Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-21

while at liberty, in the Intervening years
since 1892. attempted more homcidal acts.
That he has not is due TO lack of nerve.
The will to slay is unquestionably para
mount in the creature, but the craven flesh
Is weak.
Alexander Berkman is coward In that
respect he is like all anarchists They kill
in the dark, fire from ambush, or shoot un-
suspecting victims in the back.
The latest exhibition was the Centrala,
Wash, episode where they killed re-
turned soldiers while participating in au
armstice parade. Before that there was
the San Francisco crime which enmeshed
Tom Mooney in its net. The most cowardly
of their crimes was the blowing up of eight
cen miners at Independence, Col, in
1904 ut o'clock in the morning. No
thorough paced anarchist ever met man
face to face and gave him fighting chance
for his life.
T KNOW that Alexander Berkman is a
l. coward. ! saw him at the apex of his
criminalty. and if ever human being dis
played the white feather and manifested the
width of the yellow streak that is in him,
this Russian outcast did on that occasion
1t is interesting to recall the episode in
connection with the recent publication of
Berkman's own account of his attempt on
II. c. Fricks life, wherein he describes
with what purports to be exact detail and
with an insanity of egotism how he en-
deavored to accomplish his purpose. He
is his own hero; the martyr. The facts are
that had not Mr.. Frick. unarmed, attacked
unawares and handicapped by his wounds,
grapped with his assailant his life would
have been the forfeit.
So far as | am aware I am one of the
two surviving witnesses of an episode that
stamped Berkman not only as a coward but
a craven. 1t occurred in a police station
in Pittsburgh, following the commission of
his crime.
had gone to Pittsburgh as a newspaper
correspondent shortly after the outbreak of
the Homestead strike. was on Fifth ave
nue. the day when the word flew from lip TO
lin that II. G. Frick had been assassi-
mated. Before l could reach the Carnegie
building on lower Fifth avenue, where the
assault had been committed, the thorough
fare was blocked and the police had diff
ficulty to restrain the crowd.
Berkman, the would be assassin, had been
captured and rushed down to the central
police station in Oak alley by policemen and
detectives
A BRICK church edifce in Oak alley, once
"A the property of the Reformed Presby-
terian Church, had been remodeled into a
police station; the old central station on
Diamond alley having been demolished
7 hurried down TO Oak alley and the guard
at the entrance, who knew me, permitted
me to pass. was informed that Berkman
was being examined in the sergcant's ROOM
the door of which was locked
Rapping at the door, it was opened barely
two inches by Roger O'Mara, then chief Of
police, with whom ! was personally ac-
ouainted. was admitted and the door
relocked.
Roger O'Mara was until his death some
time ago. one of Pittsburgh's most widely
known police officials In his later years he
was employed by Mrs. William Thaw TO
look after the interests of Harry Thaw,
and was subsequently appointed his guar
Clan and financial adviser. Reserved, ret
icent. and, habitually cynical to his per-
soral friends and acquaintance, O'Mara was
an ordinarily good hearted fellow.
Besides O'Mara in the room were two
detectives of his staff, one Of whom was
william Shore, the other / think being
Philip Demmel.
In the center Of the room stood a young
man stark naked. His clothes we're living
on a chair and his shoes and socks on the
Aoor beside them. His skin was sickIy
yellow, his legs, arms and neck scrawuy
almost to the point of emaciation. He was
smooth shaven, his hair thin, and sandy,
his features prominent, especially his" lips
| and nose, and he wore eye glasses. His libs
particularly we're thick and protruding. the
| lower one hanging loose, disclosing his
| teeth.
He was the most wretched human object
I>haye ever seen. He could scarcely hold
himself erect. His sagglng lower llr
trembled and his whole body quivered a,
with a chill. He was the living embodiment
! of abject terror.
"What do you think of this damn thing?''
exclaimed OMara, with a gneer as bs
ierked thumb in the direction of the nude
''Is this the fellow that shot Mr.. FrickY'
| | asked
"That's him." was the reply with I'm.
! grammatical breyity.
| The police officials had just concluded
their examination of Berkman They mar
stripped him and gone through his clotbe,
| and we're noting bodily marks of identified
| tion.
| During the entire time, they told me h,
was too frightened to speak in apytbin,
but monosyllabes. II seemed to me that m,
wretch was on the verge of collapse fron
| fear. There had been some sort OF demon
| stration against him By the crowd outsel
| the Carnegie offices and instantly nil hi
| bfavado had deserted him and left him al
rYsed az plain, ordinary craven an,