The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-10
READY TO DESTROY
OWE HUNDRED POUNDS OF DYNA-
MITE FOUND
ON THE CUNARD LINE PIER.
yxrERNAL MACHINE WAS MERELY
CLICKING.

xew York Police Were Warned by a
strange Letter-This Stated the
Plot Was One of the Mafa, which
Il to Destroy British Steamships.
Police Found the Box Just Before
the Umbria Sailed-Tumbled II
Into the Water No SOctety's
Work.
New York, May 9.-An Internal ma
rhine. connected with a hundred
pounds of dynamite, was found in
box on the Cunard pier to-day.
According to the expert opinion of
the superintendent of the bureau of
cor7bustibles, the box was found and
put into the river just in the nick of
time to prevent it from exploding and
demolishing the pier and the Umbria,
which was alongside and about to sail
The box was left at the pier yester-
day in an apparent attempt to have
il placed aboard with the baggage OF
the passengers. The Umbria sailed a
few minutes after the box was dis
covered, and all on board were in ig-
norance of the attempt to place an in
fernal machine aboard the vessel.
The discovery of the box was due
to the following letter, received at po-
Ice headquarters to-day, addressed to
Commissioner Greene
The Letter OF Warning.
Dear Sir: The Malta greets you and
wishes you we'll. At the dock is a box
containing 100 pounds of dynamite. In
side also is a machine, properly set,
and explodes itself any time within
thirty-six hours.
The society has declared war against
England and has ordered the destruc-
ton of every steamer flying the Brit
ish flag that sails out of New York
harbor.
The undersigned received orders to
begin operations by sinking the Ocean
ic, but so many women and chill
dren took passage on that steamer that
the society's plans were changed at the
last minute.
THE machine in the box the first
made, a crude affair, is inclosed sim
ply to show how easy it is to sink
a steamer and to convince those IN
terested that the society is not making
idle threats.
The. society has undertaken to clear
New Yorw harbor of British ships, ana
II will succeed.
The reason for this movement the
society does not wish to disclose, suf-
fee is to say that the society, in or
der to protect itself. must carry the
war into the enemy's country, and 1t
goes without saying that it proposes TO
wage it as fiercely as it knows how.
This is the society's first and last
warming and those who propose 10
patronize British steamships must take
their chances in the future.
The society asks and gives NO quar-
ter, so--Lay on, Lay on, McDuff, and
damned be he that cries, Hold enough!
"Pietro de Martini"
"P. S.-The battery is not attached,
fuses without caps, and lighters not
set. Consequently, there is no danger
in handling the box"
Started on the Hunt.
The letter was mailed at the general
postoffce this morning. Detectives
were at once sent to the pier, and the
search was begun for the box, ar
engagements having been made to hold
the steamer until the box was found,
or until it was proven that 1t was not
on the pier or in the vessel
After a search of the passengers
baggage, the box was found in the
middle of large pile of baggage near
the gangway of the first cabin pas
sengers. Two detectives. carefully
picked up the box and carried it to the
no intimation of what was going on,
and, therefore, no one was frightened
The box was opened and found to con-
tain clockwork that was in motion.
A rope was fastened about the box,
and it was gingerly lowered into the
water.
After the Umbria had sailed, the
pier was cleared of everyone except
the men from the bureau OF consta-
bles and the officials of the line, ana
the box was raised and placed care
fully on the pier. The box was found
to be 40 inches long, 20 inches wide ana
20 inches deep, made of new pine, I'M
painted, of good workmanship ana
strongly built, the top being fastened
with heavy staple and paddock.
Examined the Box.
slight examination of the box at
the pier showed that it had been lgnlt-
ed at some time. When the box was
examined later at the bureau OF com
bustibles 1t was found to contain 2OO
sticks of dynamite, each weighing hat
pound. There were also two dry
batteries and three fuses, two con-
Meeting with the dynamite and one
with an. electric cigar lighter, the bulb
OF which was filled with alcohol.
train of clock work was so ar
ranged that at a set time lever
would be relieved that would strike
the trigger of the cigar lighter ana
ignite the fuse. The department OF
combustihles is positive that the fuse
was burning when the Internal ma
chine was lowered into the water, and
mat 1t would probably have exploded
within a few minutes.
The box was left at the pier by two
men, apparently Italians, who drove
a light wagon, and who told the bag
gage master that it would be claimed
by a passenger.
Inspector George McClusky of the
detective bureau said tonight that he
was satisfied that it was not the work
Of the Malta or any other secret So
ciety.