New-York tribune., 1921-04-24
City Fire Marshal's Aid
Identifies Prisoner at
Scranton; Was in Wall
Street just Before Blast
Brooklyn Suicide
Opens New Trail
Adolph Lasar Writes He
Set Off Explosives /;
Names Two Others

Thomas Smith, an attache of the New
York fire marshal's Office and former
4 3 lieutenant in the Fire Depart
rcnt, Identified Tito Ligi yesterday as
man he saw standing beside the
death wagon five minutes before the
Wall Street explosion last September.
.hs Identification was made in the Jail
i Scranton, Pa. Mr., Smith selected
lg from a group of six men.
Mr.. Smith, with two other witnesses,
arrived in Scranton early yesterday
afternoon, with Charles Scully, an
ssent of the Department of Justice at
tsthed to the New York Office. The
ether two witnesses were j. Nally, who
las an Office in the Wall Street section
and lives in SOC West 176th Street, and
Raymond Clark, who was working as
foreman on q construction job at the
.ime Of the explosion.
Picks Ligi in Group
These three men were taken to the
Lsesawanna County jail. where Ligi is
baing held. One at a time they were
led into room where Ligi was stand
ing with five other men. Neither Mr..
yslly nor Mr.. Clark was able TO pick
Lgl from the group, but Mr.. Smith
v:eked him without hesitation.
After positively identifying him, Mr.
Smith tested the prisoners voice. "Do
gou remember ever having seen me in
New York; he asked.
NO, sir replied the Italian, 81 don't
believe that have ever seen you"
Mr.. Smith intimated that the voice
vas the same that he heard in Wall
Street. Following the Identification
III. Smith said to nave declared that
ug was one of the t9o men engaged in
quarrel beside the wagon. The man
With Ligi appeared tc be making an
effort to get him to leave the wagon
Of take it elsewhere, according to state
aents Mr.. Smith is said to have made
70 Agent Scully.
Agent Scully and the three witnesses
Immediately after the identification
sarted back to New York, where a new
lad awaited the Department OF Justice
gent in the suicide of Adolpk Lasar,
afty-seven years old. once mining en-
sneer and more recently employed for
one day as q dishwasher in restaurant
a: sO3 Columbus Avenue.
Lasar was found dead Yesterday
morning in the furnished room he oc-
cupied in 2l7 Carlton Avenue, Brook
lyn. He rented this lodging from Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph Joyce. Mr.. Joyce, an
electrician employed in the Brooklyn
SsVy Yard, discovered the body when
Be entered the room to take up
carpet 10 be cleaned.
There was note beside the suicide,
Who had fired two bullets from an
aatomatic pistol into his brain. In
'ais note he assured Mrs. Joyce that
ne would get her rent in the next
Terd In the same message he named
columbus Avenue restaurant pro-
p.ietor and Chicago man as the in
algidila!s who furnished the money "to
o1y the INT. | set off in Wall Street."
Mr. Joyce said yesterday afternoon
nat ne was mystified because his other
,'9ger was detective who had recent
Y gone to Scranton, Pa. He also said
sAa' his telephone wire had been
;arped.
Police Discredit Confession
Despite these circumstances, Cap
~ -'Aehui vary, OF Ine hOMlclde bu-
eau. said last night that he was con-
anced the suicide had been of unbal-
sAeed mind, and that his alleged con-
.sssIon was merely crazy mans idea
VI revenge. The Columbus Avenue res
.S1fant man, he said, had got into
dispute with his former dishwasher
msr 1 wages The amount involved was
@ay s2:oo, but Lasar recently sought to
'0Hect 1t through court action.
NO radical literature was found in
lasar's room, but there was an accumu-
sson OF incoherent memoranda in his
asas.a1a:w'rltlng that reflected extreme So
qaIIstic beliefs.
ns.i1 onle1 Flynn of the Department of
sasl sas.ice expressed qualification at the
news from Scranton.
Lawyer Retained for. Ligi
"a "Sater Nelles, an attorney who went
Sos,s s,sEahton at the behest of the Italian
attn nerS defense committee to look
Aigis interests, returned last
Continued on uaco eIoht}