New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-20
Driver Seized i'm Bayonne
ON Federal Warrant AZ
ter Agents Had Watched
Him for Four Months
Series of Arrests
May End Mystery
Prisoner Tells Conflicting
Stories of Movements ON
Day of Blast; Sale of
Horse and Wagon Clew

A%United States warrant charging
Giuseppe de Filipis, twenty-three-
yesr-old truck driver of Bayonne, N. j.,
with setting of the bomb which caused
thirty-nine deaths and extensive dam
age in Wall Street on September 1S
vas issued and executed yesterday
sfternoon. De Filipis was arrested
last Tuesday afternoon in BSyonne by
p.J. Ahearn. of the United States De-
partpent Of Justice, and Bayonns
authorities.
The arrest, according to Ahearn, Is
the conclusion of four months watch
kept over the prisoners movements
and the first of series OF arrests
which government authorities are con-
fdent will clear up the mystery.
Prisoner Held Without Bail
3e Fiiipis, vino is confined in the
Bayonne jail without bail, is said to
have been identified by five witnesses as
one of the three Italians seen in the
street few moments after the explo-
SION had occurred. He is also said to
have admitted to government authori-
ties that originally ho owned the horse
ard wagon believed to have been che
United States Assay Office in Wall
Street.
The prisoner, according 20 Bayonne
authorities, claimed 20 have sold the
horse and wagon for $39 on the dsy
before the explosion.
De Filipis is said to have told many
conflicting stories, both about his
whereabouts on the day of the blast
and of the transaction concerning the
sale Of the horse and wagon. Accord
ing to Bayonne authorities, records in
the Bertillon department show that
he has been twice convicted of afro
cious assault.
Immediately after 1he mans arrest
Tuesday afternoon Sergeant Hogan of
the bomb squad, Detectives Kenney and
g!rk of the homicide bureau, and
Charles j. Scully of the United States
Department Of Justice here, hurried to
Bayonne to question him. The exam
nation, which lasted practically all
night, was kept secret and other mem
bers Of the bomb squad dispatched to
Scranton the next morning. II is be-
lieved that an attempt is being made
to connect De Filipis with Tito Legi,
who was arrested several weeks ago in
connection with the case. Federal au-
thorities refused to make any state
ments concerning the Scranton end of
the case.
Two Identify De Filipis
After an ali nights grilling De
Filipis was taken into a room with six
other prisoners Wednesday morning,
and tve persons who were in the vi
cinity Of the explosion on September
10 were called to attempt to pick from
the group Of six one of the Italians
seen near the Assay Office following
tne explosion. Two of the Witnesses
one chauffeur and the other wonl-
an whose name the government agents
refused TO divulge--are said positively
70 have Identified De Filipis as one of
Inc three. The other three witnesses, &C
cording to Bayonne authorities, were
unable positively to identify the pris-
oner' The two persons who claim to
temple.
Not satisfied with the Identification,
arrangements were made yesterday
morning to place De Filipis in a group
OF ten prisoners and call additional
~~ltnesses to attempt to identify him.
oQt Of group of FIVE more witnesses
caiied two are said to have identified
she prisoner. AS was the case with the
nfst TWO, the scar was the mark which
Leo TO the second identification.
The government agents played their
trump card yesterday afternoon, and
claim to have gained the most positive
evidence of the prisoners identity yet
forthcoming.
photographer Gives Clew
On the afternoon OF the blast a news
paper photographer, whose name is
kept secret by government authorities,
was sent to Wall Street to take photo
graphs OF the wreckage and Of ). P.
(centlnnad en- pase nIns,