New Britain herald., 1923-02-16
EX-SLEUTH GOES ON
With HIS ACCUSING
Insists Detective Agencies Faxed
Threatening Letters

/
Press, Charges that letter sent Y
the postmaster of New York city u
October, 1880, threatening te Kill hin
and blow up the Woolworth build
ing. was inspired by an official OF th'
W. j. Burns detective agency, wers
made yesterday by Albert Bailin
alias Balanew. confessed spy anf
agent eproyoeateur continuing hi
sworn deposition for use by the de-
Tense in the trial OF twenty-five al
legged communists al 81 Joseph. Mich,
February 20.
Ralanow, under questioning by
Frank T., Walsh. attorney for the de-
PENDANTS. also charged that Charles
seuly. heady OF the radical bureau
of the department OF justice in New
York. was In the employ OF Burns
and sold him secret papers from
the files OF william J. Flynn. former
chief OF the department of justice
bureau OF investigation. which POSI-
ton Burns now occupies.
Halted by Explosion.
Taking OF Ralanow's sworn state
| ment was halted shortly before noon
when a premature explosion OF fash.
light powder being used by a news
paper photographer wrecked tho Of
flee OF William cunncs. Socialist can
| didate for mayor. where tho hearing
Is being held. !,
Miss Ida Silverman. court commits
sioner before whom the deposition is
being made. was seriously injured; the
right arm OF Nicholas Mcdonald. the
photogra pher. was blown off. and Will
liam Cunnes. Jr.. was slightly injured
by flying glass.
All the windows OF the office suite
were blown out and many valuable
papers destroyed Mr.. Walsh. Bala-
now, D. J.. Smith. assistant attorney
general OF Michigan. Charles w. Gore.
prosecuting attorney of Berrien coun-
ty Michigan. and Max Burger. for
mer department Of Justice agent. who
rwere posing for the picture. were SO
badly shaken 1t was necessary to
postpone the session until tomorrow.
1t was also feared that some of Bala-
now's private papers and documents
which were to be used as evidence
had been destroyed.
Sent Anonymous Letter.
Balanow. in his testimony, swore
that Allan o. Meyers, head OF the
radical department of the Burns
agency, had him while. employed as
Burns operative, go to the office |
of the Thiel agency, where he was
formerly employed, and write the |
letter to New York postmaster on |
Thiel typewriter. The letter read !
iyVa will not fnJ 70
unless you free. all the political and |
industrial prisoners or we will kill |
you this time for good. We mean |
business this time all right. We are
going to blow up the woolworth |
building this time unless you free
all the prisoners mentioned hereon
above.
THE Nights of The Red Star.
american ANARCHIST Fighters
New York.
oct. 1920"
The letter, Balanow testified, was
mailed to the New York postmaster
on October 10, 1920. The Burns
office in New York is in the Wool
worth building.
Balanow swore that Meyers later
iiou 81 " Lie l.. w. w. mead l
quarters and write an illliterate let
ter, apparently from one radical to
another, and then mail it to Meyers,
the letter was intended, he said, to
show the similarity between the
Of the two.
Flynn Employe Sold Out.
After he was dismissed from the
Burns agency, he continued, heI
wrote W. J.. Flynn, then head of
he department OF justice bureau of
investigation, making charges against
he Burns office. Later, he said, he
instituted court action to recover .pri-
'ate papers, which the Burns agency,
re said, had refused to give up, and
when the papers were obtained on a
subpoena he found among them pho
estate copies of all his reports to
Flynn. He swore that Charles Sculy,
If the New York office of the depart-
nent of justice. was in Burns en-
'loy and sold the papers from Flynn's ,
lies to Burns.