Spring Break
Idealism gone wrong
In 1970, three Brandeis students participated in crime
by Rebecca Klein and Greta Moran
Features | 5/19/09
Posted online at 10:11 PM EST on 5/18/09
/ Last updated at 1:40 AM EST on 5/18/09
Prof. Jacob Cohen (AMST) explained that there are several theories as to why these students robbed the bank. The culprits affirmed that the robbery was an act of protest against the war in Vietnam.
"The reason given by [Valeri], the man who was first arrested, was that they were going to use the money from the bank robbery toward various projects in the anti-war resistance," Cohen said.
Following the incident, Valeri was promptly arrested, and Bond was arrested soon after. Until his arrest several days after the murder, Gilday eluded "the largest manhunt in New England history [at the time], involving 800 policemen," according to the Sept. 29, 1970 issue of the Justice. Saxe went "underground" as she was hiding from the FBI until she was arrested in 1975 and served time in prison until 1982. Power, however, remained "underground" until 1993, when she was placed in prison through 1999. According to an Oct. 12, 1999 issue of the Justice, Power was unable to "suppress her conscience any longer [and] turned herself in to authorities and pleaded guilty to charges of murder." Prior to her arrest, Power took on the alias Alice Metzinger and lived a small-town life in Oregon, according to the Oct. 12, 1999 issue of the Justice.
Although it is often assumed that this violence was kindled by a Brandeis precursor to the Weather Underground-as the students involved in the incident and the Weather Underground shared similar missions and mentalities-this is likely not the case. An FBI release from Jan. 29, 2004, "1975 Terrorism Flashback: State Department Bombing," removed a photo of Katherine Powers "because she was inaccurately associated with the Weather Underground."
Cohen agreed that there was no formal connection between the Weather Underground and Walter Schroeder's murder.
"I know that that link between Kathy and the Weather Underground has been made, ... but I don't know of any formal connection between the Weather Underground and that operation," Cohen said.
"The reason given by [Valeri], the man who was first arrested, was that they were going to use the money from the bank robbery toward various projects in the anti-war resistance," Cohen said.
Following the incident, Valeri was promptly arrested, and Bond was arrested soon after. Until his arrest several days after the murder, Gilday eluded "the largest manhunt in New England history [at the time], involving 800 policemen," according to the Sept. 29, 1970 issue of the Justice. Saxe went "underground" as she was hiding from the FBI until she was arrested in 1975 and served time in prison until 1982. Power, however, remained "underground" until 1993, when she was placed in prison through 1999. According to an Oct. 12, 1999 issue of the Justice, Power was unable to "suppress her conscience any longer [and] turned herself in to authorities and pleaded guilty to charges of murder." Prior to her arrest, Power took on the alias Alice Metzinger and lived a small-town life in Oregon, according to the Oct. 12, 1999 issue of the Justice.
Although it is often assumed that this violence was kindled by a Brandeis precursor to the Weather Underground-as the students involved in the incident and the Weather Underground shared similar missions and mentalities-this is likely not the case. An FBI release from Jan. 29, 2004, "1975 Terrorism Flashback: State Department Bombing," removed a photo of Katherine Powers "because she was inaccurately associated with the Weather Underground."
Cohen agreed that there was no formal connection between the Weather Underground and Walter Schroeder's murder.
"I know that that link between Kathy and the Weather Underground has been made, ... but I don't know of any formal connection between the Weather Underground and that operation," Cohen said.
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Paul Trusten, R.Ph, '73
posted 5/19/09 @ 9:38 AM EST
The black-and-white photo was taken in Spingold Theater on the evening of February 25, 1970,on the occasion of Morris Abram's resignation as Brandeis President and the university-wide interest in choosing his replacement. (Continued…)
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