The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-31
"DYNAMITER'S" SIDE OF 1T.
CURRAN, THE Ex-MoToRMAN, SAYS HE
MEYER HAD any DYNAMITE.

|
Doesn't Know ANYTHING About ANY Plot to
Blow Up Anything Electrical Apparatus
In His Rooms Was for Homemade
| Alarm Call-Foars He'll he "Rntlronded"
Francis j. Curran. the ex-motorman who Ia
accused by the police OF planning to destroy
property OF the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company with dynamite ana OF having dyna-
mite and Internal machines In the shape OF
electric batteries. copper wire and clockwork
In his possession. says that either the police
don't know what they're talking about or are
trying to put up Job on him. Curran will be
examined before Magistrate Zeller In York
vile Court to-day on tho specific charge OF be-
ing an ex-convict found with burglars tools
in his possession. He was remanded to the
Yorkvie Court prison after his arraiRnment
on Saturday. and there he was seen by SUN
reporter yesterday. He Is 81 years old has
dark hair and blue eyes. and. contrary to the
popular impression OF an ex-convict. has
frank. open face and looks you straight in the
eye when talking. He talked freely about him
self and his arrest, and among other things he
said:'
IF ten pounds or any other quantity OF
dynamite was found in my fiat. at 1S43 First
avenue. know nothing about 1t. did not put
1t there cause 1t to be put there. and. further
more never was in those rooms in my life.
For some time before my arrest my wife. my
LITTLE girl and myself had been living at 121
janitress Her health got too poor for her to
do the work there and we got the chance to
take care of the tenement at lS43 First ave-
nue.. The understanding was that the former
Janitress was to move out Immediately. so we
moved our things down there. The janitress
decided to stay the month out. and 30 we put
the police, found them. We had gone to iivs
Gowan. at $40 East Ninety -sixth street. As 1
WIS at work all day. my wife had attended to
any Of the rooms in which we expected TO make
our pew home.
erms UsSn ssHs Be 9efG to
laugh at that clockwork. battery and wire
whcn 19 pose found the or Ss
tan. had 70 report at the Second avenue sta.
bles at o'clock every morning. Sometimes
the sSt1 to- bed GRrx is ts d
cult sometimes to get UP and 60 to work
from tho Kitchen, placed i in "G my
wire With alarm clock and With t1 dry S'P bst
terry, When the clock went OF the gong would
S%ntinn S, to ring until the circuit was broken
was what wanted. The wire and battery 1
used were the wire and battery found in my
As to the stick Of dynamite said to have
at s"oqsh % Sso lice pSe they TS1f s
dynamite when they sea rched me immed lately
rue Was not "s Searched snt iS0oI resched
Police Headquarters and then no dynamite or
other explosive was found on me. This story
s false from lightning to end hut by means
AS matter of fact. / never handled dynamite
or any other explosive in my life
sons sons Tiil ,&k "a, any stock il an sxeony,st,s
Tor taking part II burglary with which had
convicted. When was drunk one night stole
some tobacco from cigar store. My convic-
ton taught me to !eaNe liquor alone. When
had no money, aud my family would have
moi hing to do with me. | tried everywhere TO
get work and couldn't | got discouraged
the mouth. but the bullet went through and
70 the Presbyterian Hospital. recovered and
nue.. when the MetropnIitan was opening the
street to put down the electric conduits
when the company opened W Second ave;
became motorman on the Second avenue
line. was running a car uptown one day. and
got s, to the switch at Astor place 1t was mis-.
avenue for a short distance / reversed the
current. and ran hack and around the curve
east into Aston place, An inspector was there,
! Was told to consider myself discharged until
apologized to him This refused to do.
since Thought he was at fault and that's how
can give all the places have worked since
then, and you may look up. my record. am
not a ashamed Of It, The first day Of the strike
iers Of the strikers. but did not netc them
TO riot dld not encourage them to break the
This is my story and it is true II am rail-
roaded again | shall only roget that my aim
wasn't better two years ago. II would have
been better for me. for my wife and for my
little girl"