New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-10

| In plain pine box about the size of small
| trunk ingenious internal machine containing
one hundred pounds of dynamite was found on
! the pier of the Cunard Line yesterday afternoon
| less than an hour before the steamer Umbria
sailed for Liverpool According to Superin-
| tendent George E. Murray of the department OF
combustibles the prompt discovery and the i'm
mediate immersion of the box in the water at
the end Of the pier by the detectives who found
il was all that prevented the explosion of the
dynamite and the destruction of the pier, with
the many persons who had gathered to sail or
bid friends and relatives goodby. The black
powder fuse leading to the detonating medium
was found to be scorched. showing that it had
been ignited. a seconds delay In the extinction
of the fuse would have meant the explosion or
the whole charge. The discovery of the machine
was due to the following letter, addressed Com
missioner Greene Police Department, City,
which wac received at Police Headquarters at
1915 p.
Dear Sir: The Malta greets you and wishes you
well. At the Cunard dock is box containing
a machine that. properly set explode the stuff
any time within thirty,six hours ,,,,
and ordered the destruction of every steamer
yiPs by9B5r the British flag that sails out of Nev1oFk
The undersigned received orders to begin opera
tions by sinking the Oceanic. but many women
and children took passage on that boat that tfe
The machine in the box, the FIRST made, and
crude affair. is nclosed simply TO show how easy
terested that the society is not making loie
The box with iron handles is among trunks for
The society has undertaken to clear New-York
Harbor of British ships ana it will succeed. The
n SiscIose sI,fFce II to saw that the society. in
order 10 protect itself, must carry the war INTO
that it proposes to wage it as ercely as IL knows
This is the society's first and last warning, and
those who propose to Patr4nize BRUSH Sie"iiieS
The society asks and gives no quarter, soLes fas
hoid~enough! PIETRO DE MARTINI
P. s-The battery is not attached The fuse use lis Is
without caps and ngh9er55 5i9 nor box Se''
The letter as was the address on the envelope
was written with a lead pencil As can be seen'
it was couched in English beyond the command
Of the average italian. The penmanship was
that of an American accustomed to write rap
idIy and able to express himself clearly on paper
without difficulty.
The letter which bore a special delivery
stamp and according 20 the postmark. had been
mailed at the General Postoffice at IL a. m.
Yesterday was received at Police Headquarters
at 1213 .. m The steamer to sail at 2
n m There was no time to be lost and, al
though the project seemed on paper too dlaooll-
cal tn ne true preparations were made imrnedl-
ateJv for investigating what the contents OF the
letter divulged Detectives Moody and Lesson
who are detailed to the piers when steamers q
arriving or departing. were called up on tne
+a1enbona and ordered to look for the box De-
+ao+i,,a Sereaant Farley was sent out by the De-
+e,,;,,a B,,raa,, The Department of Combus-
tihles was called up and Informed OF the con-
tents of the letter Captain Watson, superh-
tendent of the Cunard pier, was also lhIolliieu
he went to Mr. Floyd. the acting agent OF the
line who hastened aboard the Dmbrla ana 'o'u
Cantain Dutton The captain sent the ciilei oiii-
o.r "a the nier and gave orders that the steamer
ebo,Id not sail until the box had been found
The detectives Captain Watson ana MI
F,loyd immediately began search Tor the ooA'
T. vas soon found, for it had come to the pier
,,rder neculiar circumstances. 1t was eXactiy
&c ,7.eoribe5 in the letter, and was found at the
foot of The eaueway among the other pieces OF
bageape II was a plain white pine box, neWIg
,,ade and rras unmarked In size il was ABOUT
10 bv 20 by 20 inches. The top, when was
u,a6e ~ two nieces was hinged and fastened
with staple. hasp and paddock Ihe haru
ware was neatly japanned, ana was e'iu7"'i'
new.
The messengers were not appFised OF tie pres
ance ~ the Internal machine everything was
done ouietIv AS soon as ii was Iouha II "ds
carried To the end of the pier INSIDE the DoA'
b,, lia4ening carefully. could near 'he ueh-
,1s of . niece of ciockwork. A rope was Iast-
naa ah,nIt II and it was lowered in the water
| yrhen sunerintenden. Murray arrived with TWO
| asa,stants he found the men carefully keeping
| the box submerged. .
In the mean time. the box having been ois-