The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20
THE BREhERnAr YEN MASSACRE.
W. X. Thomas Confession to the German
Authorities.

NON ne Nsrdfd.
Thomas died on the afternoon OF the
10th December. having since the calamity nearly
always behaved A. " stunned. although some
times be showed himself clearly conscious.
tcrs r1served and eSa.ive. and his c"ffes.i"ns
were only obtained with great difficulty. What
he said one day lie would deny the next, as-ev-
eratine that he had not rightly under-' cd the
question. The admissions whirh he made are as
follow lie called himself ". r. Is9ina-'
SON. He was torn in lSs. Ia liruoklyn. aud was
The SON ~ German parent. who erigraied from
Hamburg. and afterward lived IN virginia. He
had number OF brothers. was Protestant. mar
ricd. the father Of I'VE children, Of whom one
Of a ship. and aad In such capacity commanded
10 him He had nm the Llnrkade during the
American civil war.was taken prisoner and fled TO
the south,where he went by the name OF Thomas.
He was married in st. Louis and LEFT America
shoot himself because ne he said he had lost his
fortune bybad spec uiAt1n. lie had received a bar
rel from Ameriga hy the steamer khein. tie con-
tents Il which he lad put into "A newer barrel
This change Of barrels was made IN the stable
~ lir. floerSe In Bremen' and during the trans.
fer the doors were closed. lie said the barrel
contained polishing paste. packed IN tin cases
which he had bought In New York from George
Moor y Roadway and that the barrel was
sent 90 him by rNidmOre the broker. whose per-
son lie described very mirutely. He fIhuW -pnI
had returned to Germany by the steamer fri-ia.
In the barrel which he had packed at Bremen
be had placed a partition in The middle ~ which
wa. hole IN one 81 the .Iaces be had de,
from och a clockmaker n Bernburg and for
which he had paid 10 thasrS. He had himself
placed powder around the hole and spring
within the box.
Later Thomson contradicted the above state
me ats. saying that he wa- no mechanic that
there WIS no clock In the barrel. that BE had
placed the partition there because he had not
enough material To- Gil the space. on being a-ked
aiterward the reason for his sending the barrel
he would not give any clear Information. hut
frequently animated that he Intended II for
purposes Of sWindiing. and that some goods
we're To be shipped At Southam pton. He knew
that the contents II the barrel were dangerous
thar was all he knew. The kerl-" Ia New
York had packed H. and they were to share the
proceeds with a1iduOre. He once admitted
that he intended II to explode after ten days.
This he also afterward denied. asserting that he
knew nothing Of the contents Of the barrel
that he was not 80 bad as people thought
that his conscience did not prick him.
although he knew he must die. H. aid On one
occasion that Skidmore expected TO zee him in
London. at the tharing tross Hotel where he
Thomas was 90 take the goods. Again he cone
tradirtei himself and said that Skidmore was
In New York that he expected letter from
him With Instructions relating to the goods and
boxes coming from New FORK. Skidmore was
the only Accumplice he named. and he fp-
Quently denounced him. He spoke frequently
Of his business connections with barring Broth
them for Eltr and was stu In connection with
them. lie also mentioned his family very often.
especially hi children for whom he seemed To
have tender regard. He displayed no remorse
or peultence. although number ~ persons in
lur"d hy the explosion las around him. Hi last
dis uguishabieN ords wcr,.. 90 have been thick
head. The fellows In New York are guilty.