The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-10-29
new ALLIANCE OF
SE|PEL, HORTHY,
FASCiSTS SHOWN
Extradite Fugitive to
Bulgaria

Austrian fascism is shown in its
true colors in dark affair which
threatens to end in the murder of
a political fugitive. Seipel is COM
bining secretly with the notorious
mass murderers, Horthy and Liapt-
scheff, to accomplish this. The
facts are as follows:
On Oct. 8 the provisional court
of Vienna resolved on the extradi-
ton of the Bulgarian political fugi-
tive, Nikola Koffardschieff, to the
Hungarian hangmen. Koffards-
chieff is accused Of being identical
with a certain Ivan Kostoff, who is
supposed to have committed a muir
der in Hungary in 1921.
This confusion of identities has
been brought about by Kofards-
chiefs attempting to cross Austria
to Germany on a false passport.
He was caught by the police and
charged with this offense, for which
he was sentenced to one month i'm
prisonment. Not wishing to give
his own name, he took the first Bull
garian name occurring to him,
Ivan Kostoff." The police then
applied to all the neighboring coun-
tries, including Hungary and Bull
garia, inquiring if they were look
ing for an Ivan Kostoff, and sending
photograph. Hungary replied
that an Ivan Kostoff was wanted
for murder. The Hungarian gov
eminent was then given till Sept.
10 to supply proof. Although the
Horthy police failed to do this, the
Seipel police continued to keep their
victim in prison. To put an end to
the matter, Nikola Koffardschieff
now gave his real name, although
he knew that he was suspected in
Bulgaria of connection with the last
Communists arrested, that his pho
tograph had been published as an
alleged member of the Central Com
mittee of the Bulgarian Communist
Party, and that the police were
seeking him everywhere. His in
tention was TO clear himself of the
charge of being murderer. 1t did
not occur to him that he was in
danger of extradition, since as a po-
litical offender he enjoys the right
of asylum.
Workers Save Him.
The Bulgarian embassy in Vienna
and the Bulgarian police, though
confronted with proofs of Koffards-
clieffs identity, and able to trace
the fact that he was a student in
the Sofia College in 1921, have
sabotaged their most elementary du-
ties. In consequence, Koffards-
chief is to be delivered over into
the hands of the Horthy police. The
bloody game being played with the
life of defenseless refugee is plain.
The Viennese police do not care
whether the Horthy executioners
hang him as a murderer or the
Liaptscheff bloodhounds as a con-
spirator. In any case his fate is
sealed.
The decision of the court of vi
emma for the extradition of Kof-
fardschieff is still subject to two
higher authorities, which will de-
eide within few days. The Seipel
government hopes that the fascist
demonstration on Sunday has dis
tracted the attention of the Aus
trian and foreign proletariats from
this repetition of the Sacco and
Vanzetti murder.
This must not be permitted! The
Bulgarian revolutionist Koffards-
chief must be saved! We, the Bull
yarian refugees abroad, call upon
he German workers, and all pro-
sressive thinkers, to take every pos
Iible step to prevent this crime at
NE last minute. Send in mass pro-
tests, resolutions to the govern
nents, delegations to the embassies
If the three hangman states!