New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-05
YESTERDAYS TRAGEDY.

1t is impossible to conceive Of a more malig-
nant act than that which killed two persons
and injured several others in MIR. Russell sage
Office yesterday. 1t was superlatively malignant,
whether it was the act of lunatic or q sane
man. Coming so soon after the attempt to as
sassinate DR.. Hall it Ieinforces the disturbing
conviction that in spite of all the safeguards
which civilization can devise, everybody may
suddenly find himself at the mercy OF some de-
mented malcontent who imagines that he has
wrongs which murder will right or avenge. mat
Yesterdays bloody work was done by maniac
will be generally assumed until conclusive EVIL
dence to the contrary is produced 1t is ncon-
ceiyable that man in the possession OF even
the feeblest powers of disceTnment and deduc-
ton should have suddenly demanded that more
than a million dollars be handed over to him
on the instant, and then, not getting the money,
have exploded bomb under conditions that
made his own destruction certainty. 10 as
sumo that he had no expectation OF escaping, but
had deliberately planned this Enthusiastically hor-
rible mode of exit from the world, is merely to
give longer form of expression to the behei
that he was crazy. 1t is true that frenzy OF
passion may obscure the consequences OF an
action or cause utter Indifference to them, but
that state of mind is insanity to all ntents and
purposes.
This man, however, was not so impelled. 1t
appears that he had carefully prepared himself
for the part he was to play, and that he was not
frantic, but on the contrary, amazingly calm
in view of the course on which he had deter
mined. His conversation with the clerks does
not seem TO have alarmed them in the least. The
demand he made was prepoSterous, but Mr.. sage
maintained his presence of mind. There was no
warning OF danger in any OF the circumstances
until almost the final moment. The assassin was
a stranger to all who saw him. 1t is not known
that he had ever been in the office before, nor
is it intimated that Mr.. Sage had lately received
threatening or begging letters suggestive OF
desperate intention, like the letter which DR..
Hall threw away unread.
The tragedy is deeply mysterious. The chief
actor did not survive to be questioned and identi-
fed. His death was instantaneous and Tor
time at least his secret is safe. The inyestga-
ton thus far has not even shown Just what IL
was that exploded. The first reports naturally
assumed that a small dynamite bomb, capable
of being carried in the hand, had been thrown
against the wall or floor, but when the tremen-
dous effects are considered it seems altogether
more probable that the explosive was concealed
in the bag which the unknown carried, and that
there was a large quantity of it. Partitions were
blown away, windows in the remotest parts OF
the building were shattered, and it seemed to
those within it that the whole structure would
he shaken to pieces. All this does not look like
the yyorl, of a bomb which can be hidden in
pocket
If our supposition that the author OF this
atrocity was insane is correct, one lesson to be
learned from it is that public authorities every
where ought to be more alert and determined
in preventing such diabolcal outbreaks and that
private citizens ought to cooperate for the COM
mon safety. DIR. Hall escaped three bullets only
by a miracle last Sunday. The man who fired
them has since been officially pronounced insane,
but many persons knew before that ne was not
in his right mind 1t will probably be shown
after time that yesterdays dreadful work was
done by man who had long been under sus-
picion of lunacy here or elsewhere. Numerous
families and circles of friends are now conceal
ing. with misdirected tenderness, the mental
ailments of persons dear to them The familiar
phrase ''nsane, but harmless" expresses the
DRY, or more often, hope, that has caused
vast sum Of mischief and misery. The only
safe lunatics are those who are under rigid re-
straint The risks incurred through the posi-
biliteS OF insanity cannot be completely removed,
but they can be and ought to be diminished.