Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-16
HE C0NFESSES.
Rosseau Fully identified
as a Dynamite Fiend.
Admits Having Tried to Destroy
Fredk. the Great Statue
And Having Sent Internal Machine to
Steamer Unbria.

Philadelphia. Jan. Leicester Ros-
scau. who WAS arrested in this CITY
Thursday. with an unloaded Internal
machine in his possession. admitted to
! tn" police. today. that he is the man
Who attempted to destroy the statue OF
Frederick the Great III Washington.
! last Tuesday. and also that it was he
who se:.t the trunk containing an infer
nal machine to the British steamship
t'mbria. nj New York. in Many. 1903.
The prisoner. whose right name is not
known. made these admissions in the
| Office Of capt. Donaghy of the Philadel-
phiI Detective Bureau. after he had
been identified by persons brought here
from NrW York and Washington for
that purpose. He gives no reasons for
| ~, attempted outrages, except that
'th"i, are too many foreign affairs in
this country.
Att"r having Rousseau under fire all
the afternoon, the police classed him as
IN american Patriotic fanatic" The
prisoner gave no information volunta-
riIy TO the police. he admitting only
those things which the police had fas-
tened on him. Both the Washington
ana New York authorities want the
man and il is probable that he will be
turned over 10 the police of the latter
city.
Toi"%. capt. Robert Boardman of the
Washington detective force. and Alfred
Cart =. culprtd, and George +. Hazel.
cahmtn Of Washington. who saw the
man Who attempted to blow up the
statue, and Detective Sergeant Arthur
Care Ui New York and Il Mrs Curry,
WHO keeps Il bOdrdinghouse in the lat
ter city. nri,ed here and identified the
prisoner. Ike police Of the three cities
then gel ABOUT 10 obtain a confession
of the prisoner.
In reply To Il question he admitted
the attempted outrage of the statue
He said h. had manufactured the infer
nal machine himself and that it con-
sisted of Il candle, fuse and dynamite
engine"
Where he made it he would not say.
1t was his intention. he said. to blow
up the statue at night. because he did
not want to hurt anybody. Because Of
the ice in tie Potomac river he failed
to find anyone who would row him
from Seventh street wharf Washing
ton, to the arsenal, which is OH one
bank Of the river. ana he had to change
his plans. 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 interesting
information that he had intended max
ing a second attempt to blow up the
statue. this time with time clock ma
chine.
Regarding the sending of an internal
machine to the steamer tmDria, RoS-
srau said that the police report Of all
lis movements after the I'mbria Incl
dent mp to the time they lost track Of
him. were correct. Where he had been
between May, 1903, and last week, he
Will not say, always replying: That
is for yon 10 find out
He :aid that he made part Of the I'M
br;a Internal machine In Chicago and
then took ii to New York, in Il trunk.
The trunk, he said. was not strong
enough 50 he purchased one better suit
"a for the machine. In New York. he
obtained a room at Mrs. Curry's place
and there finished the work of making
the machine.
He admitted writing the note to Po-
lice Commissioner Green which read:
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 undertake
en- to clear New York harbor Of British
ships and it will succeed
1t was this note of warning which led
to the finding of the trunk before it
was placed on the steamship.
Rossoau also admitted obtaining the
dynamite found in the trunk on the
strength of the name of the contractor.
The prisoner was closely questioned
regarding the motive for blowing up
the Umbria. but to all questions he
made q non-committal reply.
He admitted that Rosseau is not his
correct name. Capt. Donaghy said
Continued on page 81