Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-25
Wall Street Man
Identifies Suspect

! Scranton, Pa, April 23.-Tito Ligi,
arrested here last Tuesday on sus-
picion of completely in the Wall
street explosion, was positively iden-
titled today by a New York business
man as the person he saw standing
beside the horse and driver Of the
death wagon at the scene just f1ve
minutes before it occurred.
| The driver was conversing with
! Ligi when seen by the business man,
/ Department Of Justice officials said
he told them. I.igi was picked from
line of six prisoners as the man ne
had seen. Two other men, brought
| from New York in an effort to iden-
tify Ligi, said he was not the man
] they had seen driving the wagon hH-
ed with explosives. One Of these was
RAYMOND Clark. foreman fan exca-
eating crew, which was working on
building near the scene of the ex-
plosion when it occurred. The otner
is a clerk in Wall street office, but
/ his name was not made public here.
| The Wall street business man. OF
fcials said tonight, admitted that ne
! had seen photographs of Ligi in New
York newspapers, hut declared his
Identification was positive.
Ligi. when identified. was lined up
with five other prisoners and brought
into the room the business man was
in. The latter scanned all their faces
| closely, then stopped within two feet
of Liei, looked at him closely and
exclaimed: THAT is the man." Ligi
stood calmly with no display of emo
ton.
The Identification was made after
both the others had said he was not
the man who drove the death wagon
Department of Justice agents to-
night expressed satisfaction with the
days developments. They said other
persons would be brought from New
York Monday in an effort to confirm
Ligi's supposed connection with the
disaster. 1t was pointed out that sew
era1 persons interviewed by investi-
gators following the blast. mentioned
seeing some one talking to the driver
of the wagon shortly before the ex-
plosion. Some of these it was. con-
sidered probable, will be brought
here.
| Charles F. Scully, chief of the ub-
reau of criminal investigation in the
Departmental justice. accompanied by
/ +. j. Ahern, department agent, left
/ fere for New York tonight. Mr.. Scully
1 has been here since Ligi's arrest, in
Vestigating conditions in the coal min
| ing district where, the suspect was
| 7arIy nIovad Indications TO-
> night were that other arrests would
! be made in that section in an effort to
! determine what connection. if airy, Ligi
| had with the explosion. Present eff
| forts are conferred upon determining
where he was at the time it happened.
Ligi insists he was in Scranton. but
officials said tonight they did not be-
lieve his story.
1t was later announced that the
Identification was made by Thomas J.
| Smith of Brooklyn, employed in the
legal department of an insurance COM
pany having offices in the New York
| financial district.
| Smith picked out Ligi from line OF
six prisoners as the man he had seen
arguing with the driver of the death
wagon shortly before the explosion.
He later told newspapermen that few
moments after the blast he saw Ligi
rushing along Cedar street between
| Nassau street and Broadway, urging
two companions to hurry out of the
neighborhood.
| Smith, who formerly was a lieuten-
! ant in the New York fire department,
| a cSiOnad fn 70
said he was walking in Wall street to-
| ward Broad a few minutes before the
| explosion.
About 11.55 a. NJ. he said he was ap-
preaching the banking house of ]. p.
Morgan & Co. when he saw dilapi-
dated wagon with red and black
striped wheels in front of the United
states assay office. Inside the wagon,
partly covered with newspapers, were
two parcels and two boxes about two
or three feet square.
| Il thought it was junk wagon" he
said. MY attention was first called to
II when | noticed two men standing
near the horses head arguing. / cross
ed the street expecting to see a fight.
| One of the men was about five fee,
six inchs tall, roughly dressed and of
stocky build"
turning to Raymond Clark, fore
man on construction job in the vicin
ity OF the explosion. Smith asked if
mat description fitted the man that
Ozark had seen shortly after the blast.
clark, who also went to Scranton to-
day ID see if he could recognize Ligi.
put who failed to do so, admitted that
the general description fitted the man
VINO few minutes after the explosion
rushed up to hi mand shouted. INV
Co., my horse has been killed"
Smith said the other man STANDING
ny the wagon was taller and better
dressed. This man, whom he iden-
ti!led as Llgi, was wrangling. he said
with the smaller man, apparently
IRVING to induce him to leave tho
! ncighborhood. e
The shorter man." Smith added
apparently did not want to On T
| thousht they were going to fight and
stayed around moment, but there
Was no night and / went on, turning
up Nassau street.
just after / had passed the cor-
her OF Nassau and Cedar streets T
heard the explosion. turned To 90
PACK to Wall street. but was stonneS
=! 'he rush Of people fleeing up Mas