The evening world., 1891-12-14
WAS He AN ANARCHIST
George H. Bean Doesn't Believe
Norcross Was Insane.
Fresh Proofs in Support Of /" The
Worlds" Identification.
The Bomb-Thrower's Mother Tells
of His Study of Explosives.

Stronger proofs are accommodating with
every succeeding day OF the correctness Of the
Identification by The WORLD reporters OF
the bomb.thr hrGwer who killed himself in
his desperate attempt to assassinate Rus
sell Sage as Henry L. Norcross, the young
Boston note broker.
The chain OF circumstantial evidence
against Norcross was OF itself sufficient to es-
tablish this fact, but the discovery OF a letter
which he wrote to his parents and left In his
ONCE desk before he disappeared furnishes
direct and absolutely conclusive evidence OF
his identitytwith the.bomb-thrower.
1t was written on Thursday, the day before
the attempt upon Mr.. sage's life. The open
ing sentences OF the document are these:
~ go to New York to-day to get 81, ,2Oo,O 900.
II do not succeed shall kill myself"
The parents OF the young man, who live in
Somerville, now have this letter in their pos
session. Although they have refused to
make IT public in its entirety, they declare
that 1t shows beyond any doubt whatever
that their son was the person who threw the
dynamite bomb in the Office OF the New York
millionaire on Friday. Dec. 4.
The remainder OF the letter contains the de-
and worked-out plan by which Norcross ex-
pected either to obtain money enough to car
ry out his pet railroad scheme or to perish in
the attempt.
He not only planned his own destruction
but that OF others who might thwart him in
his endeavors, and he displayed all the cum
ming Of q mailman OF the most dangerous
type
NoRCRoSs HAD NO ACCoMPLICEs.
That he had no accOmplices Is certain. He
connded his plans to no one, and excepting
occasional references to his ideas and inven-
tons for the development Of a perfect ele-
waited railroad system and his vague illusions
to capitalists that he was interesting In his
scheme, he never breathed word regarding
the manner in which he proposed to carry
out his plan to secure his capital.
That he experimental secretly with ex-
plos!vcs Is now well-established fact, and
condition, it is probable that he had been in
sane for many months previous to his death.
Mrs Norcross, the mother OF the young
man, says In regard to the letter:
"My husband brought 1t home to me sealed.
We shut ourselves In our room alone and
opened 1t. What it contained none but we
our minds any doubt that may have remained
as to the Identity OF the bomb-thrower.
alt makes a fact OF the theory that Henry
dropped the bag OF dynamite In Mr.. Sage's
Office, He was insane and made a martyr OF
himself In the interest OF his invention and
what he believed to be the good OF society,""
HE HAD STUDIED Up ON NITRo.GLYCERINE.
According to the mother, Henry NOrcross
had unusual fondness for unravelling the un-
known. She remembers that several years
ago he took an absorbing interest in the study
Of the manufacture OF nltro-glycerine and Its
properties.
She says he read all the books he could get
on the subject, and studied 1t until he learned
all about it. once he explained to his mother
how the explosive was made, and what ter
r1ble force 1t possessed.
Mrs. Norcross says also that her son fire.
quently talked to her about his inventions
and his railroad plans, and said he had sent
circulars to many capitalists and millionaires
In the endeavor to interest them In his
scheme.
lie had particularly mentioned Russell
Sage, for whom he seemed to have great
admiration, as he was the only man who had
acquired his wealth honestly, and by sheer
force and perseverance, He said he placed
AL his hopes on Sages assistance.
GREW MOODY AND UNCoMMUNICATIvE
This was some time before he LEFT Boston.
OF late the mother had noticed that her son
was becoming more reserved and less talka-
tive. Sometimes he would sit brooding In a
room full OF people, and seem to see and hear
nothing OF what was going on about him.
He was not popular with the young women
OF Somerville, who, although they admired
his handsome face and bearing, were rather
afraid OF him because he was SO cold and un.
sympathetic.
The brown derby hat which Norcross was
accustomed TO wear and which he had or
when he left his home Thursday Dec 3, has
been found in his office. This explains how
he happened to be wearing a SILK hat in New
York. lie probably bought 1t in Boston just
before he lett that city.
George II. Bean, OF quincy, Mass, who
knew Norcross well, has positively Identified
The WORLDS fasn-light photograph OF the
bomb-thrower's head as that OF Norcross.
SAYS NoRCRoss WAS AN ANARCHIST.
He says that Norcross had been drinking
much Angelica wine OF late, and always left
bottle OF 1t In his ONCE desk. lie was or
Anarchist " his creed, aud pronounced
Atheist, with strong aversion to Catholi-
ctSm.
He believes that Norcross deliberately laid
his plans, and declares that when he had
once determined upon course OF action
nothing would turn him from his purpose, as
he had remarkably strong viii. Bean does
not believe that Norcross was crazy.
THE HEAD NO LONGER ON VIEW.
The jar OF alcohol containing the head Of
Dynamiter Norcross was placed In an ice-bol
in Bellevue Hospital this morning, where II
viii remain until the wishes OF the dead
mans parents In the matter OF its final dispO-
sition have been ascertained.
Morgue-heeper White informed q small