Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-06
Communists
Held immune
From Laws
PegIer Cites Freedom
Of Unionist Hoffman
By wESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOk PEGLER
OF LATE it seems that card
" Of membership in the organ
ization known as the Communist
Party or record of affiliation
with avowed traitors Of this
group is one absolutely safe GER
tificate Of immunity from pun
ishment for murder, arson. trea-
son and other crimes.
The latest affair which sup
ports such a belief is the release
from prison or Alexander HOff-
man, general manager Of Local
239. Cleaner and Dyers OF the
Go. by Charles Poletti, during
Poletti's brief term as interim
governor of New York, after
Hoffman had served less than
eight months OF a sentence for
arson which was 10 have RIA for
from two n four years.
There was absolutely no doubt
that Hoffman was guilty OF a
crime which imperils the lives Of
firemen and others and. because
Of the vulnerahllity Of innocent
human beings and the cowardly
stealth Of the act. Is placed
among the most despcable Of
lenses.
IN ORDER To drive unwilling
1 workers into an organization
subject 70 the rule Of commu-
niSm, which Attorney General
Riddle has identified as a trail
forouS force in the United
States. Hoffman conspired 10
start fires in dry cleaning plants,
the intent being that the own
crs. for the sake Of peace and
immunity would force the work
ers TO Join his union.
One witness against Hoffman
testified that Hoffman said
there would he more fires IL
he did not sign a Union contract
on hchalf of cham OF dry
cleaning stores Hoffman ap-
pealcd 10 the highest court OF
the state and lost and went 10
prison last May
CIDNEY HTLLMkN a man
- whom President Roosevelt
selected as a NJ person 10
direct the war labors Of the
American people, was among
those who interceded for Hof-
man whose union affiliated with
Hillmans.
Poletti took advantage of his
short term of less than one
month AS governor. between the
resignation Of Herbert II. Len.
man and the inauguration OF
Thomas r. Dewey. TO turn out
dangerous terrorist without con-
sulting either the judge or the
prosecutor in the case or the
New York parole authorities.
DOLET-TT fouted the proved
L facts in declaring that Hoff-
man enjoyed an excellent repu-
tation prior 10 his conviction
The truth was that he had been
indicted before on charges OF
using stink bombs and the Wit
ness who testified 10 the threat
of more fires said the union
had bombed homes. thrown ACID
on windows and kerosene on
clothing and assaulted workers
The most fragrant previous
recognition Of communism as q
ground for lenlcncy 10 a criminal
OF traitorous hue was PreSi-
dent RooSevclt'S Communication ot
tho sentence Of Earl Browder,
Although il was urged that
PROVIDERS sentence was TOO So
we're. the President rejected that
claim and frankly injected poll
tics into federal justice in saying
that PROVIDERS premature re-
lease would tend TO promote
national unity"
PREVIOUSLY. in San Fran
L cisco Sam SardeCk, alias
Darcy. Russian horn in the
Ukraine was paroled from the
bench by Superior Judge Schon-
field. upon his conviction of per-
Jury in swearing that his name
was Darcy and that he was born
in New York.
Darcy, as he called himself
had had tho cffrontery 70 run
for governor and had fomented
riots IN tho guSe Of strikes. In
August. 1875. while he was In
Russia as delegate 70 the In
tcrnationalc he was indicted.
He was caught in Philadelphia
in September, 1889 and extra
dited. after a struggle, in No
vcmher. 1870 Six years after his
indictment his trial began.
JUDGE SCHONFELD accepted
y Darcy'S assurance that he
would not advocate overthrow
Of the government by violence
but said he might remain q
member Of the Communist
Party. which. as Attorney Cen
eral Biddle has said, Is COM
mitted 10 that end.
Also in California, with the
assistance Of Culbert L. Olsen,
then governor. three murderers,
officials Of the Marine Fire
mems. Oilers. Tenders and
Wipers' Association, were pa