The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-23
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK.-Governor Dewey has again
postponed, this time until next Jan. 3, the
execution Of Louis Buchaiter DIETER known
as Lepke), Louis Capone Emmanuel
Weiss, for the murder of Joseph Rosen on
Sept 10, 1886. This is the fourth postponement
and the third by Dewey's order.
This is a very mysterious job with political
implications.
The Department of Justice Is protecting
Lepke from the death sentence pronounced
by a New York court, by holding him to serve
series of consecutive prison sentences to
run about IL years. for the relatively cheap
offense Of trading in narcotics He is about
as vicious as any criminal ever developed
in the underworld Of racketeering and union
ism and knows great deal about a great
many politicians in the So-called American
Labor Party and unioneers OF tn needle
trades Some New York policemen who work.
ed on the murder case and other Lepke crimes
say he probably has killed or procured the
murders of about 20 men. He is at present
in federal custody and at Iast public reports
was in the House of Detention III New York.
The federal Department of Justice has re-
fused to give him UP under conditional COM
mutation of his prison sentence which would
be granted by President Roosevelt. Such COM
mutations specify that the subject is released
to the state making the request for the pur-
pose of the execution Of a sentence OF death
and for no other purpose. II then the gov
ernor of the state conlmu'es the death SEN
tence to life, the prisoner is offered back to
the federal authorities to finish his time.
Attorney General Biddle has ignored two
requests from Thomas Hughes, the district
attorney of Queens county, addressed TO MIN
after the pardon attorney of the Department
of Justice had ruled that the interests OF JUS
tice require Lepke to serve his prison SEN
tence first Dewey IS refusing TO have any
III; to n il
him in the usual legal way with the prisoner
in state custody. It appears thai Capohe ana
Weiss, who were Lepke's underhngs, c n
! count on successive pcstponements OIL tleli
death sentences as long the Department
of Justice protects Lepke
Of course Dewey is thoroughly tamlllar win
Lepke's career, for he got him on an extor-
ton charge when ne was district atlolileS LII
New York and kicking apart nunoer OF
rackets which Mr.. Justice Frankfufter might
regard as familiar and therefore JuStlliao!e
| union practice. However, as goVerhoi, ~ Is
not up to him to ask the Department OF 'usIlce
to turn over the prisoner. lie can olny sit
tight and let the office which prosecuted ehe
murder charge pursue the demand loI Gus
| tody. But, if Lepke we're turned over W elie
state with nothing but the governor clel q
| ency to save him from death ne nlght De
very angry at his old associates no" ILL
portant in new deal and Union Fon'ieS' anu
agree to tell his story in return 1or "hich
the governor might decide to commute MIN
| to life
Lepke operated ir the needle and fur trades
from about 1880 to 1885 and was an uncom.
monty brutal terrorist, playing botn sloes OIL
the street, available for hire 10 oo1h employ
ers and unions Several OF those VINO hao
| dealings with him in those days nave eiiiee
pushed themselves into advantageou pon,ical
positions in the American Labor Party Mnlch
is local subsidiary Of the ne" oeal parry
and, although it might not be proVaole ma,
any of them actually committed or pfocore e.
any important crimes, their reidtioas 4 w..
Ienke were not such as would advance their
political fortunes, If they should be told IN
court A.. =
No reason has been given for protecting tnls
answer that in the opinion of the Depal
of Justice the interests OF justice are best
served by denial Of the request TOR cuss6ay ,
! he wasn't released to the stale eVen "1-~--