The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-12-23
THE DYNAMITE DEVIL.
He Makes Full Confession of His Crime
and His Accomp1ices-Brief Sketch Of the
Villains Career, M n "a 81

He Makes "a Full Confession of His Crime
and His sAccompIices-Brief sketch OF the
Villains Career. 4 81 a.
New YeRk, December 16.-Accord-
ing TO Bremen dispatches, Thomassen,
the passenger on the Mosel, and own
er of the cask of dynamite which
caused the terrible disaster at Bre-
merhafen, has confessed his guilt, say
ing that he had accomplices in New
York. The motive for this diabolical
scheme appears to have been 10 pro-
cure exaggerated and fictitious insur-
ance, and to share afterward with 9TH
ers. Thomassen is quite conscious,
and answers all questions. but the bull
lets have not yet been extracted from
his head. From what is known, the
barrel prepared for this shameful
work was made strongly by a Bremen
cooper and partitiOned, one part con-
tanning the dynamite and the other the
apparatus for exploding 1T. lie IN
tended to place his hellish machine on
the Deutschland, but it was not ready
in time. tH1f 9IfI ~
The Weser Zeitung adds: 'In sober
words we communicate these facts,
with the certainly that the number or
victims killed and wounded amounts
to one hundred and forty. William
X. Thomassen is the full name, an q,
since his attempt at suicide, ne mas
made full confession. He was born
in New York, married New Orleans
lady, and has four children.the young
est baby. He lived in Virginia DUR
ing the war. and engaged in the bust
ness of blockade-running, whereby he
grew rich. Since 1866 he has reslded
here and at Leipsic, and appears to
have lost his money and become en-
barrassed. He was twice in America
during the past summer. The last
time he went there without the know =
ledge 81 his family, and when he rec
turned he wrote his bankers here that
him TO pay his debts in DECEMBER. He
was highly esteemed by people in
Germany. His house has been search-
ed, but nothing found connected with,
the disaster. hThomassen has attempt
ed suicide again by tearing of the
dressings from his wounds"
LATER.-Thoma.seD died to- day
from the effects OF the injuries infict-
ed by himself. He stated that, his
true name was William King Thomp-
SOh, anu thot hO " tho q hhtiy " VI ~ OOAA
lyn, N. Y. His age is believed to be
about thirty.five years. He confessed
that he was once Captain Of the vessel
Old Dominion, and that, he changed
his name to avoid being prosecuted
for running the blockade during the
civil war in America; that he bought
the explosive material in the United
States, and had it forwarded to his ad-
dress, and that the clock-work attach
mant was manufactured in Germany,
and was set to explode the charge i'll
eight days. .-ss y Hsl.r
MAGDEBuRG, Dec. 16.-It stated
here that Thompson alias Thomassen
had his clock work made by amechan-
ician named Fuchs, residing at Bern
burg. The apparatus was constructed
10 run noiselessly tor ten days, when
il cansed lever to act and strike with
q force Of thirty pounds. Twenty
similar machines had been ordered.
The negotiations between Thompson
and Fuchs had been carried on since
1879. When Fuchs visited Thompson
i'm Leipsic he was told by the latter
that the machines were required for a
i'm the United States.
Thompson has not revealed the names
Of his accomplices.