issue and was furious.
IL seemed strange to the others that fear
could make any man as angry as be was on
seeing that his name was disclosed.
When the news came, later, after his re-
! turn TO Italy. that King Humbert was muir
dered and Bresci, the assassin, was caught
the men realized that Bresci's retiring
ways were intended to keep him from the
knowledge of the Italian authorities and
give him unsupported access to his victims.
This elf-suppression he had carried on un-
broken for years.
Slowly Breeci saved money, year after
year, to pay his passage TO Italy. He lived
less we'll than most men earning his wages
and stayed single, though he had a mistress
in Union Hill, near Jersey City.
When he started back to Italy he went in
company with two others of the group.
Quintavalle, who apparently knew nothing
Of the plot, was easily caught after the
murder of the King and kept two years in
prison. The group raised a fund and sent
il to Italy to secure him legal aid.
Luiji Francotti was the other companion.
He must have known what was TO be done.
He was never seen after the murder. For
months the Italian police tried to find him,
and the Italian press wrote about him,
calling him -Biondino, the blond man,"
but never tracing him.
The assassination of King Humbert in
1900 forced the group to lie quiet for a while,
but In 1902 they were as restless and as
reckless as ever. In the spring of that year
broke out the Ill fated strike in the Paterson
silk mills.
William Mcqueen, the English anarchist,
was at that time in New York, publishing
a paper called Liberty, and in close touch
with the Paterson anarchists. On June II
the striking dyers held a meeting to discuss
means for making the strike general. The
dyers had been out eight weeks and we're at
the end of their resources. 1t was a desper-
ate crowd that Mcqueen and Galliano adj
dressed in Turn Hall that night.
A violent and confused meeting broke
up, at last adjourned to the next morning,
June Is. The meeting in the morning was
held out OF doors, in Belmont Park.
McQueen and Galliano made lnfiamma-
tory speeches that stirred the listeners to
frenzy. The mob, a mass OF three thousand
men and women, ran to the factories and
started to wreck them. The fighting with
the police followed. Several were seriously
wounded, one man fatally.
McQueen and Grossman were arrested.
Mcqueen was sent TO the penite ntiary.
hAhbVN ho DoAA aAhd ito W AIlk~
land. Galllano was n yer brought to trial.
The subtlety of the Italian group kept him
out Of the hand of the law.
There was intense public feeling among
the citizens of Pate rson against all the
anarchists. For a While there was severe
police supervision. When the stir died
down, Galliano and OF hers returned.
The circulation of La Questions SocidIe
spread. 1t was sent out in the mails to all
parts OF the country. The anarchists
attention had centred on Paterson and the
publication circulated among them.
The postal authorities constantly searched
for matter rim the paper to justify its exclu-
sion from the mails. If it had been for Gal
liano only they might have succeeded. But
Este We saw to il that the law was carefully
skirted. His circumspection and success
in facing the brunt of the general hatred
for the group, now widely known, made
him the wonder of Secret Service men
and police.
But gradually the return of prosperity
to the mills gave the ope ratives conte mt
ment and comfort, with plenty Of work
and pay; and the anarchists lost authority,
Ill success led TO dissensions, as violent
as might be expected among men of their