Anarchists Toast Nieman

The Majority of the Paterson Group Say “He Did What It Was His Duty
to Do,” Although “His Effort Might Better Have Been Employed across
the Ocean Upon Some Crowned Head”—They Do Not Know Him.

     New York, September 6.—As a whole the Anarchist group of Paterson, New Jersey, express no regret at the shooting of President McKinley. On the contrary, there was a great gathering of the members to-night at Bartholdi Hall, in that city, and Nieman, who shot the President, was toasted in beer time and again.
     All of the talkative members of the group say Nieman is unknown to them. One of them said:
     “We do not know him, but he is one of us. He did what it was his duty to do and we honor him, while personally thinking his effort might better have been employed across the ocean upon some crowned head.”
     They all deny there is any truth to the report that at any time President McKinley was included in the plots to assassinate the heads of nations. They claim that President McKinley’s life was never declared forfeited by them and that the work of to-day is that of another branch of their organization.
     Petro Esteve, who in the past has gloried in each killing of a head of a nation or in any attempt, was very loud to-night in his denials of any participation by the Paterson group in the affair at Buffalo this afternoon. Esteve even goes so far as to deny that Nieman is an Anarchist.
     “I never heard of him,” Esteve said. “He is probably some German lunatic and fool.”
     The first question asked in Paterson when news of the shooting of the President was received was whether or not the assailant was from that city. The feeling among the citizens outside of Anarchist circles is one of the deepest indignation.