Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-30
Would Exile Self
From United States

Houston, Tex. June %. - up -
Charles Ponzi. Boston financial wiz
ard" today declared he would fight
extradition to Massachusetts, unless
permitted by Attorney General Jay
r. Benton of that state to exile him
self from the United States.
Ponzis statement followed a long
distance telephone call to Boston
when Police Inspector John M. Nit
chell told him Massachusetts author
tiles were coming to return him to
superior court in Boston, where he
faces a sentence of from to 8 years
as common and notorious thief
Pending arrival of officers, Ponzi
| indicated he might sue out writ
of habeas corpus in federal court
so he could better fight extradition
proceedings against him.
Ponzi asked Sheriff T. A. Binford
for permission to employ guard
| and spend his time in a downtown
| hotel, but the request was denied
and Ponzi was placed in the county
Jail.
| Sheriff Binford said Inspector Nit
chell advised he probably would
leave tonight for Houston.
| When Mitchell told Ponzi that Of
ficers were coming after him, Ponzi
| declared:
"All right, come on. Well fight
| it out down here and you are going
! to have to fight because / am not
going to return until I have to, I'M
less L am permitted to deport my
self"
The financier said he had served a
sentence in Massachusetts, for using
the mails to defraud and asserted
that his conviction by the state au-
thorities for obtaining money under
false pretenses was a virtual double
prosecution.
In contrast to a statement that
he had no criminal intentions in his
Boston financial operations, he as
serted:
IF I then had the experience l
tnoW have, / would still have plenty
of money. I had my hands on $1O,-
OOO,OOO once and could have kept it.
But l wanted to play, square and |
gave 1t up. But if I knew then what
1 know now, | would have kept it,
When he learned that the Massa-
chuSetts supreme court had denied
MS appeal from a prison conviction
early this month. PonZi said he was
49, ~ NOdOIo do ~ nniI course TO
pursue. He was in Florida and
faced a year in prison there in con-
nection with a real estate promotion
scheme.
II did not want to go back to
| prison again." he said Il went to
Tampa, where l learned that Cap
tain Mortola had lost his head wait
er from the Italian steamship Sic
! Vos Non Vobis. Through friends |
got a chance at employment as a
waiter"
But all the time" he said, II was
not sure / was right l was torn
between doubts as to the proper
course to follow. One minute
| thought / ought to so back to my
| wife, Rosa, and my mother in Bos-
ton. The next moment l thought I
ought 10 go on to Italy, for / be-
l1eved | was fleeing from injustice,
{ oppression and persecution"
| Ponzi outlined another plan of
escape he had formulated
/ Il had acquired a coat of TAM"
| he explained, land was growing "A
mustache. l was very proud of my
disguise and did not think anyone
would recognize me. But more COM
pletely to throw the officers off their
| guard, l wrote to some friends in
Jacksonville and asked them to put
my clothing on the beach with a
note asking my wife and mother to
! forgive me for taking my own life.
| 1T is mighty unpleasant knowing or
, believing that officers are on your
trail and to be fleeing to a foreign
! country where there are doubts as
/ to how You will be received there -
| he said, retiectively
Less than an hour after Ponzi had
arrived here today from New Or
! leans where he was arrested by Dep
| uty Sheriff George Lacy of Boston,
/ the wizard had made $500
The city editor of a Boston news
paper paid it by wire for an exclu-
sive story of his wanderings
| Pretty SOFT Ponzi said when he
cashed q Geographic order for the
money at a bank.
Ponzis capture was due to chance,
| Lacy, private detective who holds
a commission as a deputy sheriff,
| saw him on the streets of Houston
Italian steamer Sic Vos Non Vobis
in the Houston hospital channel,
| where he was employed as a waiter.
| Before an arrest could be made the
vessel sailed.
Lacy missed the ship when it
| touched Galveston but was on hand
when it arrived in New Orleans and
| with the aid of customs officers
lureds the fugitive ashore and arrest
| cd hin,