The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-22
FASHIONS IN BOMBS.
Description of Some of the Latest
Creations of the Anarchists Art

Creations of the Anarchists Art.
Paris, June 2a.-The attempted assas-
sinatiOn of President Faure again
arouses interest in the "bOmb indus
try that prevails in many of the Eu-
ropean capitals, and should stir the con-
tinental police to a crusade on this al
most public manufacture of the dead
liest and most cowardly weapons.
Bombs are much more plenty and much
easier to obtain in Europe than IS gen
orally credited, and many of them show
an ingenuity and thOrOughness in their
construction that indicates skilled and
thoughtful labor.
An interview with M. Lepine chief
of the Paris police, contains some ex-
ceedingly interesting facts connected
with bombs and admirably illustrates
the organization and system these des-
perate anarchist enemies to society
have attained.
1.-The Bourdin bomb,'' said NJ. Lepine,
'is certainly the usual type met with
nowadays. By a general consensus of
opinion in anarchist circles the bomb
with decorating nipple is approved.
That was the description of weapon
used in the terrible crime at the LiceO
theater at Barcelona two years or so
ago. But here and there one finds
original inventor who has a plan of his
own and endeavors to demonstrate the
one by carrying out the other. Here
is a cigar for instance; it is ordinary
tobacco, dressed in a wrapper expertly
put on, and you would hardly expect it
was a dangerous article. And yet you
will see when I take it in its two Sec
tons that a groove runs through it
along which was laid a slender dVna-
mite cartridge with a detonater about
an inch from the end. When the heat
reached the detOnateT, bang would go
the cartridge and the smoker would
have been lucky if he had lost his eve
sight and not his head. This is a high
quality cigar and you can see how
skillfully it is separated, clearly by one
who is adept in delicate work. There
were only four of these made and we
seized them all; they were intended for
a special person, who was at that time,
and may be so considered now, the
most conspicuous man in the country
The would be murderers learned his
habits, the kind of cigars he smoked
where he bought them and all the other
minor details of their proposed victims
habits Then they resolved that the
easiest way to reach him was through
his well known love of smoking.
Even such an apparently harmless
and innocent thing as a walking stick
may be made the vehicle of destruction
one 1 seized some time ago was a curl
osity in its way. The cane was per
fectly hollow to admit the Introduction
of dynamite in the form of a cartridge
or simply packed in without any other
covering than the wood of the cane if
self. The handle was heavy lead not
quite solid, because it formed a shield
for a glass vessel intended to be filed
with sulphuric acid. Under the head
was button, somewhat like those en-
ployed for electric bells, and beneath
that was another button that was ar
ranged to strike a decorating cap that
communicated directly with the dyna-
mite The first button would smash
the glass containing the sulphuric acid
and the second would explode the dyna-
mite Altogether it was a most dan
gerOuS weapon. 1 secured a confess
sion from the rascal who made it, and
he told me that while the man carving
1t was in constant danger from the liza
blI1ty to drop it or have it knocked
from his hands, yet he was willing to
take the chances for the sake of what
he expected it to accomplish. His idea
was to hing the weapon high into the
ar ana TO a cOnS1dera bic distance from
him, the Ieaden handle would bring the
cane down on that end, the heavy but
ton IN the shaft and the conclusion to-
gether would shiVer the glass recepta-
Gle, down would run the acid to the
detonater and there would be an ex-
pIos1on. 1t is wonderful what a mess
TWO or three pounds of dynamite will
make, ana two or three pounds cOuId
suppose, have been easily stored awav
in the cane. The dynamite cane is
quite ordinary in the resources of the
anarcnlst, and very many of them have
been used on the continent
The common view of the anarchist
is that he is man with a bomb. and
the common view of a bomb is that If
IS a spherical missile something like a
nand grenade. Anarchists there ara
IN plenty who are satisfied to talk
ABOUT It's principles and eschew bombs
ana there are bombs totally different to
the gas pipe affair that at once comes
IN the papers. For example, there are