The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-18
F|vJ FIRST CLUE
 ID PERSONS WHO
 CAUSED EXPLOSION
Circulars Signed American Anarchist Fighters Found In New York Mail Boxes
 Are Made Public
By Associated Press

night by William M. Mead. chief
 clerk in the office of J. P. Morgan
 and Company. This blacksmith. he
 added, claims to know the man
 who owned the animaI.
 New York. September 17.-Re-
 ceipt by the department of justice
 agents tonight of five radical cir
 culars, signed "American Anarchist
 Fighters,' which were found in Il
 mail box at Cedar street and
 Broadway at 11,5S n. m. Thurs
 day. furnished the first tangible
 clue, they said. to the identity of
 the persons who were responsible
 for the explosion in Wall street.
 which three minutes later killed
 thirty-ffve persons. injured 200
 others and caused property damage
 running into the millions.
 In making public the circulars, which were printed on cheap paper, seven by eleven inches, Chief William J. Flynn, of the bureau of investigation, called attention to the fact that circulars mailed out in the. early part of the year announcing the coming bomb out rages were wrapped in circulars an- nouncing the coming of the revoluti on and signed FAnarchist Fighters"
 The circular read:
 TEXT OF CIRCULAR
 Remember. we will not tolerate any longer. Free the political prisoners, or it will be sure death for all of you. --American Anarchist Fighters"
 The circulars were not enclosed in envelopes, nor did they bear addresses. Some of them contained misspelled words. The time at which the circu- 1or t~I ttA F. fixed at between 11:30 Thursday morn ing. when the box was emptied, and at 1l:5S. when the next collection was made and they were fnund. Chief Flynn made them public soon after he had conferred here with Attorney Gen. eral Palmer and Assistant Attorneys General Garvin and Hoover.
 Tn my opinion, this was not an at- tack onJ P. Morgan and Company" Chief Flynn declared. T believe those responsible picked out the financial center in crder to create demons.ra- tion."
 Chief Flynn declared there was a striking similarity between the circu- lars found after the nationwide bomb plot in June, 1919, and those found in the mail box. Each set, he said. Was printed on cheap paper and contained several misspelled words.
 DISCREPANCIES NOTED
 The circulars found in the mail box, he explained, were apparently printed hurriedly with rubber stamps and dis crepancies in spelling would indicate they were printed by two different men. In two of the circulars the word "pris- iner" appeared, while the word re- mimber" in two circulars and 'remim- CT" in the others. On two of the cir eulars the word tighter appeared in the signature, while in the others the plural from was used.
 Discovery of the circulars, Chief Flynn said, makes the plan of the bombers fairly clear"
 "They left the wagon with horse attached in Wall street. having set the timing device for q few moments ahead" he explained. They didn't want to take 8 chance of mailing the circu- lars. They didn't want to throw them into the streets as they walked away from the scene of their crime so they stuck them in the box. Three minutes later their bomb had exploded
 There s no doubt at all in " mind that this is about what happened. The fact that the box was empty when the letter carrier visited it at 1l:30 and that the circulars were in it at 11:5S, so close to the time of the explosion and so close to the scene of it carries con viction.
 MOST IMPORTANT CLUE
 This is one of the most important clues we have, but. of course, the iden- tification of the horse and wagon that carried the internal machine to Wall street is paramount. If we can identify that we should have clear sailing.
 No clockwork has been found-and it shouldn't be expected that any would be left. No mental parts were found in the debris left by the bombs on June z 1919. either. But we are reasonably sure q time device was used. fuse would have smoked. Someone might have smelling it. The clock arrangement would be the safest
 my personal opinion that the bomb was not directed against MT. Morgan, any member of the Morgan firm or any othor individual. It was placed in th7 financial heart of America as a dc- fiance against the American people anu the American government. That is my opinion.
 '-Ehs otker circulars we have found fave been signed simply Anarchist Fighters.y You may see from these copies that they have added American to their title now
 New York. September 17.--The exact cause of the explosion which, in the twinklng of an eye yesterday noon trans formed Wall street, near Broad, from a scene of bustling activity to one of dread full carnage, remains tonight a mystery
 Official opinion. as expressed by Will liam J. Flynn, chief of the bureau of in- vestigAtion of the department of justice, and Fire Commissioner Thomas Drennan. is that the disaster was caused by a time bomb loaded with high explosives and re- infoyced with metal slugs. The early theory that the blast was caused by a collision between an explosfve-iaden vancn and another vehicle seems to have beeu dispel1ed by subsequent investfga- tion. althoush it has not yet been entirely discarded by official investigators.
 Chiof Flynn, who arrived here from Washington last night to take personal charge of the federal investigation, de- clarsd. after leaving the J. F. Morgan office late today, that from evidence oD- taineA within the last few hours It has been definitely established that the ex- plosion was due to a time bomb.
 "srhe bomb was taken to Wall streS he added, ''in the wagon wnicn was blown to pieces. The internal machine was timed to so off at noon. and ap- parently was placed in the wagon by perscn who was within four blocks of wal and Broad streets when the ex- ploefon occurred"
 ST more deaths since midnight brought
 sCestaarsa = Rass Tvss