The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-04
.HILLQUIT TRIED
TO SHIELD MOST
Defended Red Arrested After
Mckinley Murder-Lawyer
for Bomb Thrower.

for Bomb Thrower.
Morris ffillauit's record as attorne,
| for two notorious anarchists was laid
before the public yesterday by the fu
sion committee.
! New fork's short memory thus was
logged into recollection Of the facts tina,
| the Socialist Mayoralty candidate whc
would not buy Liberty bonds won fame
of a sort-in 1901 as legal representa-.
tive of Herr Most and III 1908 was en-.
| gagged to represent Selig Silverstein. the
bomb thrower Of Union Square
The fusion committee presents the rec.
ord thus:
Herr Most published an editorial In
DIE Fretheit on September q. 1901
openly advocating assassination. He
addressed himself to his subject quite
cold bloodedly. The editorial was cap
| toned, Murder VS.. Murder and the
language employed left no doubt that
the writer counselled the killing Of men
In public authority just because they
were in authority.
THE day following this publication
President McKihley was shot at Buffalo
BY the anarchist Czolgosx. Public In
dignation was intense, and II was openly
charged that the writings Of Most had
had an melting effect on the Presidents q
assassin.
Most was arrested at once, indicted.
convicted and sentenced to enc years
imprisonment on Blackwelrs Inland. He
served his term. His counsel was Nor
ris Hillquit. Hillquit made a hard fight
for his client. and on October IA, 1901.
the day he was sentenced by Judge
Hinsdale In the Court Of Special Ses-
sions. Hillauit stood by Most's side and
helped to support and comfort the now
tottering and nervous anarchist
Part Of the editorial that brought
Most his punishment read thus:
Let murder be our study, murder
In every form. In this one word lies
more humanity than in all our theories
The despots are outlawed: they are in
human society what the tiger Is among
animals. To spare them is a crime.
When HillQuit pleaded for his an
archist client before the Court of Ap-
peals he mede these four principal
points:
The conviction of the defendan: can
not be maintained under the Constitu-
tion Of the State.
The publication Of the article did not
openly outrage tho public decency.
Tho publication Of the article did
not constitute an offence under the Penal
Code.
''The publication OF the article was
not Just,fiable offence under the law.
Tho Court of Appeals could not be
convinced by The Hillauit argument tina,
the publication of this adv,ce By Mos.
to plan and perpetrate murder was
not Nn outrage on public decency. On
June 10. 1909, the courts six Judges
unanimously decided that Most had been
justly convicted and that Hillquit had
no plea to the contrary that was worth
considering.
again on April I. 1908, Morris Hill
quit was retained as the counsel of
another anarchist-Selig Silverstein, the
bomb thrower Of Union Square. Several
thousand people had marched to the
square as protest and demonstra-
tion against unemployment. Silver.
stein and companion sat on a bench In
the park and as a platoon Of police ap-
preached to preserve order they arose
and Silverstein prepared to throw q
bomb. The bomb exploded In his hand,
but Its force was sufficient to kill his
companion and injure seven bystanders,
including two policemen. Silverstein
himself was so badly hurt that he had
to be taken to Bellevue Hospital. where
he was placed In the prison ward.
Immediately the wounded mans
anarchist friends bestirred themselves to
get him a lawyer. and Morris Hiliquut
was selected. He was remembered by
many of Silverstein's particular class
for his strenuous defence Of Herr Most
seven years before. He went to Belle.
vue Hospital with Cecilia Silverstein,
the wounded anarchists sister. Plans
for Silverstein's. defence were made at
his bedside.
'The New York Herald In its issue
Of April 8, 1908, carried the story of
Hillquit being retained as the bomb
thrower's lawyer in big display type
thus:
".Hillquit Counsel for Silverstein.
Sister of Bomb Thrower Retains So
cislist lawyer to Defend Case In
Court. Pays Visit to Client. Prisoner
Makes Statement to Attorney in Belle
vus Hospital. Physician Has Hopes
That He May Recover
''Papers found In Silversteins room
In Williamsburg revealed close con-
nection between him and Alexander
Berl<iman and Emma Goldman. recently
convicted Of seditous utterances. Despite
all OF Hiilduit's plans to defend Silver
stein, however. the wounded anarchist
died three weeks later, glorying In his
crime until the last
"HillQuit's appeal for his anarchist
client, Hsrr Most, was . famous case
In its day. The decision OF the Court
Of Appeals 10 to BE- found In Volume
III OF the state reports"
H u