New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-17
Roberto Ella, Held i'm
Connection With Out
RACES Against Officials
Here, Won't Be Tried
Authorities Clash
Over His Case
New York and Massa-
chusetts Overruled i'm
Demands for a Trial

Roberto Ella, avowed anarchist. who
il said to have been one of the group
that sowed bombs over the country in
the spring of 1919, is to be deported,
instead Of being prosecuted. He prob
ably viii. sat- for Italy at the expense
Of the United States within ten days.
Harry E. Lewis, District Attorney of
Kings County. where Ella and his com
rsde, Andrea Salsedo, printed the anar-
chist handbills that were found at the
scene of the explosions, said last night
that there was no likelihood of a
criminal charge being pressed against
Ella.
Attorney General Newton, whose
protest at the original decision to de-
port Ella, instead of prosecuting him,
brought months delay in his sailing,
has consented to his being deported,
according to Mr.. Lewis.
Bombs Caused Two Deaths
Two deaths were caused by the
bombs that Elias friends are said to
have planted, and if their plans had
been successful their victims might
have been counted by the score. Judge
Charles c. Mott, of General Sessions,
was one of the victims selected, and,
although he and his household escaped
injury, a night Waterman who discoy-
cred the internal machine was killed.
Attorney General Mitchell Palmer was
another who was marked for death by
the dynamiters, but the bomb destined
Tor him exploded prematurely, killing
the man who carried it,
Nine others were selected as victims
IN the bomb planting of June 2, 1919,
smong them public officials and bust
ness men of Pittsburgh. Newtonville,
Mass; Paterson, N. j.; Roxbury, Mass,
ana Philadelphia. 1t is thought that
the same gang sent the bombs of May
|, 1919, most of which were discovered
m the mails. though one blew the hand
I'll maid in Senator Thomas w. Hard
wick's home, in Georgia.
Ever since his arrest, February 26
last, Ella has been the shuttlecock of
state and Federal authorities. He and
his fellow anarchist, Andrea Salsedo,
we're arrested by agents of Attorney
General Newton of this state, who had
been on their trail for months with de-
tectives of the staff of District Attor-
ney Nathan Tufts, of Cambridge, Mass.
They were turned over to the Federal
authorities. William j. Flynn, of the
iocall Department of Justice office, took
up the investigation. Salsedo was
locked up in the headquarters of the
Department of Justice, on Park Row,
and was said to have made complete
confession involving himself and others
IN the bomb outrages of June 2, 1919,
and in the mailing of bombs to public
officials about a month earlier.
U. S. Quits the Case
When he leaped fourteen stories
from a window of the Department of
Justice office and was killed, May 4,
he Federal authorities declared that
ne took his life in fear of the revenge
that would be wreaked by any of the
bomb planters who escaped prison. But
IN spite of Salsedo's complete con-
fession" the Department of Justice
has not prosecuted anybody.
Two men connected with the case
we're deported and arrangements were
made for the deportation of Ella.
The state authorities of New York
and Massachusetts protested. On June
lS Chief Investigator Simon, of At
torney General Newton's staff, wrote
TO Louis F. Post, Assistant Secretary
OF Labor, in charge of the deportation
proceedings. He declared that Chief
Flynn had refused to cooperate with
him in the prosecution of Ella and had
declined to permit him to inspect the
statements said to have been made by
Ella and Salsedo, and asked that de-
portation be delayed.
Ella was TO have sailed for Italy
June %, but Mr.. Post Immediately
granted a delay until July %. In
granting the delay he said:
1T is not the intention of this de-
partment to permit the order of de-
against Roberto Ella to operate in such
way as to protect him from action
under any criminal statute"
His Only Punishment
notwithstanding Mr.. POSTS willing
ness to cooperate in the prosecution OF
Ella, notwithstanding the complete
confession" obtained from Salsedo by
Chief Flynn's men, and notwithstand-
ing the indignation evinced by Attor-
ney General Newton when he first
that heard Ella was to be deported
Elias only punishment is to be de-
portation.
The delay granted by Mr.. Post ex.
pres Thursday. Attorney General
Newton has consented to deportation
and has not even sent the evidence
against Ella to the District Attorney
o. Kings County, according to Mr.
Lewis.
The .s,ts in the case, which are al
lying IN dusty envelopes in the
archives of the Department of Justice
are presented here for the first time
by The Tribune.
Ella and his group had headquarters
N this city and operated in Boston
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, CLEVELAND
and other large cities. The New Yorl
(Contlnued On paRe y