The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-28
WILL NOT BE ExTRADITED
Russia Can Not Obtain Political
Refugee.

Washington, Jan. 27.-Christian
Rudowitz whose extradition on
charges Of murder, arson and other
crimes was demanded by the Russian
Government. involving counter con-
tentions that the offenses were in
furtherance of a political movement.
will not be extradited. This decis-
ion was announced yesterday by Sec
rotary Root.
In effect the tradition Of Rudewitz
was refused because the SrSasSs
charged comes under the general pre-
hibition against extradition In the
treaty with Russia which declares
that if it be made to appear that sx-
tradition is sought with the view to
try or punish for an orenss Of .
political character surrender shall
not take place.
The testimony taken in the case by
United States Commissioner Foote at
Chicago, it was held, upholds the
view taken by the department, though
the Commissioner upheld the Russian
Governments demand Secretary
Root declined to comment on The de-
cision at this time pending formal
notifications to the Russian authori-
ties of the departments decision.
The decision followed a thorough
investigation of the case by the Gov
eminent, hearing at Chicago before
United States Commissioner Foote
and review OF his decision by the
State Department Vigorous efforts
were made to prevent extradition on
the ground that the offenses charged
We're political and therefore not ex-
tradtable
The case aroused widespread inter
est, particularly in Chicago among
the anti-Russian element, where a
fund was raised in defense of the
man.
| Commissioner Foote sent the rec
ord in the case to Washington about
month ago With the various ac-
! companying documents and his de-
cision, there were probably l.400
| pages of typewriter sheets which
were read by the clerks of the solicit
tors Office OF the state department.
Action by the Secretary II is said,
does not establish any precedent, as
the question was regarded at the de-
partment -as simply whether or not
the case was one calling for extradit-
ion for an offense against the law, or
whether 1t was one of political
character
Rudokitz was an acknowledged
member Of the Social democratic La.
Dor Party, a Russian revolutionary
organization with branches In all
parts of the world. whose avowed
purpose in the Improvement OF politi-
cal conditions in the Russian Empire.
He is charged with having murdered
or participated in the murder of a
man, his wife and married daughter
in Courland one of the three Baltic
provinces, in 1906. The next year he
came to the United States, and, going
West. went to work in a large manu-
featuring establishment.
AT the hearing in Chicago testi-
mony was offered both by Rudowitz
and his witnesses that the order for
killing these persons was issued on
the ground that they were spies: not
that they travelled around the country
in this capacity, but that they gave
the names of persons taking part in
revolutionary movements directed
against the government.
There was some discrepancy in
the evidence as to whether the order
to murder had been given by a coun-
ty or State group which direct the
operations of the various branches Of
the revolutionary party.