The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-22 00:00:00

THE BREMERHAVEN ELXPLOSION.

Tha American papers to band this week contain an.ac-
count o I the disclosure by the New York police r3ispecting
the man named Thomas, of Bremerhaven notoriety. The
New York World of the 6th inst. gives the following parti-
culars
"The workings and plottings of the -Bremerhaven
Thernassen were further disclosed yesterday in the
dissovery of the fact that a White Star steamer bad
been selected by him for destruction as far back as
October last. This fact was brought out yesterday by
the opening of one of Thomas's treasure boxes at the
White Star Dock, in this city. Officer Thomas J.
Laird. of the Ninth Precinct, who is specie officer of
the White Star Dock, foot of West Tenth-street.
said •
" ' The first Iknew of this case was in October last.
On the 24th, a Sunday, the Cc/he came to her berth
about eleven o'clock, and the passengers' baggage was
taken out at once. There was among the passengers
a man named Thomas, who had besides his 4-egular
trunks a small box, which, he said, contained Ilpecie.
It was brought out from the specie-room of the vessel,
where it had been placed at the request of Thomas
when it was first brought on the steamer. It was
heavy, and one of the porters had it on a hand-trtick.
I followed it down the pier to the door of the baggage-
room. Custom-house officer Glassey was in charge of
the man's baggage, and Thomas had asked him to put
the box aside for a day or two, when he would send
down for it. This Glassey promised to do, and told one
of the porters to take it to the baggage-room. Glassey,
mentioned to me as I was standing near what the box
contained, and I walked after to see it put safely
away. When we got to the baggage-room door it
WRA found locked. Thomas told Glassey not to mind
lacking it up, as it only had in if cartridges which he
intended using on a hunting excursion in the West.
We rolled the box up the dock again, and put it down
before the Custom-house near the middle of the pile.
Tiae rest of the baggage held by Thomas was passed,
and he went off. The box lay where we dropped it
until Saturday, the 30%, when the officer, Banks, of
the Custom-house, who had been in charge during the
loading and unloading of the Celtic, wished to leave,
as the vessel had again started back to Liverpool and
his duties were over. Before going off, he ordered
some of the men to open the box a little that he might
see what there was in it. I was there then. The box
was about 20in. long, 10in, wide, and 12in. deep; but
waitshheeemt brloapcek
oorilchloetahvyorttwainblee.-
citlotwhasstuff'r,aplpasehdedinll
This was taken off partly, when the box itself, of
white pine, was found to be strapped with two broad
bands nailed on. These were loosened, and the screws
taken from the box lid. On raising it, a sheet of metal
only could be seen, appearing to be a box within the
wooden one. It was not further looked into at this
time, but was nailed and tied up by order 'of- Officer
Banks, and put in the baggage-room until called for.
This wag the last of it until last Sunday, when I read
in the papers how Thomas had tried to insure a box