The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-09

be fixed his voyage, as we'll as from other cir
it must be concluded that THOMAS
was fully aware of the tendency of dynamite
and other nitro.glycerine preparations to ex-
plode spontaneously in cold water.
Directly the liquid begins to freeze. the icy
CRYSTALS formed in it rise to the surface, ana
if the vessel is moved, are exploded by fric-
ton. Following the usual practice OF travel
ers the assassin engaged his berth some ume
before starting. This was about the middle
Of November, and he determined to leave
earlv in December. As frost is very rare In
G. srmany before the end of December. this, IN
any less exceptional year, would have insured
success, as far as shipping the murderous
cargo was concerned. But this season winter
has been uncommonly early and severe. All
over Germany we had from 10 degrees to ~
degrees Reaumur of cold in the trst week OF
this month, and though the temperature De-
came somewhat milder in the second week,
ice did not wholly disappear before the 10th.
But the murderer would not or could not
wait. He had paid his passage, and was
hardly in a position to forfeit the money.
Nor, if Dresden rumors are correct, could ne
afford to leave his family much longer in their
embarrassed condition. So he set on with
his terrible luggage, unheedlng cold and
death, He however. took every precautlon
to keen the chest warm, and on his arrival at
Bremen repeatedly told the people to whom
he intrusted it that it must not be exposed to
cold. While at Bremen, where he seems to
have arrived some time before the ship left,
he was busy completing his arrangements.
He shipped q barrel of caviar, insuring it tor
el5O. a sum estimated as far above the value
of the article He communicated with one MIR.
Elmenhorst, Of the firm Of Kafesch & Stossky.
asking him what he would charge him for the
transport OF twenty-seven chests to America,
but did not settle with him, finding the terms
too high; and he probably correspondent with
those parties at Southampton who had charge
of the cargo that was to be sent on board
when the ship called at that port, and the in
surance premium on which was to make MS
fortune. What that cargo was, with whom
deposited. and BY whom insured or to be in
sured. the detectives are engaged at this
moment in unraveling. On the morning OF
SATURDAY., the 18th inst. the assassin went on
board the Mosel, which YVES to leave that
afternoon for New York, via Southampton.
He had some luggage with him, but not the
chest which was to sink the good ship. This
he had ordered to be sent on board after him.
and. whether by accident or designedly, it
arrived on the quay after the bell had rung.
The assassin at that moment kept below.
looking after his other goods, and probably
selecting place where the fatal engine was
to be slowed away. In embarking on the
ship, and accompanying the chest IN the hrst
part of the voyage, he can have had no other
object but to see the machine safely housed
Once securely wedged IN among other chests
in the hold, and protected by cases above ana
around. it would have been harmless enough
until the hammer fell. As he was to have
left the Mosel long before that dread hour, at
Southam pton, he could not have been hurt or
even compromised by the ships disappear.
ance on the high seas After few weeks
anxious suspense we should have received the
dismal ne as of another tragedy at sea, and
thought no more about 1t; crew ana passen-
GERS would have been dead, the murderer IN
possession of his spoils, and the world wag-
cling on as usual.
But things fell out differently. In the
hurry Of impending departure the chest was
thrown violently on the pavement at the 1901
Of the crank that was to transfer 1t to the
vessel, the dynamite crystals struck against
each other, and surrounding humanity ceased
to be as the cold globules danced up and
down. At that moment l2S persons were
dead. men and women. This is the last
number ascertained. Sixty corpses have been
identified, twenty-eight more have not been
identified, and forty persons are missing,
having presumably been reduced to fragments
and buried in those chests which figured IN
the funeral procession. Over and above the
dead. there we're fifty.six wounded, OF whom
some have Just died, while others are in fail
wav Of recovery. Most Of the victims were
workmen, porters, and sailors, professionally
engaged on the quay.
There were also agents of the company and
harbor officials, who met death in the exer'
else of their ordinary pacific duty. tnere
were sailors wives and children snatched away
ss they waved parting adieu to nusoanos
and fathers on board. They meant 1t only OF
farewell for while, but it was forever
There were the friends OF passengers TOO,
sent on longer journey than those they had
come to see of. As they lay writhing on the
ground, the captain of vessel further down
the river heard soft, indescribable sound II
the air as of fairies singing in the misty dis
lance. These were the groans OF the dylnl
waited to him BY the breeze. And who shall
describe the feelings of the survivors on and
near that spot as, recovering from the shock'
thew picked up the heads and trunks, the arms
and legs. the hands and scorched pieces o.
flesh with which the street was strewn?'
THE SUICIDE OF THOMAS.
On December IS the Times correspondent
writes:
civilian King Thomas, the Bremerhaver
monster. died on Thursday night Of his self
inflicted wounds. His confession, which
telepraphed to you, seems to have been wrune
from this wretched criminal by remorse as
eort;no itself on the eve of death. Placed II
the same ward with some of the victims OF hi
deed. their heart-rending groans are SAID u
h ave rendered him so far human as 70 Gauss
him to avow his guilt. But tor his a.temPt
mo to commit suicide Immediately after tn
explosion, and then ooDfessing bis motive ~ II
tie hospital it is by no m cans certain that tn
crime would have been discovered. Even
the deadly chest had been traced TO MN n
conld not. without special indications, hav
hosr ala responsible Tor blacker guilt thai