The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-17
FOREIGN.
The NOscI ENplOsiOn-rhc Fiend
Thomas Makes Full Confession.

The MoscI EXpIosiOn-Thc Fiend
Thomas Makes IL Full Confession.
LONDON, December l6.-According to
Bremen dispatches, Thomas, the passen-
ger on the Mosel and the owner OF the
cask Of dynamite which cansed the terri
bic disaster at Bremen Haven. has con-
fcssed his guilt, saying he had accom-
plces in New York. The motive Tor
this diabolical scheme appears TO have
bccn to procure an exaggerated amount
of fictitious insurance and 10 share after
wards with others Thomas is quite con-
scious and answers all questions, but the
bullets have not yet been extracted from
his head. From what Is known
the barrel prepared for this shameful
work WAS made strongly by brewer
cooper, and partitioned, one part con
tanning the dynamite and the other the
apparatus tor exploding it. lie intended
to place his hellish machine on the
Deutschland, but it was not ready in
time.
The Fcscr Zcjhmg adds; We COM
municatc with certainty that the number
of victims killed and wounded amounts
to 40. VIM. X. Thomas is his full
name, and since his attempt at suicide he
has made full confession. He was born
in New York, married a New Orleans
lady and has four children, the youngest
II baby. He lived in Virginia during the
war and engaged in the business of block
ade running, whereby he grew rich.
Since 1866 he has resided here and at
Lcipsic. and last at Stiethclem, near Dres-
den. He appears to have lost his money
and became embarrassed. He was twice
in America during the past summer. The
last time he went without the knowledge
of his family and when he returned he
wrote III, banker here that he had made
arrangements enabling him to pay hls
debts. He was highly esteemed by the
people in Germany. His house has been
searched, but nothing found connected
with the disaster. Thomas has attempted
to commit suicide again by tearing the
dressing from his wounds.
BREMEN, December l6.-Thomassen
died to-day from the effects of injuries
inflicted by himself. He stated that his
true name was William King Thompson
and that hc was native OF Brooklyn,
New York. His aye is believed to be
about thirty-fvc years He. confessed
that he WAS once captain of vessel
called The Dominion" and that he
changed his Eame to avoid being prose-
cuted 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 address
and that the ClOCk-work attachment was
manufactured in Germany and was set
to explode III eight days.
Description Of the Internal Machine.
MAGDENBURG, December Lot is
said here that Thompson, Gtios Thomasses,
had hIs clockwork made bya mechanic
named Fuchs, residing at Beruberg. The
apparatus was constructed to run
noselcss for ten days, when
1t caused lever to act and
strike with force of thirty pounds.
Twenty similar machines have been or
dered The negotiations between Thomp-
son and Fuchs have been going on since
1873, when Fuchs visited Thompson in
LEIPZIG. and was told by the latter that
the machines were required for a manu-
factory in the United States Thompson
has not revealed the names of his accuDl-
pliccs.