The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-03-07

slang expression of the day, however,
is, "Pull down your vest.'' After do
ing good service in the Western coun-
try, It has at length reached the Eastern
cities, and is to-day as freely used as
ever were any of the slang phrases that
preceded it.-Phsladelphs0 Bulletin.
More About Thomas, the ssDynamite
Fiend.n As
The Berlin, correspondent of the New
York Herald writes:
From his papers and researches made
it seems the deceased murderer's real
name was William King Alexander.
According to the assertions of German
newspapers he is connected with New
York house, the principal of which is
owner of a line of steamers running be-
tween New York and Havana. But this
cannot be stated for certainty. Even his
wife, to whom he was marred II years, had
no idea of his true character or the MUIR
derous plans he had been connecting for
months even years. The name by
which she knew him was William King
Thomas. Great sympathy is every
where expressed for the wife and her
four little children. The hopes of the
authorities to discover some trace of ac-
completes have not been realized. It APP
pears he must have devised and exc
cuted the deed alone. The detective
sent to Southampton, under plea of tax
ing possession of the insured property,
to extract information relative to abet-
tors, has also failed in his endeavors.
Many developments have, however,
transpired respecting the life of Alex
ander, alias Thomas, during his long
stay in Germany. The basis of his
fortune squandered by profuse waste
fulness-seems to have been
laid some ten years ago, during
the American war, by transporting q
cargo of weapons from Bermuda to
Charleston, in exchange for cotton,
thereby making Q gain of $4,000.
These profits he doubled and tripled
by speculation in stocks and gold. OF
further transactions than these, which
he himself repeatedly related, nothing
is known.
From the small balance in his favor
found at his bankers in London, it may
be plainly conceived that his principal
motive in accomplishing the crime was
the acquisition Of money. ALI persons
who ever had any knowledge Of Alex
ander describe him to have been an ex-
ceedingly amiable man. He was Of q
short, stoutly built figure. After hav-
ing lived for some time in Leipsic,
where he mixed with the best society,
and formed an intimate friendship with
the American Consul, he moved to
Linz, in Austria. Here he resided in
furnished apartments, received many
visitors and gave splendid dinners and
suppers, to which all persons Of note in
the comparatively small provincial
town were invited. His wife, an at
tractive, elegant woman, then mother
of three charming children, enjoyed the
greatest esteem. ts
| In 1868 he moved for the first time to
Dresden, always under the pseudonym
of Thomas, which it seems he adopted
in Germany. All circles of s.good so
ciety'' were Immediately opened to the
rich, agreeable American and his beau
tiful wife. Indeed it was once the ques-
ton of introducing him even at court.
At brilliant entertainments, where
champagne flowed in streams, officers
and people of distinction were guests
of Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas. He was also
elected Vice-president of the celebrated
American Club in Dresden, one of the
best establishments of its kind ON the
Continent, and his wife was frequent
and appreciated visitor in all fancy
shops. Mr.. Joseph Meyer, the propri-
etor of the Petit Bazaar, will certainly
retain a long remembrance of her, for
she has perpetuated herself in his books
for no less sum than 81, 400.
In these happy times Thomas gave no
second thought to money, and many
traits of especial generosity are related
of him. For instance. he provided
means to an American lady living in
Dresden for the establishment of an ed
vocational Institution which, although
now in other hands, still flourishes. He
must, however, now have perceived that
his income would not sufficesfor such a
style of living, and on removing to Leip-
sic formed the plan of conducting a
more moderate establishment.
From the time when Thomas remark
ed that his revenues were on the decline
seems to have dated the diabolical con-
ception. The numerous journeys then
undertaken by him were apparently for
the object of effecting the construction
of his Internal apparatus. Somewhere
about July l Thomas returned to Ores
den, and it was conspicuous to his &C
quaintances that his manner had be-