The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-13
The Dynamite Devil.

nc dynamite DeVti.
The cutlery against American character
raised by some of the German journals,
because Of the alleged American nativity
OF the man called THOMAS, who attempted
TO blow up with dynamite lie steamship
Mosel, is altogether pucrile. So far the
evidence seems TO point to his German
birth though also TO his long residence In
this country. But il il not Of the slightest
consequence whether he was German or
American or the native of any other civil
lied country. No one out prejudiced
fool would take 50 monsrous n wretch "a
the type of any people because he CHANGED
TO belong TO their race. He is an eXcep-
tional ease an abnormal development Of
human character, and no more u type OF
his species than an idiot is an example OF
the normal state Of the human intellect.
The German journals which vented their
spleen against us by treating this THOMAS
ns Il fruit Of our peculiar civilization, were
50 lacking in fairness and philosophy that
the Americans at Dresden aud Berlin
might well have afforded to trent their
TRADES with contempt
The case is one for thoughtful oonsidcra-
reproach. What were the motives that
Influenced the man to deliberately con-
coct his infcrna continuance with n view
10 use it for So diabolical an end7 So far
rs yet ascertaincd. the destruction Of the
ship could not in any wise have resulted
to his advantage. No desire for vengeance
against the steamship company or against
amy of the passengers can be found 10 have
animated him. In no way ut all would his
Interests have been subservcd. so far ns we
can NOW see, by the success Of the scheme
which he must have spent many months in
dcvising, unless he was thoroughly famil-
lar with the substance he worked, at the
expense OF grea; danger TO his own life by
reason of the character OF the explosive
which he took the pains TO carry over
from the United states to Germany.
lie is described l,y those who knew him,
as man of amiable qualities, genial
companion, Kind TO his family, and
thoughtful Of their feelings. Yet he
brought his dynamite from America, had
q German lock>Bith construct two iron
chests of peculiar shape and had them
made as long ago NJ Au-u,t. In Septoin-
her he had another aud larger ono made.
Carefully devised oloCk-work mechanism
provided for the explosion OF the dynamite
by conclusion, TO take place exactly ten
days after Il was put aboard the Moscl.
The cold, however, crystallizcd the dynaln-
itc; and when the box was violently
thrown on the wharf AT Bremcrhavcn the
frozen liquid exploded, and thus the Mosel
was saved, though the mui derous capacity
Of the substance was attested in tbe killing
Of upward Of eighty persons and the
woundng Of more than n hundred others.
Thcrcupon the imam THOMAS took his own
life.
What is the explanation of this other
wise inoXphcIl le manifestation OF motive
Les, maliguby: 1t would seem that the
only rational one j. that the man was in
sane. When person does an act of dia-
bolical conception, without any assignable
motive where il can bring himself no al
vantage and crafty no feeling OF hatred
or revenge AGAINST any individuals-it is
safe t. set the man down rs insane. IIu-
man nature, unless morbidly affected aud
driven hcadlong off It's normal path by Il
dsoriercd mind-possessed. rs they used
to say in old times, by dcvil-does not so
manifest itself.
The total suhvcrsion 81 character which
insanity frequently effects is familiar to
eve ybOdy who knows any thing about that
disca.c. Tho evidence that THOMAS was
originally IN amiahle and kiud-heartcd
man docs NOT tn rcforc Indicate that when
hi brain suffered lesion or insanity other
w.-e took possession of him, he might not
have forthwith been TUNED into very
devil inclrnate. Kind and cOn>iderate
men viii pass, by reason Of insane pIopul-
sion, into ilcnds Of mai entity. Gentle girls
will turn from conilding ana solicitous
daughters into wild hatels of their kim
dred; though they have always been pure
and dlgniiied IN conversation, they Will be-
come foul-mouthed and proflne; and soft
yielding dispositions Will bc changed into
shrcwish and malicious tcmpers. So COM
plctc Il transformation of characters often
the sad consequence of acquired or devcl-
opcd mania
II is well for tho credit Of humanity that
We can thus reasonably attribute the dia-
hohcui scheme of THOMAS tQ the action OF
a discussed mind. Then, n. insanity Is pccu-
liar To neither Germany nor the United
States, we shall have no occasion to ex-
change rcproacho' as to which country
was responsible for the production Of this
| dynamite couspirator. We can only trem-
| bic M the results and deplorc the fact that
so Little is really known about this worst
/ form n which disease can aniict man.
The south American Inbrosllo.
!