New-York tribune., 1921-12-18
Confession Obtained in
Poland May Involve
800 in Conspiracies of
Terrorists in the u. S.
Several European
Arrests Expected
Department of Justice
Sent Radical Abroad to
Trail Fugitive Suspects


William j. Burns, chief of the bu-
reau of investigation of the Depart
ment Of Justice, came here from
Washington last night to take charge
OF the renewal of the inquiry into
the Wall Street explosion, the mys-
terry of which he believes has been
solved by the confession in Warsaw
of Wolfe Lindenfeld.
Dispatches received from Warsaw
last night were to the effect that the
loquacious prisoner was engaged in
making further statements which
were being translated into English,
but had refused to tell where he was
at the time of the explosion, beyond
saying that he was cup town. in
Manhattan" There is also a month
of the period he has spent abroad
which has not been accounted for. He
spent six weeks in Moscow.
Mr.. Burns said upon his arrival
that he would go at once to his home
in Scarborough on Hudson and await
the DECIDING in Washington of the
confession, which was cablcd there
yesterday.
Clcw Known TO Burns
He made no secret last night of
the fact that the unexpected making
public of the arrest and confession
of Lindenfeld has upset his depart
ment's plans for rounding up the
men involved.
The $4,000 reward offered by
the Burns agency" he said, was
wholly and solely for the purpose of
obtaining full confession from Lin
denfeld, whom we know to be in
possession of information which
would clear up the mystery"
"Was Lindenfeld himself impli-
cated?" Mr.. Burns was asked.
"Only in so far as he knew that
the explosion was to take place,
though he did not know where" was
the reply.
Lindenfeld, Burns said, was en-
ployed by the Burns agency after the
war AS an informant.
Asked now many he thought might
be implicated in the plot. as the result
of which thirty-seven persons were
killed and more than two hundred in
Jured by the explosion of bomb left
IN wagon at Broad and Wall streets
IN September. 1920, Mr. Burns said
there might be twelve and there
might be 300"
He was inclined to believe there was
connection between the Wall Street
explosion and the twenty or more
bombs which were mailed to prominent
persons IN various parts of the couu
try some months before the Wall
Street disaster. The reason for this
belief he declined to give.
The confession of LindenfeId. the
chlef said. disposed of the contention,
held TO by Burns men for long time.
tnat the piotters were members of the
Iaillanl group of anarchists in this
country. Lindenfeld, Mr. Burns said.
was an agent of the Third Interna-
tlonale and pacific revolutionist op-
posed to the direct actionists of the
Gallant group.
Information Being Pieced
Mr.. Burns is waiting also for cabIe
message giving further details of Lin
denfeids arrest, for the news dis
patches telling of it do not square in
some respects with the information in
the hands of the Department of Justice.
The chief discrepancy is that the
news dispatches say that LindcnfeId
was arrested as principal in the cx-
piosion, whereas he was sent abroad by
the Department of Justice as a radical
corlycrsantl with the facts and willing.
Tor share of the $4,000 reward, to
betray the five persons, one of them a
woman, whom he accused in connection
with the explosion.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Burns seemed cor
fldent that LindenfeId's arrest meant
that the. counter plotting of the De-
partment of Justice had attained it's
end. 'S'
Persons connected with the Third In
s.ernaHonale, MIR: Burns said, would be
found responsible for the outrage and
arrests probably would take place soon
IN several European cities.
1T was Llndenfeld who gave the De-
partment of Justice the information
that the Third Internationale was be.
nind the Wall Street explosion. He
gave the names of four men and
woman, who, he said. had agreed to
make the attempt and had done SO for
$4,000, supplied by the Third Inter
nationalc. Thoy had fed to Europe,
he said
Suspects Trailed in Europe
The Department of Justice was aware
at the time that suspects in the bomb
explosion were being trailed in Europe.
Ihe Burns agency, founded by the
present head of the bureau of investi-
cation, had sent abroad to shadow
them DR.. Paul Altendorf, whom it had
enrolled as one OF its operatives for
the purpose.
The information which Altendorf had
given to the Burns agency had beer
turned over to the Department of JUS
tice and was found to be similar To
that given BY LindenfeId. Altendorf,
however. had failed to report progres5
and officials Of the Department. of JUS
tice decided to send Lindenfeld abrcads