DESIRE TO KILL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 7

DESIRE TO KILL

ZINGARA’S CONFESSIONS

ESCAPE OF MR. ROOSEVELT

MR. CERMAK SERIOUSLY ILL

WOMAN VICTIM IN DANGER

MR. HOOVER UNDER GUARD

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Miami, Feb. 16.

Guiseppe Zingara, who attempted the assassination of Mr. F. D. Roosevelt, with bulging eyes dilating as he talked with his severe interrogators at the Dade County gaol to-day, said he had no regrets for his attack on Mr. Roosevelt. The prisoner answered questions by Sheriff Hardie in broken English.

"Why do you want to kill; did you want to kill the policeman who caught you?" Mr. Hardie asked. "I no care to kill the policeman,” Zingara replied. “They work for their leeving. As a man I like Meestei- Roosevelt, As President I want to keel him; [ want to keel all presidents. In Italy ten years ago I want to keel the King but I cannot get to heem.” “Are you an anarchist?” was the next question. “I do not belong to any society; I am not an anarchist. Sometimes I get a beeg. pain in the stomach too, and then I want to keel those presidents who oppress the working men.” There is a deep scar on Zingara’s abdomen. He has been in the United States about nine years. It is understood that he is a naturalised citizen.

Physicians to-day said that Mr. Anton Cermak, Mayor of Chicago, who was wounded in the shooting from which Mr., Roosevelt escaped, has a 50-50 chance to recover. His condition is regarded as dangerous, but not immediately critical. The bullet evidently traversed the diaphragm and lodged in the body at the eleventh dorsal vertebrae. Surgical intervention is deemed unwise unless his condition becomes worse. Lying in hospital, Mr. Cermak said to Mr. Roosevelt: “I am mighty glad it was me instead of you. I wish you would be careful; the country needs you.” A deep expression of agony showed in the suntanned face of Mr. Roosevelt as he bent over the bed, replying: “We need you and men like you.” . Mr. Roosevelt held the Mayor in his lap en route to the hospital in Mr. Roosevelt’s car. THREE OTHERS RECOVER. The condition of Mrs. Joseph Gill, who was shot in the abdomen, took a turn for the worse and is described as most critical. The three others injured are believed to be out of danger. Newspaper clippings found on Zingara reported the movements of Mr. Roosevelt. The police said that one clipping told the story of the assassination of President McKinley. It was a woman, Mrs. W. F. Cross, of Miami, who grabbed at the arm of the assassin. Mr. Cermak sank to the pavement and Mrs. Gill fell. The victims appeared stunned. It was the bystanders who did the shouting and screaming. Mrs, Cross gave the following account of the shooting: “When the Presidentelect stood up to speak there were so many in front of me I could not see, so I stood upon a bench. This man stood up with me and the bench almost folded up. I looked round and then saw that he had a pistol and he began shooting towards the President-elect. I grabbed his hand which held the pistol and pushed it into the air. Tom Armour also grabbed his hand and we held it up. By that time some men were choking him. The police are convinced that the attempt was a “one-man” job. The penalty for attempted assassination in Florida is life imprisonment and for assassination death. . Mr. Herbert Hoover, the President, was shocked by the attempt upon Mr. Roosevelt’s life and found a doubly alert guard of secret service agents watching over his safety to-day. MR. HOOVER SHOCKED.

“I am deeply shocked at the news of the' dastardly act,” he said. He telegraphed to Mr. Roosevelt: Together with every citizen I rejoice that you have not been injured. I shall be grateful to you for news of Mr. Cermak’s condition. Ha inquired also for the others wounded. A secret service guard was posted not far from the President’s bedroom door throughout the night. . . Reversing its previous action following the attempt against Mr. Roosevelt the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee to-day favourably reported on the Eslick Bill for heavy penalties on those who advocate the overthrow of the Goveminent by force or resistance to Federal or State officials. Shocked by the news that its antigang” Mayor had been shot, Chicago awaited the outcome of Mr. Cermak s wounds with anxiety. They hope that the police will continue the anti-gang drive ordered by the Mayor some time ago when squads were sent into the underworld haunts in search of suspected persons. Mr. Cermak, who is aged 59, rose from the position of an immigrant breakerboy in an Illinois coal mine to the Mayoralty. He went to Florida last week to recuperate from a cold and to confer with Mr. Roosevelt and his associates on political and other matters. He is a Democratic National committeeman of Illinois. Ever since his elevation to the Mayoralty there has been unverified reports that he was the recipient of death threats, but officials did not believe there was any possibility that they could have any connection with the Miami shooting. Mr. Cermak defeated Mr. William (“Big Bill”) Thompson, the Republican, in 1931. Mr. Thompson was noted for his slogan; “Keep King George out of Chicago.” AMERICA’S MOST MARKED MAN. ANXIETY FOR MR. ROOSEVELT. Rec. 5.5 p.m. New York, Feb. 16. While Mr. Roosevelt is apparently so profoundly moved by the critical condition of Mr. Cermak and Mrs. Gill that he appears to have almost wholly overlooked his own narrow escape or the constantly dangerous position he occupies, the nation at large is strongly agitated, not alone over the attempted assassination but also over the continuous and imminent peril in which the Chief Executive stands. Ever since the election Mr. Roosevelt has been a source of continuous worry to the Secret Service and his own officials and family. He has ignored all demands for his personal bodyguard to be increased and has frequently appeared alone and unprotected in public. He seems to get a lot of fun out of slipping away unescorted, and never seems to sense for a moment that he is the most marked man in the country. During his present trip south Mr. Roosevelt has been inclined to conduct himself like a private citizen. During his

stay at Miami he declined to allow Secret Service men to keep close to him. Observers state that the attempted assassination is having a sobering effect, on the people, particularly from a political point of view. Old partisanships which began to assert themselves even before Mr. Roosevelt’s inauguration seem overnight to have been dissipated by n countrywide sympathetic reaction to the miraculous escape. CHARGES AGAINST ZINGARA. TWO INJURED STILL SERIOUS. Rec. 7 p.m. Miami, Feb. 16. Concerted action to bring Guiseppe Zingara to justice is being pressed by the State of Florida. Mr. Cermak sent word to his friends, “I am going to pull through for Chicago.” Mr. Cermak’s condition was unchanged up to a late hour on Thursday night. Zingara will be charged with an attempt. to murder the next President of the United States. Other similar charges will be drawn against the gunman based on the attempts on the life of Mr. Roosevelt and wounding the three others. No charges for the time being will be lodged against the would-be assassin in connection with the serious wounding of Mr. Cermak and Mrs. J. H. Gill, the authorities awaiting the outcome of their wounds. Rumours that an attempt might lv made to kidnap and kill Zingara caused Sheriff Hardie on Thursday night to bar all persons from the country gaol where the prisoner is lodged.