The San Francisco call., 1905-01-16
ROSSEAU
C0NFESSES
TO POLICE
Admits Attempt to
Blow Up Liner
Umbria.
Explosion at Statue Of Fred
eriCk the Great Also
His Work.
Philadelphia Prisoner Is Classed as
fsan hmnricsn Catriofic
Philadelphia Prisoner Is Classed as
ian American Patriotic
Fanatic"

PHILADELPHIA,J Jan. 15.-"Gess-
Ter Rosseau," who was arrested in this
city on Thursday with an unloaded in
fernal machine in his possession, ad-
mitted to the police to-day that he is
the man who attempted to destroy the
statue of Frederick the Great In
Washington last Tuesday, and also
that it was he who sent the trunk con-
tanning an internal machine to the
British steamship Umbria in New
York in May, 1908. The prisoner,
whose right name is not known. made
these admissions in the office of Cap
tain Donaghy of the Philadelphia de-
tective force, after he had been iden-
titled by persons brought here from
New York and Washington for that
purpose. He gives no reasons for the
attempted outrdges, except that there
are too many foreign affairs in this
country" After having Rosseau un-
der fire all afternoon, the police
classed him as IAN American patriotic
fanatic"
The prisoner gave no information
voluntarily to the police, he admitting
only those things which the police had
fastened upon him. Both the WASH
ington and New York authorities want
will be turned over to the police OF
the latter city.
4 HOW ROSSEAU WAS CAUGHT.
The apprehension of Rosseau was
due to the disappearance of Owen
Kelly, a wealthy Irish-American, who
is prominent in Irish-American socie-
ties in this country. Kelly disappeared
on October 20 and from time to time
the newspapers, particularly of the
East, have published articles on the
mysterious disappearance. These, the
police believe, undoubtedly attracted
Rosseaus attention. On Thursday he
called on Patrick 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 be-
longed to secret societies that were
organized for the purpose of blowing
up British ships in American ports.
The valise he carried, he said, con-
tanned explosives.
Patrick Kelly notified the police and
Rosseau was taken into custody. The
valise contained an Internal machine
of the clock-arrangement variety, but
no explosives. About the machine was
wrapped a Washington newspaper.
This gave the police the clew that he
might know something of the ex-
plosion at the statue of Frederick the
Great and his picture was taken and
sent to both the Washington and the
New York authorities. In the mean
time he also was suspected of know
ing something of the steamship Um-
bria incident.
To-day Captain Robert Boardman
of the Washington detective force and
Alfred Carter, colored, and George H.
Hazel, cabmen, of Washington, who
saw the man who attempted to blow
up the statue. and Detective Sergeant
Arthur Carey of New York and Mrs.
Curry, who keeps a boarding-house in
the latter city, arrived here for the
purpose of identifying the prisoner.
PRISONER is IDENTIFIED.
When Rosseau was brought into the
office of Captain Donaghy, Hazel said i:
Il guess you know me-" to which the
prisoner replied, How do you do?"
Rosseau bowed to Carter and then
greeted Mrs. Curry. Having satisfied
themselves beyond doubt that the
identification was complete, the police
officials of the three cities set at work
to obtaining a confession from the
prisoner.
In reply to a question he admitted
the attempted outrage on the statue.
He said he had manufactured the in
fernal machine himself and that it
consisted of a candle, fuse and "dyna-
mite engine" Where he made it he
would not say. The failure to destroy
the statue, he said, must have been
due to the melting tallow spelling the
fuse or interfering with the dynamite.
Rosseau then gave the police the in
teresting information that he had in
tended making second attempt to
blow UP the statue, this time with a
time-clock machine. AS it was diff
cult to get past the sentries after
nightfall, he intended going to the
arsenal at about dusk to arrange the
Internal machine so that it would ex-
plode about midnight and then hang
ii on the statue.
ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP LINER.
Regarding the sending of the in
fernal machine to the steamship Um-
bria, Rosseau said that he made part
of the Umbria Internal machine in
Chicago and then took it to New York
in a trunk He admitted having writ
ten the note to Police Commissioner
Greene, as follows:
THE Malta greets you and wishes
you well. The society has declared
war against England and has ordered
the destruction of every steamer fly
ing the British flag that sails out of
New York. The society has under
taken to clear New York harbor of
British ships. and 1t will succeed"
1t was this note of warning that led
to the finding of the trunk before 1t
was placed on the steamship
The prisoner was closely questioned
regarding the motive for blowing up
the Umbria, but was noncommittal.
He said that he was born in America
and that he was farmer. He said he