The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-06
THE DYNAMITE FIEND.


cELTIc-w X. THOMAS LIVERPOOL PLOT.
Increased interest has been concerning the
dynamite hend, Thomas Thomassen, by the discov-
cry OF the mysterious box which he shipped from Law
erpoo the White Star steamer Celtic last October
The Identity OF the shipper Of this peculiarly
trived package with the who wrought such havoc
At Bremerhaven cannot be for the moment established
with entire certainty The name W. X. Thomas,
lie the same however and he also corresponds in SIZE
the man who sailed from Liverpool TO this port last
October being = large man, was also the monster
who wrought such fearful slaughter at Bremerhaven,
and subsequently destroyed himself in his satsroom
on the Mosel The writer yesterday talked with some
OF the employees on the Celtic who distinctly
Der Thomas The barkeeper said that Thomas
room was the bar, and both fire.
quently spoke TO each other as they passed
TO and fro. Thomas the barKeeper says,
was very corpulent He gourmand too,
very fond OF good living, and notably pleasing in his
manners He did not to have anything OF the
German about him, being more like Englishman or
American. During the greater part Of the voyage he
the company OF the ships doctor who enertains
very agreeable recoecons of him; indeed his happy
disposition and genial manners the subject Of
very general commentator "From what / saw ofour
passenger" said the barkeeper al don't think he
the OF that would commit suicide; at least he
did not look like then. " The barkeeper could not
say how OLD he was, but thought he might be about
fifty.
Mr.. Pennel the superintendent OF the pier remem-
bers Thomas distinctly. Yesterday ne recited the
whole story Of the strange box and gave the writer an
Outline OF Ihomas appearance Vh Tue aIrVal ol me
Celtic her pier on Sunday October "a the mysterious
box brought ashore and placed in his charge the
purser cautloning him 10 be very careful
OF 1t us II contained $4,000 in specie Mr..
Penne laughingy answered that he guessed there
NO $4,000 in that box, but the purser continued TO
urge him to be wachful OF it, saying that he had kept
IL in the specie room" all the way After being
brought on the wharf 1t was placed by Mr. Pennel's
order in front of the Custom House ofncc while the
rest OF Thomas baggage was being examined. By
Thomas request II was left on the pier when the rest
of his baggage forwarded 10 the Fifth Avenue
Hotel Its storage In the baggage room OF the COM
pany, the which led TO inspection of its
tents their nature and its peculiar arrangement have
already been described. The box is now at the Ninth
precinct station house. Superintendent Pencil re-
members Thomas as large man, whose age might be
anywhere from forty I'VE TO nifty hve years. He was
jolly looking, well preserved person, and spoke with
very slight German accent He looked moro like
German Of the better class than an American In the
latter particular hs description and the barkeepers
differ.
THOMAS HEAVY vALIsE
Since the attention of the Celtic's has been
called TO the discovery Of Thomas peculiar shot box,
other interesting circumstances connected with his
trip recalled by the stewards who waited on HIM.
II is now remembered that certain portmanteau
which Thomas ordered sent 10 his room on the ship
when cmbarking at Liverpool, was remarkably heavy
for its size Although not larger than such as may be
carried ordinarily in one hand II required the united
efforts Of stout porters to bear 1t 10 his room. No
particular taken Of this circumstance at the
lime further than passing remark of one of the men
concerning the great weight OF so small package.
Another popularity of this strange portmanteau was
that when Thomas was leaving the ship little boy
might easily have carried II, so light had IL
become when Thomas vacated his cabin there
found spots OF candle grease on the floor and wood
work These spots indicated that the occupant OF the
cab had used light his own contrary to the rules
of the vessel Now 1t Is supposed he used the candle
light for the purpose of getting rid of the contents of his
heavy portmanleau which he must have dropped over
board in the ght time, which, 1t is thought must have
been another Internal machine
II is known that early in last October Thomas tried
to effect an insurance on what he represented was
$50 600 in specie in Liverpool and then he is believed
10 have had in view the execution of plan similar to
that attempted on the MoseL II he obtained the In
his little box OF shot, which he represented
gold he no doubt would have left the Celtic at
Queenstown pretext another, having first set
agoing his internal machine, which, in all
in his siateroom. Then the vessel would
have been destroyed soon after leaving Queenstown
Failing in his endeavor to obtain the insurance,
order to his reputation he obliged continue
the voyage In his Mosel trip II will be remembered
he had shipped only for Southampton intending there
to set his trap Thomas had crossed the Atlantic per-
haps thirty times. He was known to have visited
America least twice during the past summer and the
last time he left home his family did not know of his
intention to VISIT TINS country appears that ne mad
become peculiarly embarrassed. When he returned 10
Dresden the last time he wrote to his banker there
stating that he had made arrangements TO settle in De-
cember. How Thomas returned has not been ascer-
tanned He remained four days at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel and spent good deal of his time in his room.
Where he went next is not known nor
can IL be said what he did while here.
The barrel which Thomas used in Bremerhaven
made Of strong material and was divided by means
of a partition in the middle, through which there
a hole In the one division II was assumed that he had
placed the gniting apparatus and the other 6led
with dynamite He accompanied the barrel when II
was taken the depot CT the North German Lloyd
Company, and told the poriers II should be handled
with II is supposed that his plan was to effect
the ignition by means OF clockwork apparatus which
all probability 10 have been set in motion when
he arrived southampton TO which place only he had
booked Il appears that he intended to sail with the
-fated Deutschland but the apparatus for enectng
the ignition was not completed IN time. The number
OF the victims s constantly being increased Accord
ing authentic Information, the list OF dead and
wounded amounts to 10 persons
The Weser ZcittpIg at the time OF the disaster
serted Thomas have shared the proceeds OF
his hesh plot with others that he must have had
accompces in his stupendous crime