New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-12
MIR. SAGE DENIES TT.
HE. SAYS HE DIDN'T USE LAIDI.AW FOR A
SHIELD AGAINST THE BOMB.
THE OTHER MAN ALSO TEsTFIEs AT TIL
CoRoNERs INQUEST AND He DECLARES
THAT THE WEALTHY BROKER


The fury slbpoenaed BY Coroner Messemer 10 listen
% tba details Of the bomb explosion In the ONCE OF
Russ-u Sage on December hast yesterday found a
verdict follows;
I'VE find that Henry l.. Norcross came TO his death
from An explosion of cenlbustble droppeo H''hi MS
own hands at No. II Broadway December g. 1891
We also find that Benjamin F. Norton came |"
his death from the same explosion which mhcu HehiS
l. Norcross al the same time ;snd place
seldom, in the history Of the corpners Office has
such a number OF representative men OF business
and wealth assembled in the dark and dDgy little room
at No l2s >econd-avc. as were there yesterday
First there came the jury which was to listen ~ inc
evidence and lind a verdict. They were HenS Ce"s
Mills building Charles =. Brown, No 80 Liberty ;
Solomon TurcA. No. Murray-st W. FINK, NO LIS
william ST. George Leask No. 80 Wall-st.; Alfred
F. Marlng. No "a Cedarst.; Harvey ;. FISK NO. -
Nassaust; Peter J. Kahler, No. SIS BroadwN' 'ohi
II Miller No 90 broadway: John McKesson, No ~
Fulton-st 5 Franklin stanton, No ~ broadway ana
Heary L. Horton, No 1875 Broadway
Russell sage had been summoned as Witness ana
n WAS said that George Gould would also be present
This together with fact that the story OF the eX
ulosion was 10 be told by who were injured by
the insane act of Norcross, was more thah Stih0eh'
10 attract a crowd larger than usual at coroners III
quest and by 10 O'Clock, the hour Set for the open
ing of proceeding the little room was crowded. Inc
only vacant places We're those reserved 1or Tue WIZ
ness the coroner and the jury
AT 10 O'Clock or a little AFTER the jurymen began 10
come in and take their places There was some
comment among the spectators upon the met that
II WAS undoubtedly the wealtheet jury which ilad
aver sat in the coroners After the jury came
Coroner MESSENGER who wss to conduct the inquest
and with him of the Witnesses FRANK
Robertss1 of Bayone who lost eye in the en-
pos,on and lillian Il. Ladlaw. IT., whose back was
filed with the leather and lining of the bag con
tanning the explosive. came in, both bahdaeei ana
plainly showing the effects of the explosion fhalS
a plaster of the head Of the bomb hrower was
brought in and placed upon the Coroners desk racing
the jury, and then the taking Of testimony began
Russell sage, who TO be witness ana about WHOM
most interest conferred, was not in the room when the
inauest began the first witness called being Frank
Robertson He testified to being in the outer once AT
No. II Broadway noon, December a. 1eVl, When the
explosion occurred. He there to get from Mr..
Sage check for some stock lie saw man carrying
n black harasatche enter the Office and ask for Mr.
Sage. When Mr. sage appeared the men with the
satchel handed him letter, and then there followed
some conversation between the two The witness saw
the with the sachel take bright object he
thought II a revolver, from the bag and then came
the explosion. Robertson badly Injured that at
the hospital he thought to be dying and his ante
norton statement taken at the time. This was
read at the inquest yesterday and Robertson said il
was correct He identified the plaster cast the
Coroners desk being fair likeness Of the bomb
thrower
The next witness called Colonel J. J. slocum
brotherinaw Of Mir SAGE, who in the Office at the
time Of the explosion. His testimony not specially
interesting. samuel 5 Calhoun superintendent Of
Washington f. Connors telegraph Office also gave cst
mOny
The next witness called William X. Laidiaw, jr,
who was severely injured by the explosion and who,
since that time. has made the charge chat Mr. sage
used him shield from the exploding missile.
Laidaw said that he had some business transact
with Mr.. sage at noon December 4, 1891. He
went to Mr.. sages Office, and entering, found him
in conversation with The witness then
started to pass into the inner once. vr Sage stopped
him. and as both stood facing Norcross Mr.. Sage
laid his hand the shoulder Of the witness. Then
Mr.. sage took the witness by the hand and shook 1t.
turning as he did bringing the witness directly
between himself ard Nucross. Laid12w said he was
somewhat surprised At this, as Mr.. sage had never
shaken hands with him before.
AS tie three men stood In tho ofice, the witness
heard Mr. Sage say 10 NorcroSs
Surely, you trust me. ~ can trust YOU
Norcross replied "Ob, no, not You
The next moment explosion. When the
witness recovered consciousness he was lying at Mr.
sages feet covered with plaster bits Of broken glass
and wood and blood
"Dld Mr. sage appear at all frightened while be
was talking with Norcross ~ asked Mr.. Clews
al thought his manner a trfe strange, but 1t aid
'''N'
reply.
You told me at the hospital that Mr. Sage used
YOU as shield" said Coroner MESSENGER.
80 said,- replied Laidlaw.
aThen YOU wish the jury to understand that You
were used as u shield by Mr. Sage, 'aid the coroner
.That Is exactly what l mean was the reply
After describing NorcrOss the witness was asked II
A racoo,ized the master cast on the desk before him
aHardlys was the reply. stu, as ! reooIec'
Norcross was "A FOOD looking with fair skin, heavy
head Of hair and who silk hat The cast looks
something Ike him.
Iaidlsw then said that at the hospital the docOrs
fund sixty.two wounds in his back. He showed the
clothing he wore when the explosion occurred Inc
coat was in tatters the back Of 1t Iookhe as II
I'd been nsed as a target for "a shotgun club Pieces
~ leather and cloth, taken from the wounds In ue
s.dv OF the witness were shown the jury anu
ON beng questioned said that he still has piece oil
heather In his right leg and some foreign SUBSTANCE III
his back ...
dynamite Company Police Officer Max Mango ana
Charles W Osborne the cashier Of MI Sage, were the
next witnesses called. They could tell little OF i'm
psrtance. .,
Then came the principal witness Of the day uie
man whose life aimed ut when Horcross u'rc" inc
fatal bomb and who was within few feet OF him az
the time and vet in marvellous manner escaped
death. Mr. sage nodded TO several OF Ihe jury
men with whom he Is personally acquainted, and then
took his ~at in the witness char. lie gave Ms
testimony in rapid, nervous MANNER ~ II nc "ishoo
II soon with, but at the same time he showed
thst he had a clear recollection Of what had occurred
On that day.
Mr. Sage said that shortly after noon. On December
a. 1891 u card, bearing the name " II. ID. Wilson,, was
handed 10 him. He did not know Wilson and sent Il
boy out TO find out what he wanted. The stranger
ssid that ne had come from Mr. Rockefeller and then
Nj sage went out TO see him.
As Mr.. sage went out he noticed that tile stranger
had small black bag standing near him. As Mr..
Sage appeared he picked ii up and came toward the
witness ut the same time handing him letter. which
was nothing less than demand for
81 200 ooo and threat to blow up the pudding with
dynamite II the money not given up.
81 knew AT once" said Mr. Sage. " that had a
dangerous man 10 deal WITH and told him that had
an engagement with two men at noon. and that when