New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13
MR.. SAGE'S ASSAILANT.
PEOPLE IN BOSTON THINK THAT 1T WAS
NORCROSS.
POSITIVE RECOGNITION OF HIS PHOTOGRAPH
HIS EXPERIMENTS WITH IRON FILINGS.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE Tribune,

HIS EAFEfUMENIS WITH lhuN flLANoSs
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE Tribune,
Boston, Dec. lc-There seems to be but little
doubt that Henry L. Norcross was the man who
threw or dropped the bomb in Russell Sages
office last week, James q. Pennycuick, prcsi-
dent Of the Alpha Manufacturing Company, has
an office in the building where Henry l.. Nor
cross's Office was. Two weeks ago tomorrow Mr..
Pennycuck went into his Office to write. About
noon he had occasion to go down the corridor, ana
when he returned he noticed that the door Of
Mr. Norcrosss Office was open. Going to tho
door, he said:
why, Henry, what are you doing here To-
day." He answered: II have been writing some
letters. Have you got any iron filings In your
roOm?"
Mr. Pennycuick answered that he had none, and
expressed surprise that Mr.. Norcross should want
anything Of the kind. At the same time. he sug-
gested that he could probably find some in the
room Of Mr. White, who is the inventor and has
an Office next door, When Mr.. Pennycuick went
into the room Mr.. Norcross was sitting at
desk, which was open. At the entrance Of his
visitor he shut the desk with snaps When he
was asked what he wanted the filings for, he said
that he wanted them for some experiments
The father and mother Of Norcross now fully
convinced that their the man whose in
act in the office of Russell Sage resulted in
his own death. As soon as they have sufficiently
recovered from the shock, they will go to New
York and bring back with them for suitable
burial what is left Of the body Of their son.
They will not go to-day, but may 60 tomorrow.
or possibly the day after.
Later in the day came the additional evidence.
which brought conviction of her sons identity to
the mothers mind as well to that Of her hus-
band. What this evidence is can only be surmised
at the present time. 1t is more than probable.
however, that it found by the father In his
visit to his sons office this morning, and his
search through the papers. Il am satisfied"
he said, as he left the office.
The photograph Of the head was shown to six
persons in the building this morning, four Of whom
were confident that he was the man. The two
others were equally sure that it not the man.
Wilton L. Farnham, of the firm of Farnham & Co.,
manufacturers, when shown photograph, without
the slightest hesitation pronounced it to be that Of
Henry L. Norcross, the missing note broker OK
this city
Poor fellow" said Mr.. Farnham, while ap-
parently studying the facial outlines in the photo
graph, II knew him quite intimately. l have
known him about ten years in all having been
in the Somerville High School in his time
when did you see him last?"
IL should say about two weeks before the at
tempt on Mr.. Sage's life"
Continuing, Mr.. Farnham said: "The time I
speak Of, Norcro6s called in my Office and had q
chat with general topics. He had started
full beard; had possibly two weeks growth
then; circumstance which all OF us mere in the
office took advantage Of to plague him about.
He took the joking in proper light, and laughed
quite as much as any Of us. / have not seen nor
heard of him since until this morning"
hid x,nu haar him aneak of Russell Sago
al did not, replied Mr.. Farnham, adding:
But have heard him repeatedly talk abous
elevated railroad schemes indeed, might say
that he has shown at least half-dozen diff
ferent plans and patent papers. He used to say
that some day he would be a rich man, through
his elevated railroad scheme. All he wanted was
to get some big capitalist interested and wealth
was bound to follow. l never heard him speak
of any one in particular. In fact, don't know
that l ever heard him mention name at all
His talk was always in general way. sup
pose he thought SO much about his plans that
finally it became kind of mania with him.
THE girls who work here in the factory
recognize him readily from his picture, published
in this mornings Globe / might add that
myself also recognized him from the same pict-
ure. Indeed, 10 knowing Henry l.. Nor
cross can we'll deny that it is he. The princi-
pal thing 1 recognize in this photograph looking
at it again is his lips. No one can be mistaken
about them"
WAS he crank" asked the reporter.
"No," replied Mr.. Farnham thoughtfully Il
would hardly call him crank. When he called
here. he seemed to talk sanely enough. l can't
say that / noticed anything unusual about the
last time he was in this Office"
George Sanborn the president Of the company,
next shown the photograph He took 1t, and
after Studying it closely at the window for nearly
two minutes, said:
The lips were very like those of Norcross but
apart from them would not say that this hold
ing the photograph up to the light again is a
Likeness Of him."
Henry L. Norcross did considerable business for
the West End Street Railway at different times
Mr.. Goodspeed, the treasurer Of the company. knew
him well and had this to say concerning him this
morning:
Il became acquainted with Norcross the first
year was here in 1887. We had always made
all our loans in the city, and made large
ones He offered US some small ones on
country savings banks which we accepted.
During the last year have seen but littl Of him
excepting when saw him on the street. / saw
him last about month ago. lie then had beard
never noticed anything about his actions OK
methods other than naturally attached to any
other sane man. He struck me honest fel-
low but sort of small note broker who was
just barely making enough for living, not over
prosperous It was his custom to go up
among small country savings banks who had
small amounts to loan, get their rates and then
come to Boston and see what he could do with
them As to his ever having scheme for an
elevated railroad. never heard Of it. nor did
he ever talk elevated railroad matters to me-
George g. Sheldon, who for couple of years
was associated in business with III. IL. Norcross,
was shown picture Of the head At first. al-
though he saw points OF resemblance, he was In
clined to believe that it was not tho
picture Of Norcross. After looking at the
nintnro tnnra carefully Ia, found noiiiS of resen.