Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-14
IDENTIFIED.
The WOuld-Be Assassin Of
Millionaire Russell Sage.
Henry L. NorCross, a Broker,
of SomerviIle, Mass.

Clothing as Clew n Reporter Plays
Detective and Solves the Mystery-The
Clothing Identified by His Mother and
the Head by SchoOImate.
NEW YORK, Dec. 14.-The man who
threw the bomb in Russell Sage's Office
with such disastrous results to himself
and to clerk employed therein, while
the intended victim escaped as if by
miracle, has been positively identified
that is, almost as positively as flesh can
be after decay worked its course for a
week or more-as that of Henry L.
Norcross, of Somerville, Mass. The
Identification was made complete
Friday night at the morgue by Her
bert M. Howes, of Somerville, Mass, a
schoolmate of Norcross; but the chain of
circumstances which only needed Mr..
Howes Identification to make it COM
plete, discloses a brilliant stroke ON the
part of reporter.
The CIew.
There were found in the debris at Mr..
Sage's Office portions of clothing, includ-
ing scraps of trousers, the waistband, a
To the waistband of the trousers was
attached button bearing the words
Brooks, Boston," This was the clew
which a shrNwd reporter found and with
which he unraveled the mystery which
has puzzled the country for over a week.
The reporter went to Boston Friday. He
had with him a fragment of the trou-
sers, besides pieces of the coat and un~
derwear of the dead man; also, the pho
tograph of the dead mans head taken
by flash light the night of the tragedy.
He went directly to the store of Walter
G. Brooks & Company, who do business
in Milk street, and there presented his
samples of cloth and asked if they could
be identified, After a reference to the
books it was announced that they had
sold the trousers of which the sample
presented was a piece, to Henry L. Nor
cross, a note broker doing business at No.
12 Pearl street. They were positive of
this and in substantiation said the button
on the fragment of the trousers was
peculiar to their establishment. A por-
ton of the coat of the dead man was
also shown and identified as part of the
garment sold to Norcross.
The Mother Visited.
From Brooks store the reporter pro-
ceeded to 12 Pearl street, the Office of
Henry L. Norcross. 1t was found locked
up, although it was only MONDAY. His
neighbors in the building not knowing
where he was, and said he had not been
around for several days. Mr.. Norcross'
residence, Somerville, was then learned
and proceeded to. A bright little
woman with gray hair responded to
ring at the door bell. After an inquiry
after Henry Norcross and a little ques-
tioning the woman said, in trembling
voice: "We don't know where Henry
is ourselves, and we're v0r.' very wor
ried. We've been hoping every day
against hope, but he dosen't come"
In answer to further questions, the
woman, who is Norcross mother, said
he left home Thursday morning, saying
he was going to New Haven and one or
two other places near there to place
some bonds for customers and he expect
ed to be back last Saturday. He had
not as yet, returned, added She She
was sure something had happened him
and asked if the gentleman could give
her any information. 1t was hard to add
the anxiety and sorrow of that mother,
but sooner or later the truth would have
to come out. The reporter informed tho
mother, first that an unknown man had |
met with an accident in New York, and
that there was a chance that it might he
her son. She was then asked in regard |
to the clothing worn by her son when |
he left on his trip and accuratelv |
described underwear of which the re-
porter had pieces in his pocket, as well |
as the material of the coat and trousers. |
She gave the reporter photograph Of |
her son to be used for Identification. |
She was anxious to know when she |
could hear from her caller again and |
the reporter promised that he would |
with New York and let |
her husband know the result. The |
given by Mrs. Norcross was |
with the photograph of the |
bomb thrower's head. His mother had |
said that it was taken year ago, when
he had no beard. In the general ap- |
pearance of the two faces there was lit
tie resemblance, but in the details of the |
face, in the shape of the ears and the
nose, and the height of the forehead the
was marked. All this was
noted as the reporter was riding back to
Boston to visit the father of Henry Nor
cross.
The Father Was Suspicious.
At the Office in Quincy market, q
white e-haired old man stood within a
little room. His hands began to tremble
when the reporter knocked on his win
dow and asked to have a word with
him.
"Is it about my son that you Gomez
he inquired.
Yes" was the reply. 81 wanted to
ask you few questions about him"
81 knew it, 1 knew it, muttered the
old man.
"Where is hey" was the next question.
Tell me the truth. Is he dead?"
The reporter made no answer.
"Was he killed instantly " came the
next question.
''Yes; he was killed instantly" replied
the reporter.
THANK God for that" was the slow,
solemn reply.
The pieces of garment were produced.
He examined them with tears streaming
from his eyes
"They are his, I'm sure" he said:
But his mother will know, she always
took care of his clothes. must go home
At once. / can't stay here any longer.
NY God, VIII could it not have been
myself instead of him. He was all we
nad, mother and IT,
Old Mr.. Norcross wept aloud, leaning
against the wall for support; recovering
himself he asked the reporter to accom-
oany him, and together they started back
10 Somerville. Mrs. Norcross there
positively identified the piece of trousers
and the piece Of the coat. Then the
pieces of underwear were shown her.
The Head Identified.
The reporter afterward found school
mate Of Norcross' who went to New