Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-28
an INTERNAL MACHINE
Sent By Man With White Whiskers to. the
American Tract Society.


"This is the Queerest package Of books
ever opened" said Henry Gnr.ey, clerk
in the salesroom OF the American Tract 81
ciety, at No. $50 Nassau street, to the mana
ger yesterday afternoon. Then he eXhib-
tied the supposed package OF books. 1t
proved to be an Internal machine.
The package was brought by boy. and
was addressed "BoOkstJre, $50 Nassau
street, The boy said that there was let.
ter inside, and Gurley's first thought was
thai some customer who had made holiday
purchases had sent back some OF the books
for exchange. The boy added, II was to
give the package 10 somebody. but forgot
his name.v Gurley then opened the box.
and Immediately aiterward was congratu-
lated on his escape.
TIE MESSENGERS STORY.
Mr.. Dale suggested that Anthony CON-
stock be summoned. When Comstock
looked at the interior of the package he ar
rested the messenger and took him to the
Oak street police station. There the boy
told the following story: II live at No. 81
Leroy street, am twelve years old, aud my
name Is Charles Miller. A man with white
whskers, on the corner OF Leroy street
and Hudson. asked me II wanted to earn
quarter. When | told him yes, he gave
me the box and IN cents car-f,re, and told
me 10 give the box to some man, don't
remember ITO, In the bookstore No. $50
Nassau street. The man told me to come
back to No. CAS- Hudson street and he would
give me the twenty-five cents. When got
to the bookstore forgot the name"
The box had been used for holding col
lars. II was made Of stiff paper, was i've
l'y six inches IN size, and was wrapped in
brown paper. Inside blocks OF wood had
been securely fastened so as to cause an
explosion II opened In the right way. In
the box lay bottle containing eight ounces
OF gunpowder and another with two
ounces OF nitric acid, the intermediate
space being filed with broken glass. In
one corner Of the box was box containing
seven parlor-matches set on end, between
which was quick fuse communicating
with the powder In the bottle. To
ignite the matches lever had been put
diagonalIy In the box. 1t had q piece Of
sapdpaper OH the under side Of one end
and q rubber band for q spring on the
other. A block attached TO the cover held
back the lever, 80 that when the cover was
raised the lever would be released and the
rubber hand would drsw the sandpaper
Aoib1iy wv buC u1<tAtuc1- uc 0taIku VI
the sender was evidently to dIsngure rather
than kill. As II happened, Mr.. Gurley
opened the wrong end OF the box, and, ap-
pretending mischief. ut once released the
rubber band and thus avoided disaster.
xIscmER On xALIcR.
From the statiou-house the boy was taken
70 the Tombs Police Court, where, at the
request Of Mr.. Comstock, Justice Smith no
msnded the lad until this afternoon. Mean
while Detectives shaivey and Maher, OF that
precinct, viii try 10 find the sender Of the
apparatus.
Anthony Comstock has made many enc
miles % afeut 81 the Society for the Pre-
yentson Of Crime. md II was Is nrst sup
poafd that the box was intcnded foT him.
he. however, secuted tho idea, and sug.
gcefed thst some sntIC hfistlsn fanatic
wanted 70 ham ne Tract Society o. sosne
q ~ o{scoss- = The appnrsfue,S - nd,
asS s's ss 81 y g ,gg s:;s' =; ~