Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-22
HISTORY OF THE BOMB.
FIRST THROWN In RUSSIA, NGW
EXPLODES IN AMERICA.
Aimed at Hated Despotism, il Mains
and Kills in the Halls of
Liberty.
[Chicago Current. May l5th. i

years it would seem that the American
people have been inclined to doubt the
truth of this axiom of the centuries. and
from that doubt has sprung the tolerance of
ideas which, there is every reason to be-
heye, were purely murderous. The Ameri-
can people founded their country with
some notions of liberty which were de-
lightful to the mind of the scholar who
might be tired with the injustices that
make history voluminous. America was
an agricultural community; idleness was
impossible, because starvation would ensue
at once. Thus all men were free and
equal. Because liberty in its broadcast DOS
sibility flourished there, the friends of such
liberty throughout the earth lifted up their
voices in thanks to God offered their lives
and fortunes in aid of the cause, and. in
one European country, precipitated chaos
in an endeavor to copy the American insti-
tuition. But, in the needs of this cheaply-
governed republic there was a constant
goad to invention. Steam, electricity and
chemistry came. 1t grew as easy to live on
this side the Atlantic as on the other: il
grew easier. Ireland hungered and looked
this way Her hosts were SO soon settled
here that the rest of Europe was quick to
follow Irelands example Not only must
we asslmlate the first host and its progeny.
but, thus adulterated, our weakened Ameri-
can spirit must take as guests, in this pres
ent generation, no less than seven million
people who were born under despotism and
nourished where the laws are made for a
class, not for the masses. Seven million
guests more people than had lived in
America up to 1910. About fifteen wears
ago We first heard of an explosive called
nltro-glycerlne. Next the public became
familiar with the fact that owing to its
fluid character and ver-dangerous strength,
nitro-glycerine was mixed with earth. and
the resultant cake called dynamite. Here
was the asSassin's true weapon, and the
world was not slow to hear from it. If we
mistake not, the first use made of it by as
sassins was in the plot to blow up ocean
steamers. for what reason was not deter
mined. a steamship, having crossed the
Atlantic, lay at the wharf in Bremer-Ha-
ven. In unloading an " Internal mac line"
exploded, killing and manning all within
its range. and it was then made evident
that the thing had been slower in its clock
work than had been counted upon. The
whole world had no hesitation in denounc-
ing this plot as the meanest ever conceived
by towards. For several years every per-
son sailing across the sea had the dread
feeling that perhaps clockwork somewhere
in the hold of the ship, were ticking away
the last moments of all on board. Next
came the attacks ofthe assassins Hodel and
Nobiling on the aged Kaiser of Germany
Without distinction the inhabitants of
America, we think, were Mortified that a
monarch so far long in life should have
been selected as the sacrificial victim to
nSSnnup the crInnS of tha E,,,,
against liberty. But still the murderous
feeling probably had q dwelling-place lat
least III the hearts of millions who believed
they had been eXiled through the austeri-
ties of their home government that some
body ought to be punished, no matter
how, for the despOtic practices that were
throwing the Old World so strongly into
contrast with the New. Next. the assassins
Passanante and Moncasi assailed the Kings
of Italy and Spain, and then began the Sc
ries of bloody attempts in Russia 1t
would seem that Russia was the place
where the Americans, as masses, drew the
line. For Two or three years, probably,
IL was popular feeling that dynamite was
good enough for Russa-that assassins were
as honorable as were Car and Third Sec
ton. The first assassin bomb that ever
demonstrated its effectiveness was thrown
the first of March, New STYLE, 1881. 1t
hlllGtl lut ALul VI IAuSSld. II WAS more or
less admitted in our country that the Nj
hilits were patriots. The foreign element
were wild with delight Inasmuch as
Washington, Jefferson and Jackson were
Gaters of Kings, America was glad to see
the foreign-born enjoying themselves at
this stage, however, the people of London
began to take different view. One Johann
Most, who has since added himself to orr
seven millions, in his paper, the Freiheh
promptly suggested that the killing of the
Gar was only beginning. All monarchs
should be blown to pieces. For this Most
was cast in prison. America did not APP
prove this suppression of free speech.
Next, we believe, came the tragedy of Phn-
nix Park. This abominable deed of Nav
1882, merited and received the execration
of the entire civilized world-as had all the
other like deeds merited it. Then little
later, in 1882, in the middle of a summer
night, the news came from London that a
bomb had exploded in the Government
buildings. Worse vet, subsequent expo
sures showed that the plot had originated
in America Then came melancholy di-
vision of sentiment. There were more
than the eXiled Irish who gleefully read of
the terror in the great capital of the civil
lied world. The New York Herald heard
that man at Peoria was manufacturing
internal machines for British export. 1t
sent reporter from Chicago to Peoria, who
saw and talked with the dynamite fiend.
Early in 1888 followed another explosion,
and the first week in April the murderous
expedition of DR.. Gallagher was captured,
his nitro-glycerine factory was destroyed,
and the truth brought home to us all that
we were n nation of England haters, who
harboTed known assasSins. Doubtless the
public excitement in England which ended
with seEtenc S of life servitude for the Gal
lagher crew transcribed any popular fer
ment caused bv any crime of recent de-
cades. Just at this time, too, the mine was
built over which Kaiser Wilhelm and Bis
marck were to pass Singularly enough
the plot was not brought to light until a
year aiterward and punishment was not
melted out to the would-be murderers until
last year. Hartmann had Just been
among us, fresh from seeing his comrades
hanged i'll Russia. But Lord LYONS had
been calling our crimes so Smartly to our
attention that our Government put forth
some slight effort to arrest Hartmann, who
had published the account of the futile
Warsaw explosion over his own signature
in the New York Herald. Yet when it
became evident that Hartmann was not
safe i'll America, there were many laments
that freedom was already dead. That was
bad enough-to refuse a refuge to the
known assassin. To make any effort to
help England in her search for the enc
mics of her peace was out of the question
Men who were deep in all sorts of murder
were merely Swallowed for a week or two;
none were arrested. But here is the truth
of centuries man who would throw a
bomb at the Car would throw II at George
Washington. The day Russikoff heard the
plaudits of the western world, he heard the
plaudits of an ignorant people They were
making their own bed. If, therefore, in
element to blow up London were "mere
talk''-non- decentralization arguments in
favor of dynamite for corporations must
also be mere talk" There was no alter
native. and, with some misgivings, that
doctrine was accepted. 1t was held TO be
within the pale of reason and law TO gather
in the public parks, on Sundays, and there
mouth against reason, government and So
cial order In fact, ii came to be show
one of the sights of great cities. Last year
a bomb exploded in front of a small dry
goods store in Grand street New York CITY,
Well, that was put there by the police $50
the public mind quieted itself. But, only
six years after Russikoff threw his bomb
on the Newsky Prospect, there rises in the
night air of public street in Chicago
three nations and an ocean westward of
RUSSIA streak of fire. 1t curves over the
head OF an unsuspectipg assemblage of po-
lice aud onlookers, numbering perhaps two