Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-15
BALANOW ADMITS
WALL Street BOMB :
CASE REPORT FALSE

Albert Bailin, alias Albert BaianOw,
confessed spy and agent pF0vaca-
teur, admitted today under cross ex-
animation by G. L. Smith, assistant
attorney general OF Michigan, that
many of his reports while an agent
OF the Burns and Thiel Detective
Agencies, were false. ~ s4,s
Balanow, in a deposition being
made by Frank y. Walsh. ATTORNEY
for - alleged Communists racing
trial in Michigan, had pictured the
Communist and Communist-Lapor
parties and the ]. w. w. organiZa-
ton as being virtually controlled by
the two detective agencies and oper-
atcd as aide for extracting money
from banking and business agencies.
He charged that he and other
agents provacateur of the two de-
tective agencies organized labor
unions and radical organizations and
directed their activity in order that
the detectives might arrest deiuded
radicals who followed their lead.
His admission that many of his
reports were untrue came when At
torney Smith questioned him about
Il report he sent from Milwaukee,
detailing an alleged meeting with
one Lechovetsky. supposed to be a
dan gerOuS representative OF the
Soviet government.
The examination developed he
had furnished the report to John
L. Clarity, then chief of police OF
Chicago, and the Thiel Agency, and
collected salary and expenses from
both. and Mr.. Smith also attempted
c
sold to the Burns Agency and ex-
penses collected again. but this the
witness denied. although Mr.. Smith
produced a copy of the statement
said to come from the Burns files
You knew it was lie when YOU
wrote that to Chief Clarity, didn't
you?" Mr.. Smith asked Balanow
Yes" the witness replied, but
Michael Flannigan, vice president of
the Thiel Agency, told me to write
it,"
IF the defective agencies told you
to go out and kill man. would you
do it," Mr.. Smith asked.
when YOU work for a defective
bureau. you are supposed to follow
orders" Balanow said.
Then you would kill a man,
well. I would consider the cir
| cumstances"
The. Milwaukee report. which the
witness admitted was false. concerned
the Wall street bomb explosion in New
York City. On direct examination he
testified that Flanagan, of the Thiel
Agency, told him the day after the ex-
plosion on September 1s, 1920, to go &c
the Stag Hotel at Milwaukee and reg.
lister under the name of "A. 3. Rosen-
berg" and there write a report alleg-
ing he had met a radical named lie
| chovetshy,' a Soviet representative in
this country. and that Lcchovetsky
had told him that some 80 Russian
| leaders had recently held two meetings
| and planned various bomb explosions
asassinatiens and armed repolta
Flanagan, he swore. told him to mai
cor Of the report TO Csfhf Of Police
I Clarity. The Thial officials. he said
had arranged TO have him put on the
Chicago police bomb squad payroll. and
| later both the police and Flanngar
| paid his salary and expenses for ths
Milwaukee trip.
Flanagan also gave him list of al
legged communist party members. h
said. and told him TO mail it to CARR
| ~, who would have it photograph eC
and then mail it to Isaac T.. Ferguson
Of the Workers Defense committee. 81
| that FergusonS Office could be raidct
and the list would be found there as
evidence 10 he used in convicting him
| On cross-eXamination. Mr.. Smith pro
| duccd copy of the report taken from
tho Burns files, and Balanow admitted
| selling it to Burns some time later. al
though the assistant attorney genera
! attempted to show it was written ant
mailed from Milwaukee to the Burns
office on September 90. 1920.
i,alanow ad. lifted that the report as
read by Mr.. Smith was essentially The
same as h. had made to Chief Clarity
1t detailed an alleged meeting witt
the fictitious Lechovetsky and said the
! latter had told him of meeting at
| tended by Naurvata. secretary to Lud
wig {. X. Martens. Solvent envoy to Tho
| United States. at which Naurvata was
! supposed To have told his associate.
that they should stage a revolution il
the United States, and start by killini
j. L. Morgan and John u. Rockefcllcr
! then some of the congressman and sen
ators. 1t also was decided at this
meeting. the report said, to throw tn,
] Wall street bomb.
/ Balanow admitted on crosS-cXamina
ton that all, those details were fig
ment of his own examination. written
he insisted. TO, comply with Flanni
gan's orders.
/ Today's story by Ba!anow was a.
weird as that he told yesterday ant
| Monday. He pictured Meyers as pro
posing to send him to Russia to xii
Lenine and Trotzky by putting poison
to be obtained from Burns agents il
| Poland. in their drinking water. He
declared Roscoe 7. Simms. negro or
! oan nf >a,Jo ~
(, Labor; Leon Green, one of the organ
izcrs Of the Seattle strike. and othcl
we'll known labor and radical leaders
/ MCrG really del &c ives in Iii ScuiGn