New-York tribune., 1903-05-11
AN INTERNAL TRICK.

The discovery OF mass of dynamite pacAeo
for shipment on an ocean steamer with COLI
triyance to explode il attached has douotless
caused some nervousness among people "lo
have friends at sea or who are themselves eA-
pecting to sail before long, but there shouiu oe
no panic. The letter of warning whlcn dlrec'eu
police attention to the Cunard pier descFipeu
the box and its contents with suostantlal ac-
curacy, but some of its statements are not "
be credited There is little reason TO suppose'
for example, that the terror inspiring hdhe
"Mafia" was authenticity USED, 1or Lne ielle1
itself contains no evidence of Italian author
shin. Moreover If a conspiracy had been
formed TO drive English shipping, or ships n.y.
ing the FLAG of any nation, from the ocean, why
should warning certain to put the detectFe
service on the trail aud lead to the adoption OF
the most stringent precautions have been given
in advance? Men who plot such atrocities are
not In the habit of reducing their chances OF
success to a minimum by proclaiming ther
purposes.
On the other hand, IT does not seem reason
able to set this affair down to the account O.
one OF the criminal fools who love TO produce
s. sensation In order that they may read about
ii in the papers and feel that they have stirred
the world while they hug a mystery to their
hearts. Once In a while a bottle purporting TO
have been thrown from sinking ship, or some
other narrowing fiction. illustrates that type OF
mind In this instance, superior intelligence
had been at work, and, more than that the
conditions of a possible tragedy had been sup
nIied. for though the skilfully arranged mech
snism was not complete careless handling
might have caused an explosion. Why the
warning letter was sent just in time is PROD
lem which guessing will not solve, and TO
which satisfactory solution will probably not
be found until the writer has been caught ana
compelled to deliver his secrets.
At present the most natural as well as lhe
most reassuring suggestion is that the scneme
was contriyed by dexterous lunatic who hao
no accomplices, but worked out by himself sucn
a design al a madman's wits may often harbor,
and then disclosed 1t In q manner characters
tic of the operations of diseased mind The
steamship companies are bound TO treat the
occurrence seriously. to watch their piers Win
redoubled vigilance. and TO exercise extreme
care in receiving and tracing the ownership Of
freight and luggage. 1t is incumbent on the
police. as they must realize, to employ all their
resources in the pursuit of the villain who'
whatever his mental state and purposes may
be. studiously invited a hideous catastrophe.
Furthermore 1t is not too soon to ask how it
happens that while the purchase of poisons is
difficult In these days 1t is apparently easy for
any one TO procure high explosives capable OF
killing a hundred persons in an instant Thls
is not an isolated example of the facility with
which such deadly merchandise can be pro-
cured. Wherever a turbulent mob gathers the
possession of dynamite is always apprehended
and too often proved 1t ought to be impossible
TO buy it without evidence Of good intentions
or to transfer it without acceptance OF re-
sponsibility for its use
There is work enough for the police in this
case, and perhaps need of action on the part OF
other branches of the government But we do
not look for developments which will greatly
disturb public tranquility.