Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-03
Yields to Friends Entreaties
and Answers Tom Denni-
sons Document.
NO MOTIVE FOR IMPLIED CRIME
Thomas Has No Need For tho Sym
pathy Which Dennison Alleges He
Was Trying to Gain Thought n
Was Incendiary Fire - Dynamiters
Only Can Explain Character Of Bomb

THOMAS, the civic federation's attorn-
ey. whose home was wrecked by dyna-
mite last month, has issued n reply to
the remarkable document signed by
Tom Dennison. in which the noted
gambler denied being the author of
the outrage at the Thomas house. aud
sought to suggest that the crime was
committed by Thomas himself. Mr..
Thomas letter follows:
'.The newspapers OF Omaha have
printed letter signed by Tom Den
nison. written by his attorney, in
which he asks me questions which in
sinuate and are intended to convey the
idea to the unthinking that placed
the bomb which blew up my home.
Every statement of fact and every
question asked, Of which have know
ledge, contains falsehood in SO far
as these statements and questions re-
fer to me or the civic federation.
'"The infamy OF the suggestion con-
proceed from the brain Of criminal.
My reputation has not been that, of a
wife murderer or child murderer.
The gang of desperadoes which is now
in the saddle in Omaha, having failed
to murder me and my family, now
seeks to injure my good name. re-
pudiate the right of man like Tom
Dennison or his lawyer to put me upon
the witness stand upon any question.
my friends say 1 ought to expose
the falsehoods and state the facts with
reference to this explosion. With
great reluctance I have concluded to
do so. He asks:
Charges Not Exploded.
1. "How does 1t happen that this
bomb exploded Immediately after the
charges of Mr.. Thomas against Chief
Donahue were exploded?"
The dynamiters and their accomplic-
es can answer why the bomb was ex-
ploded better than I. AS to the sec
ond part Of the question, the charges
against the chief were not exploded.
On the contrary, Chief Donahue ex-
pressly admitted them, and they are
still pending undecided before the
board
How does it happen that the man
who placed the bomb containing a high
explosive did SO with so much noise as
to be heard by Mrs. Thomas and others
when the windows and doors were
shut?"
The bed room window fronting on
this porch was open and the blinds
We're up at the time. The bomb was
placed about one foot from the wall
of the bedroom in which my wife and
baby and myself were sleeping, and
the dynamiter made enough noise in
doing so to arouse my wife's attention.
She thought 1t was young lady up
stairs moving about her room.
8. How does 1t happen that bomb
containing high explosive or a fuse
attached to it burned such q way as
to make blaze or light sufficient to
be seen by persons inside house?"
That question can only be ans
wered when the dynamiters or their
accomplices explain the character of
bomb they used. There was. how
ever. a light, the reflection Of which
attracted my wife's attention thru the
window
4. ".How does 1t happen that the
bomb or fuse burned for so long a
time after the blaze was seen before
the explosion occurred? 2"
That is another expert question
which can be answered by the man
who asked it much better than by me.
I do not know the character of the ex-
plosive or fuse used.
Fifth--"How does it happen that
when Mr.. Thomas opened the door and
saw what he believed to be bomb,
about like the size of salmon can,
he did not kick 1t off the porch, where
it could not harm his wife and chile
rem? Was it because he feared it
might burn his toes?"
Thought It an inoendiary Fire.
did not believe 1t to be bomb.
thought 1t was an incendiary fire, and
had no thought it was a bomb. The OBJ
ject was apparently in paper wrapping,
cylindrical In shape, about six inches
in diameter and less than three inches
high. There was no fuse extending
away from the object to give me hint
it was a bomb. A blaze arose out Of
the center Of this object and it looked
like burning chemical. My wife made
this remark: "rhey are trying to burn
us OUT
Sixth-"How does it happen that at
ter Mr.. Thomas left the burning bomb
he hesitated about taking his over
coat to smother the fire, and finally
concluded to take rug Of less value.
when the lives of his wife and child
rem were imperiled?"
AS I said before, I had no idea that
it was bomb, or that the lives of my
family We're imperiled. I concluded