The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-22

the bombs found occasionally on the
door steps in England as well as here
on the continent and which are loaded
with simple dynamite intended to ex-
plode by other and safer means than
concussion. These are employed where
the man is afraid to throw the bomb
lest he jeopardize his own personal
safety or for some other reason. In
such case he has recourse to the percO-
lating detOnater. The dynamite is
placed in any description of vessel and
a hole is left or punctured in the Ves-
sci. Into this hole at the proper mo-
ment the criminal introduces a funnel
of gutta- percha. This funnel is pack
ed tight with cotton wool, and at it's
narrow extremity. among the dynamite
is a small ball of illuminate of mercury
On the surface of the wool the man
pours small quantity, possibly only a
few drops, of sulphuric acid. He is
safe until the acid percOlates through
the cotton wool and reaches the fulnin-
ate. Sometimes he has two minutes
to spare, sometimes three, sometimes
five, and these he employs in getting
away from the vicinity that will be
reached by the explosion.
You will notice that in every in
stance sulphuric acid is employed; it
is because the contact of that acid
with mercury and dynamite produces
an explosion in itself. A marked in
stance of the advantage taken of this
result of the two creating an explosion
was in the case of the bomb thrown
some time ago in the chamber of depu-
ties by Valiant. Then the bomb was
made out of a simple fiat tin canister
used to hold salve or other preparation
put up in every drug store, and which
was sufficiently small to be carried in
the pocket. The interior of the can was
divided into two compartments, one
containing dynamite and the other sui
phuric acid. So long as valiant car
ried the can upright and walked care
fTT1T a1o1 10 4
prom menadeTS he WAS safe, for the two
explosives would not come in contact
He took his seat in the visitors gallery
and when he thought the time had
come he threw the can into the air to-
ward the presidents desk. OF course
as the can flew through the air it turn
ed over and the explosion took place
While 1t was % feet above the ground
and 1t was entirely unnecessary for it
to touch the floor The bomb was filled
with tacks thrown in the acid and the
dynamite, so that when the explosion
occurred these tackS were driven into
the faces of the deputies, causing pain
full wounds. The chances of personal
destruction these fellows are willing
to take is well shown by this act of
valiant.
"A bomb thrown in the Rue Bons
Enfant against the door of the police
station was made from a preserve lar
those used by ladies to hold cherries
or peaches. The jar had been partly
filled with dynamite, which was gath
cred in a mass in the center; around
this We're a quantity of bullets kept to-
gether by paste or cement. Fixed to
the inside of the cover was a glass tube
In the shape of a letter u with the
two ends resting on the cover. A small
hole had been made in the glass at
either side, just where the curved part
began, and through these holes the
tube had been filled, on one side with
Sulphuric acid and on the other with
mercury. AT the moment these two
liquids came together a great explosion
was sure to result, and the shock would
explode the dynamite. Everything
worked as the man anticipated and the
front Of the police station was pretty
well wrecked. If by any miSchance
the man had failed to carry the bomb
in Just such a position in his pocket and
the two liquids had come in contact, ne
would have been blown to atoms.
Matthew, who caused the explosion
IN the restaurant Very, carried a valise
for which he paid zee. Inside the va
Hse was box that contained seidlitz
powders, but was then filled with dy-
Mantle, and attached to it was a slow
match. When Mathieu was ready he
leaned down and touched his cigarette
to the slow match and then strolled
out of the place, leaving the Valise be-
hind him under the table In three
minutes the explosion occurred and the
restaurant was wrecked.
w here workmanship is put on a
bomb the most popular form, because
the most certain to explode, is that
known as the nipple bomb, whose sur
race is covered every half inch with
small nipples having percussion caps
upon them, and a hole through them
leading into the interior of the bomb,
which is filed with dynamite. 1t will
be seen that when this bomb is thrown
II VIII explode wherever it may strike,
as every point upon it is vulnerable"