The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

early today from the wine cellar of
Edgewater, palatial Beverly farms sum-
mer residence of Joseph Letter of Wash
ington, and one time wheat magnate of
Chicago.
Early today the caretaker at Edge
water was aroused by a motor truck
rumbling out of the yard, he reported
to police. A hurried examination of
the premises revealed, he said, the wine
cellar had been broken into. and all
telephone lines leading into the house
cut. The hijackers had gained access
to the wine cellar, police reported, by
jimmying several doors, and then re-
moved the liquor through an open Gel
larway.
self denied that he was an anarchist
as of course ne did, when he later learn
ed the seriousness of his situation-and
the News cheerfully took denial for
proof.
1t painted Manseyich as peaceable
and orderly mau--and forgot that an
anarchist can put on u smooth front
and be all the more dangerous. 1t
pointed to Mansevich's ownership of a
house-and conveniently forgot that the
house was in Hamtramck, notorious as a
ManSebich taken out his first citizen
ship papers: but the News forgot that in
all his eight years in America, Manse-
vich had not even learned the English
language. Anything would do as ''evi-
dence" that Mansevich was a good
American in the making-nothing could
be evidence that he was an enemy of
America already made.
Many a verbal tear the Detroit News
shed over Nicolai Mansevich-and not
one over the United States. The De-
troit News fought for the threatened
family of Mansevich-the United States
immigration officers had every other
American family in mind. The Detroit
News fought against the separation of
Mansevich from his family-the immi-
grafton officers fought for the separa-
ton of the United States from Manse-
vich, and won. They held that Manse-
vichs wife and three children need not
have been separated from Mansevich
if Mansevich had been separated from
his principles" And they were right.
They were right. because through all
these arguments and all this sentiment
whipped up in favor of Mansevich, one
fact stands out unchanged and unaf-
fected--he was an anarchist. He gloried
in the fact at first; when he after
wards became frightened, he naturally
played with the mistaken zealots who
banded together to save him.
Actual Facts Set Forth
The actual facts against Mansevich.
as found by the immigration service
are set forth in this letter of protest
which DR.. p. l.. Prentis. immigration
inspector for the Detroit district, at last
sent to the editor of the Detroit News ::
Through the courtesy of the assist
ant secretary of labor, the alien. Nicolai
Mansevich has been granted the excep-
tionai advantage of two hearings and
his case has been reviewed by the SUI
preme court of the United States. which
body fully sustained the department in
its findings.
The evidence upon which the war
rant of deportation was issued is defin-
iteiy conclusive.
"The recor dshows that Nicolai Man
sevich made voluntary statement be-
fore trustworthy representative of the
department of justice, admitting that
for period of eight months he had
been a member of the Professional
union, a pronounced anarchistic organ
ization, and that in 1919 he was a
member of the union of Russian Work
ers. branch No. 3, Detroit, Mich, like
wise an anarchistic organization. Fur
Their, when he was shown a mandate
By the union of Russian Workers, High
land Park, Mich, authorizing him to
represent that organization at the So
Wet of workers deputies, Mansevich
admitted that such mandate was issued
to him. and that in 1919 he was a dele
gate from that organization. He also
stated that a similar mandate had been
issued to him two weeks previously by
the Professional union. The alien as
serted without equivocation his belief
in the doctrine and principles of the
Union of Russian Workers.
"He further admitted arranging to re-
ceive anarchistic literature i'll Quantl-
ties at his house.
"Mansevichs preliminary statement
was recorded verbatim and carefully
read to him in his own language. after
which. without coercion and with no
hesitancy, he signed same, under oath.
On the same date practically the same
statement was made b. the alien be-
fore the United States immigrant in
spector, Robert w. Gangewere. rep
reseptative of the United States lmml-
grafton service of Detroit. In his later
statement the alien added the informa-
ton that he had distributed copies of
anarchist;c literature to comrades.
THE statements made by the alien
were transmitted to the department of
labor and on September 6, 1921, the as
s;stant secretary of labor, in pursuance
OF his sworn duty, issued a warrant.
On September Z and 10, hearing was
given the immigrant inspector above
named.
"The honesty and integrity of the
inspector conducting the hearing have
l,oo., rn6arStond-