The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
100 Pounds of Dynamite
-Clockwork Going.
LETTER GAVE POLICE WARNING
And the Thing Went Overheard
From the Pier in a Hurry.

-scnt Tbs bOmD 70 the POuc0 Jue1 - -
Sample ami Made II Harmless FIrst
Apparent Attempt TO Suggest Fs-
nianism- Machine Inspected =. Found
to DO Dangerous and Ingcnieus.
In long wooden box which two Italians
took to the Cunard line pier at the foot Of
Jane street at 8 O'Clock Friday afternoon
and left there in charge Of Baggage Master
Thomas Pryor with instructions to turn
1t over to passenger on the Umbria, who
would call for 1t just before the steamer
sailed yesterday, 100 pounds Of dynamite.
two dry batteries and a most ingenious
arrangement Of clockwork and levers for
the explosion Of the dynamite were found
by the police just before the Umbria sailed.
The clockwork was ticking away vigorously.
The box, innocent enough In appearance,
but containing enough explosive to blow
the bottom out Of the big liner. was lying
alongside the first cabin gangway, when
found by detectives acting under instruo-
ions from Capt. Langan Of the Detective
Bureau. 1t had been put there with other
baggage awaiting claimants who were OK
pected TO arrive at the pier late, 80 that
there would be no delay in getting 1t aboard.
DESIGN TO SUGGEST YKNIANs.
The police got their information about
the box from a special delivery letter sent
to Police Commissioner Greene yesterday
afternoon and signed Pietro Demartini.
The writer says there Is a society formed
for the purpose Of driving English ships
OF the high seas by blowing them up with
dynamite and hints that 1t Is affiliated with
the Malta The writing. composition and
general appearance Of the letter indicate
that 1t is the work Of any one but an italian.
and suggest a desire to have the Job a.
tributed to Fenians.
The letter in its literary quality, suggests
a habit Of writing rapidly, and possibly Of
writing for the newspapers. Among other
things 1t quotes Shakespeare with four
errors in thirteen words.
Although the box and it's contents made
up a most formidable Internal machine,
the most dangerous thing Of It's kind ever
found In this city, neither thc UmbriA nor
the Cunard pier nor the passengers nor
employees Of the line were ever In any moro
danger from this particular machine than
they would have been in had 1t been merely
box Of dynamite. because. as the writer
of the warning letter says, the fuses running
into the boxes of dynamite we're not capped
and the arrangement for igniting them was
not set, although touch Of the finger would
have set 1t In an instant.
WARNING AT LAST MOMENT.
The letter which warned the police Of
the presence Of the box on the Cunard pier
arrived at Police Headquarters by special
delivery shortly after noon yesterday. 1t
was addressed Commissioner Greene.
Police Department, City, and was mailed
at the General Post Office In this city at II
O'Clock yesterday morning. The address
on the envelope and the letter itself. written
on three sheets Of cheap. lined note paper,
were written with lead pencil, and the letter
was the work Of partly educated person.
II is as follows:
THE LETTER OF WARNING.
.The box, with iron handles, Is among
trunks for steamer Umbria.
DEAR SIR: The Malta greets you and
wishes you we'll. At the Cunard dock Is
box containing 100 pounds Of dynamite.
Inside also is a machine that, purposely
set, can explode the stuff any time within
thirty six hours.
THE society has declared war against
England and has ordered the destruction
Of every steamer flying the British Tag that
sails out OF New York harbor.
~The undersigned received orders to begin
operation by sinking the Oceanic, but 80
many women and children took passage
on that boat Hast Tuesday, that the so
ciety's plans were changed at the last
minute. The machine in the box. the
first made and a crude affair, is incloeed
simply to show how easy 1t Is to sink q
steamer and to show those interested that
the society is not making idle threats. Tho
society has undertaken to clear New York
harbor Of British ships, and it will succeed.
"The reasons for this movement the %
ciety does not wish to disclose; suffice Il 10
say that the society in order to protect
itself must carry the war in the enemy's
country, and it goes without saying that
it proposes to wage 1t AZ flercely as it knows
how.
This is the sooiety's first and last warm
ing, and those who propose TO patronise
British steamers must take their chances
in the future.
The society asks and gives no quarter
so-Lay on. lay on. McDun. and danIa'd
be he that cries hold, cnough
sPIETRo DRMARrISI.
poNNVIy 10 NV o''o'li'u' iuASoo
without caps and lighter not set, cons.
quently there is no danger in handling
the box
HOAX suRMIsED AT FIRST.
Turning MacDuff into an Irishman was
possibly done on purpose to suggest an
Irish origin Of the letter. In the absence
Of Gen Greene the letter was turned over
10 Deputy Commissioner Piper, and his
secretary Mr.. Blot, was the first person
10 open 1t. He laughed at the contents
and turned it over to Capt Piper, who WAS
himself inclined to look at the thing as
hoax The more the Deputy Commissioner
studied the writing the more con vinoed
he became that the thing wasa joke, and 1t
wasn't until his attention was called TO the
fact that the Umbria was TO sail at O'Clock
that he locked at 1t in serious way.
SWELL, we'll leave il to the bet ective
Bureau" lie said finally, and no carried
the letter down end showed II to Capt
I.angan, who was in charge.
BUT THE cuSARp PIER TAKES IT IN KAREDsr.
Capt. Langan rcnd the letter and rang
a bell and within five minutes Detectives
Farley Mccarthy. Moody and Lesson
were on their way to the Cunard pier, with
to hold up the Umbria until