New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-24
Larkin Defends
Direct Action
AS Trial Ends
Irish Radical Admits He
Is an Intermationalist;
Praises Soviet, Although
Decrying Assassination
Both Sides Rest Case
Summations and Judges
Charge to Jury Are To
Be Delivered ON Monday

Both sides rested yesterday in the
criminal anarchy trial Of James Larkin
when the Irish radical, who is acting
as his own lawyer, finished interrogat-
ing himself. The summations and the
courts charge to the jury will be made
Oh Monday.
Cross-examined by Assistant Dis
trct Attorney Rorke. Larkin admitted
that he believed in direct action and
was an internationalist. He said as
sassination was not a form of direct
action explaining that it was the work
OF an Individual and insane person and
said the phrase means "the conscious,
collective action of intelligent per-
sons"
Defines Direct Action
Justice Weeks was not satisfied with
this answer and asked Larkin to state
explicitly what ne believed direct
action" to be and received the reply:
ANY action that will go to the funda-
mental seat Of the trouble"
In answer to other questions put by
Justice Weeks and Mr.. Kork, Larkin de-
clared that he believed the government
of the United States to be "autocratic"
and that it is controlled by the Capital
lst class" which also controls the
newspapers, the courts, the army, the
navy and the churches.
Larkin said he did not believe in
force, violence or unlawful means in
ooverthrowing this government. Rorkc,
however, was not content with this re-
ply, and spent the better part of the
what means would be used to bring
about the overthrow of the government
Larkin's usual answer was "education
of the masses"
Larkin said it was his opinion that
ideas, if allowed to permeate the minds
OF people, could bring about the over
throw Of government; that the use
of the ballot in this connection was
negligible, because the ballot itself is
part of the present political system;
that under the form of society urged
by revolutionary socialists there could
be no private property, and that in this
future society only those who worked
and produced could participate in the
government.
Defendant Laughed At
Gut" remarked Justice Weeks, "sup-
pose a man worked hard all his life
and through his frugality accumulated
enough property to live on his income,
would he be denied the right to par
ticipate in the government"
mo man who works hard and long
ever gets any property" replied Larkin.
Justice Weeks had to threaten to clear
the courtroom to stop the laughter that
followed this sally.
In substantiation Of his advocacy of
Communism Larkin cited the form of
society in Ireland before the Fifteenth
Century and Soviet Russia. He spoke
at great length about the soviet form
of government and how it operated
Larkin admitted he had used as
sumed names in an effort to get a
passport to Ireland, even though he
knew it was illegal. He also admitted
he had used another mans passport
lie wanted to get home to his wife
and children, he said.
Mr.. Rorke recalled Henry ]. Parker,
stenographer in the District At
torney's office, to repeat his testimony
about the accuracy of the notes he had
taken at Larkin's examination shortly
after his arrest, November 10, 1919, in
order to rebut Larkin's charge of in
accuracy, but Parker proved to be hazy
about the whole examination and sup
ported Larkin's contention that only
one-third of what transpired had been
transcribed by him.