The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-03-09
THE DYNAMITE TRAGEDY.
New York Herald


As was announced in the Herald, the
steamer Wielard brought from Europe,
on her last trip, the widow of Thomas,
whose dynamite plot resulted so disas-
trously at Bremerhaven. At the time, a
Herald reporter called upon her, and an
interview was arranged, the lady prom
ising to disclose her knowledge of Thomas
and his antecedents, and to make what
ever statements might tend to establish
his somewhat involved identity. She
received the reporter, and, in reply to
his questions touching her husband, she
corroborated the statements published in
the Heralds London letter. She said, In
substance:
During the summer of 1865, Mrs.
Thomas, then young girl, was stopping
at little country village in Illinois.
1t is quiet, sequestered spot, shut of
from the world by great tracts of wood
land and ranges of hills which, from the
advantages they offered sportsmen, drew
together quite number of foreign pleas
ure- seekers. The population of the place
was made up principally OF French and
Germans, and only an occasional Amer
ican ever sOjourned at it very long.
During her residence here there came to
the house at which she was boarding an
English looking gentleman suffering from
rheumatism. He was tall, broad shoul-
dered. with a ruddy complexion and a
profusion of light brown hair. This man
was Thomas. Why he came there he
did not divulge, but limited to the young
girl, into whose company he was neces-
sarily thrown, that he had been block
ade-runner, and was now seeking con-
cealment in this Outof-the-way place.
Their acquaintance ripened, and in
autumn of the year she became his wife.
They first took up their abode in st.
Louis and lived there while, Thomas
devoting himself entirely to his bride
and forming no associations outside his
hotel. All this time he talked inces-
sanity about his adventures in the war,
often expressing fear that pursuers
whom he dreaded would get upon his
track. At night, too, his sleep was
troubled, and he frequently started up,
exclaiming that the dagger OF an assassin
was at his throat. One night in the
middle of winter, while all the residents
of the hotel were asleep, there came a
knock at the door, which Thomas arose
from his led to answer. In moment
he came back, hurriedly dressed himself,
and, without any explanation, departed.
Days passed away, and Mrs. Thomas
neither saw nor heard anything of her
absent husband, until the thought that
he had deserted her began to dawn upon
her. She waited patiently, however,
and, one day, he came back as suddenly
as he had departed, and told her that
he had narrowly escaped with his life,
and that she must prepare to leave st.
Louis at once. That afternoon they took
the train for New York, and travelled day
and night, in the most severe weather,
till they reached it. Sointense had been
the cold, and 80 exhaustive the excite
ment of the trip, that Mrs. Thomas had
to be conveyed to her hotel in an almost
numb condition, and had to have restor-
atiyes applied Immediately on her arri-
val. But no delay would be suffered.
The steamer Hermann, of the Bremen
line, was to sail in couple OF days, and
on her they left for Europe, on the 18th
of January, 1866. After a twelve days
passage they reached Bremen. and from
It proceeded to Dresden, where they re-
sided several months. Once in Europe
the fear of some impending danger
seemed to leave Thomas, and he became
the bluff, jovial fellow which the &C
quaintances he made there have since
described him to be. Most of his time
was spent at home, and he delighted u
visit all points of interest about the city
and its suburbs in the company Of hi
wife, and to describe them with truth
fulness and facility which must hav,
been the result Of very extensive read
ing. While there he joined the Ameri
can Club, and became a favorite witt
most of the members; his genial humo
and a generosity which always distin
guished him recommending him to then
all.
At this time the Austrian war wa
drawing to a close, and day after da
Thomas occupied himself only with tn
newspapers. Before this and during hi
residence in America nothing 30 please
him as a perusal of the papers, and 10
narratives of murders, battles and sue
I den deaths he had special zest. >
absorbed would he become at times i
this reading that he would lose contrt
, of himself and rage about scenes G
bloodshed described in 1t as though b
, were mad. When the accounts Of tn
last battles of the Austrian war got int
. print sudden desire seized Thomas :
visit these fields of carnsge, and Will
his wife was still suffering from Hines