Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-14
BELIEVED TO BE NoRCRoss.
Evidence That the Young Bostonian Threw
the Bomb at Russell Sage.

the Bomb at Russell Sage.
George o. Sheldon Of Boston. who is con-
nected with the Merchants and Miners Trans
portation Company. visited the morgue in New
York yesterday and looked at the head of the
dead bomb thrower. He identified it positively
as that OF Henry L. Norcross, who was formerly
his partner in business in Boston.
Inspector Byrnes has seen the wrong persons
identified SO often that he is naturally still
skeptical.
Mrs Norcross, the young mans mother, was
told the dreadful suspicious for the first time
on Saturday morning She was informed by
Mrs. Adams, who lives in the same house.
"Have you any more news from Henry?" the
mother asked Mrs. Adams. All night she had
believed her son killed in railroad accident,
and had had no idea of how terrible his death
really was. Mrs Adams felt that deceit could
no longer be practiced. With motherly kind
ness Mrs. Adams related the whole awful story.
Il cannot believe it," was the weeping
mothers cry, but soon she was calm enough to
realize the dreadful importance of the identifi-
cation in which che had assisted. The bits Of
clothing and the button and the photograph
were again examined by her
She said afterward that the watch chain her
son wore was not made of links, but was q sort
Of twisted chain. This describes the piece of
chain found in Sage's wrecked office Mrs Nor
book-not q very big one-whch closed with a
flap. This fairly describes the pocket book
found In Sages Office, in which was $40 bill.
When he left his home on the morning prior
to his disappearance he was apparently in good
spirits. He went to his office. He wore a
derby hat when he left home, but he left it at
his office, having bought silk hat, and this he
wore when he left Boston. By some of his
friends it is believed that he allowed his beard
to grow to disguise himself. He had stopped
shaving four weeks before his disappearance.
QUIET YOUNG MAN,
Concerning young Norcross all who knew
him at all say he was quiet young man, who
appeared to have plenty of time on his hands
They never noticed that he was at all crazy.
He was odd, reserved and did not attempt to
make acquaintance, especially in the building
where his Office was.
The son lived with his parents in Somerville,
suburb OF Boston, and had an Office at No IL
Pearl street, Boston. As soon his parents
have sufficiently recovered from the shock of
their sons terrible death they will 20 to New
York and bring back the remains for suitable
burial
For the first since Norcross disappeared his
office at No. II Pearl street was entered on Sat-
urdny His father, accompanied by three
friends, forced an entrance and spent about ff-
teen minutes in an examination of the apart
ment Before they left the building Mr.. Nor
cross said: Nothing was found in his Office to
add anything to what has already been told.
1t was my son, without doubt. have no doubt
the clothing"-
Here his emotion overcame him and he was
unable to finish the sentence.
But there may be hope that the dynamiter had
your sons old clothes and wore them, may
there notI''
NO, there is no hope" was the fathers
answer
Wilton L. Farnhsm of tho firm of Farnham
Co., who was well acquainted with Norcross,
was asked if he had ever heard him speak of
Russell Sage.
Il never did, replied Mr. Farnham, "but
have heard him repeatedly ia k about elevated
railroad schemes. Indeed, might say that ne
had shown me at least half dozen different
plans and patent papers He used to say that
some day he would be rich man through his
elevated railroad scheme. All he wanted was
to get some big capitalist interested and wealth
was bound to follow. never heard him speak
OF any one In particular-in fact. don't know
that ever heard him mention any names at all
HIS talk was always in a kind of general
way. suppose he thought so much about his
with him.
Wac he what you would call crankY'
NC, replied Mr.. Farnham, thoughtfuly.
II would hardly call him IA crank When he
called here he seemed TO talk sane enough. 1
cant say that noticed anything unusual about
Interviews with several firms in Boston from
whom Norcross might have purchased dyna-
mite failed to discover any one who has the
slightest recollection of having sold any ex-
plosiye to him, and the general belief is
that, having some knowledge of chemistry he
himself Among the powder
dealers the opinion is expressed that from the
manner In which the bomb was exploded nitro
giyeerine or some very high explosive must
nave been used instead OF dynamite, which
would not explode by merely dropping it. 10
carry nltro-Slycerine from Boston to New York
would, however, 1e most dangerous under
taxing Amy one with fair knowledge OF
chemistry could easily manula, ture it.
NoRcRoss' INSANE GRANDFATHER.
President Woodman of the Wilton Savings
Bank, in whose house the Norcross family lived
much Of the time they we're III Wilton. said
there was no doubt that DIR. Norcross, the
grandfather, was insane. There was but one
opinion expressed by the Wilton people who
were seen, which was that, crazed terribly and
suddenly tor money. young Norcross threw the
bomb when he knew not his own action.
MIR. Fisher whose office was across the hall
from Norcross, in speaking about Norcross,
said:
Il used to be very friendly with Henry
When his door and mine were open we could
look into each others rooms and talk to each
other. He and both made practice of leay-
%,
Then he began to keep his closed. One day
remarked to another man in the building:
What change has come over Henry Nor
cross! Those whiskers make him look like
Sawtelle.'
THIS remark came to HenIy's ears and he
resented it. After that he had very little to
say to me. tell you he is the man who tried
to dynamite Russell Sage. l think there is no
doubt about it. He had been acting very
strangely of late. l think his mind was un-
doubleday unbalanced"
The only explanation his Somervile friends
can offer Is that he must have been insane.
Neither they nor any one else explain how
insanity came SO suddenly, how a mind appar-
entity steady one day became unbalanced .Le
next, how steady man Of business became a
maniac.
Evidence accumulates to show that he was
schemer. A classmate OF his said that at
school he Was retiring sort of fellow. His
manner WAS very noticeable. He was very
studIous, and his character was above reproach,
but he would not miugie very much with other
scholars. At recess. whllL the other scholars
were enjoying themselves he generally kept
By himself. taking short walk alone. He was
always planning and concocting some idea to
VIA him more or less fame III lie.
Reuben Nickerson OF Maiden was formerly
the elevator man at No. II Pearl street and was
afterwsrd the fireman III the building. While
at No. IL Pearl street he bacame friendly with
Norcross Nckerson was always welcome in
Norcross office Norcross would sit at his
desk with Nickcrson seated at another
One day about two weeks before Norcross
went away Nlckerson sat down at Norcross'
desk and found some bottles standing OH the