Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-28
LIGHT ON BLOWING
UP OF THE MAINE.

New York March 2s--That the bat
tleship Maine through an error was not
destroyed by bomb OF his manufac-
ture was the statement made by Cess
Ter Rosseau inrhe Tombs prison today.
Rosseau was convicted yesterday of
having sent explosives TO the Cunard
line pier this city In May 1903. He
made the following statement today:
For several years while the Cuban
patriots were struggling against Wey-
ler | watched the contest with deep in
terest and sympathy | decided to go
to Jacksonville and do what could to
assist the revolutlonlsts ! started from
ST, Louis, where had been living dur.
ing the early part of 1897.
Before taking a train for the south
Igot together the material for the con-
struction Of two exploding machines OF
tremendous power so arranged that
they could he wound up and left IN q
selected place with the certainty that
they would go off with terrible destruc-
ton within few hours,
AT New Orleans rented a room and
put the boxes together, after which
went on to Jacksonville. There | be-
came acquainted with party of Cuban
leaders who were planning hlibuster-
ing expedition, They had engaged the
Destroyer. a small vessel TO taka them
to Cuba along with number of Amer
lean and European adverturers who
were anxious to strike a blow for Gu
ban freedom.
Several of the leaders Of the party
are men now well known and | viii not
mention their names. although ! have
among my papers a list of them all
II suggested to them that they use
my machines to destroy Spanish war;
ships In the harbor OF Havana and In
other ports on the coast OF the island.
They readily seized upon the idea, and
when the Destroyer sailed with the
fllbusterers they took my two machines
with them.
1T was my intention to go along
with the party so as TO direct the work
OF sinking the Spanish ships, but they
dissuaded me, urging that | could be
OF greater use IN Jacksonville preparing
other machines II the first proved sue
cessful
1T was planned 10 have some MEM
hers Of the revolutionary party Join the
Spanish navy so as 10 get the nachiens
aboard II that failed Il was decided
TO fasten one Of the boxes TO the hun
OF a ship under the water line. for |
had fixed my machines so tlmt they
could be exploded under the water
"That was late in the fall OF 1897.
The next spring the Maine was de-
Stroyed.
"Only one OF the men I'm the secret
of the machines ever returned TO
America saw him some time after
the war with Spain had begun.
HE told me he had nothing TO do
with the boxes after reaching Cuba,
but had been told q mistake had been
made.
"The man who had been instructed
with tho task OF destroying Spanish
vessel attempted 10 fastetf a box during
the night to one Of Alfonso's warships
and blundered into blowing UP the
Maine
II was told that the man, immedi-
ately after learning OF the error he
had made, committed suicide"
Rosseau said he had attempted To
blow up the statue OF Frederick the
Great in Washington because he did not
wish 10 see the statues Of a king in
America. lie ndded that he was not an
Anarchist or Is Nihllist, and that he
had made no effort 10 supply exploding
machines to the Russians.