The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-16
R0SSEAU'S BOMBS
WERE HARMLESS
Crank Arrested in PHILADELPHIA
Has Confessed.
IDENTIFIED BY SEVERAL
WILL BE TURNED OVER TO NEW
YORK POLICE.

n PHILADELPHIA, Jan. I5.-"GessIcr
Rosseau," who was arrested in this
city on Thursday with an unloaded
internal machine in his possession. ad-
mitted TO the police today that he is
the man who attempted to destroy the
statue of Frederick the Great in Wash
lngton last Tuesday, and also that il
was he who sent the trunk containing
an internal machine to the British
steamship Umbria in New York in
May, 1908. The prisoner. whose right
name is not known, made these admis-
sions in the office of Captain Donaghv
OF the Philadelphia detective bureau
after he had been identified by persons
brought here from New York and
Washington for that purpose. He gives
no reasons for the attempted ourraga
except that there are too many for
eign affairs in this country" After
having Rousseau under fire all afternoon
the police classed him as IAN American
patriotic fanatic The prisoner gave
no information voluntarily to the Do
lice, he admitting only those things
which the police had fastened on him.
Both the Washington and New York
authorities want the man. and il is
probable that he viii be turned over to
the police OF the latter city
Betrayed Himself.
The apprehension of Rcsseau was due
TO the disappearance of owen Kelly, a
wealthy Irish American, who is prom
lnent IN IriSh-American societies i'm this
country Kelly disappeared on oct. Is
and from time to time the newspapers
particularly of the east. have published
articles on the mysterious disappear
ance. These. the police believe un-
Goubtedly attracted Rosseau's atten-
ten On Thursday ne called on Pat
rick Kelly, the brother of the missing
man, and offered to take him to his
brother in New York for $500. He said
he and Owen Kelly belonged to secret
societies that We're organized FOR the
purpose Of blowing up British ships i'm
American ports. The valise he carried
he said, contained explosives. Patrick
Kelly notified the police and Rosseau
was taken into custody. The valise
contained an Internal machine of the
clCck arrangement variety. but no ex-
Plosives. About the machine was
wrapped a Washington newspaper. This
gave the police the clue that he might
know something of the explosion at the
statue of Frederick the Great, and his
picture was taken and sent to both the
Washington and New York authorities
In the meantime he was also suspected
OF knowing something of the steamship
Umbria incident.
Fully Identified
AOddN captain ROBERT BodEUl0an or
the Washington detective force and Al
fred Carter, colored, and George Hazel
cabmen Of Washington. who saw the
man who attempted To blow up the
statue, and Detective Arthur Carey of
New York and a Mrs. Curry. who keeps
a boarding house in the latter city. ar
rived here for the purpose of Identify
ing the prisoner When ROSSeau was
brought into the office Of Captain Don
aghy Hazel said:
L guess YOU know me-" to which the
prisoner replied: How do you dO2''
Rosseau bowed to Carter and then
greeted Mrs. Curry. Having satisfied
themselves beyond doubt that the iden-
LITIGATION was complete, the police Off
Gals Of the three cities set to work in
obtaining a confession from the priS-
oner- As stated before, he said nothing
voluntarily to incriminate himself.
Answered Readily.
In reply to a question. he admitted
the attempted outrage on the statue.
He said he had manufactured the in
feTnai machine himself and that it con-
sisted Of a candle, fuse and dynamite
engine. Where he made it he would
not say. The failure TO destroy the
statue, he said. must have been due 10
the melting taIlOW spelling the fuse or
interfering with the dynamite ROsSeaU
then gave the police tie interesting IN
formation that he had intended MAX
ing a second attempt to blow up the
statue, this time with "A time-clOck ma
chine. AS it was difficult to get past
the sentries after nightfall he intended
going TO the arsenal at about dusk, ar
range the Internal machine 50 that IL
would explode at about midnight and
then hang it on the statue. according TO
Captain DOnaghy.
Police Were Correct.
Regarding the sending of the Internal
TO the steamer Dmbria, ROs-
seau said that the police report Of all
his movements after the Gmbria Incl
dent UP to the time they lost track of
him was correct. Where he has been
between May, 1903, and last week he
VIII not say, always replying That Is
for you to find out"
He said he made part of the Umbria
Internal machine in Chicago and then
took ii to New York in trunk The
trunk, he said, was not strong enough
so he purchased one better suited for
the machine In New York he obtained I
a room at Mrs Curry's place and there
finished the work of making the ma
chine. He admitted writing the note
to Police Commissioner Greene, which
read:
The Malta greets you and wishes You
we'll The society has declared war
against England and has ordered the de
structiOn of every steamer tlylng the
British flag that sails out OF New YORK
--he society has undertaken to clear New
York harbor of British ships. and it will
succeed.
1T was this note of warning that led
to the finding of the trunk before it was
placed on the steamship
Gave No Motive.
The prisoner was closely questioned re-
sarding the motive for blowing up the |
Tmbria. but was non-cOmmittal- He said |
that he was born in America and that
&c was a farmer Where in America he |
was born and where his present home Is,
ne would not say.
He admitted his name was not "GeSSler |
ROsseau He said ne had read much |
and that he was a student Of social |
economy. He took the name of 'GeSsleT |
Rosseau" because two of his ideals |
had those names. Albrecht Gessler, the |
Swiss dictator. who. tradition Says was |
killed by William Tell in 130I. and Jean |
Jacques Rousseau. the French philosopher |
md writer who died in HIS
Captain DOnaghy said ROssedu would i
cot say anything of the Owen Kelly af- /
-air. and the police believe he knows /
7Othing about it. In reply TO a question /
as 10 his motive in calling on Patrick /
Kelly, he said.