Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-01-21
DYNAMITER
CONFESSES
Admits He Tried to Blow Up Statue
and Steamship Umbria.
ARRESTED IN PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia, Jan. 16.-"Gessler Ros-
seau, who was arrested in this city
on Thursday with an unloaded infer
nal machine in his possession. admit
ted to the police 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 containing an in
fernal machine to the British steam
ship Umbria at New York in May,
1903. The prisoner, whose right name
is not known, made these admissions
after he had been identified by per-
sons brought here from New York and
Washington for that purpose He gives
no reasons for the attempted cutrages
except that there are too many for
eisn affairs in this country" After
having Rosseau under fire all after
noon, the police classed him as an
American patriotic fanatic" Both
the Washington and New York au-
thorities want the man, and it is prob
able that he will be turned over to
the police of the latter city.
The apprehension of Rosseau was
due TO the disappearance of Owen
Kelly, a wealthy lrish-American, who
Is prominent in Irish-American socie-
ties In this country. Kelly disappear
ed October 25. On Thursday Rosseau
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 yalise he carried, he said, con-
tanned explosives. Patrick Kelly noti-
ned the police, and Rosseau was ta-
Ken into custody. The vaffse con-
tained an Internal machine of the
elock-arrangement variety, but no ex-
plosives.
In reply to questions, 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 "dy-
Mantle engine" Where he made it
ne would not say. 1t was his inten-
ton. he said, to blow up the statue
at night, because he did not want to
hurt anybody. Because of the ice in
the Potomac river, he failed to find
any one who would row him from Sew
enth street wharf, Washington, to the
arsenal, which is on one bank of the
river, and he had to change his plans.
he said that he made part of the
Umbria internal machine in Chicago,
and then took it to New York in a
trunk. The trunk, he said, was not
strong enough, so he purchased one
better suited for the machine. In New
York he obtained a room at Mrs. Cur
rvs place and there finished the work
or making the machine. He admitted
writing the note to Police Commits
sioner 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 ny-
ing the British flag that sails out of
New York. The society has underta-
ken to clear New York harbor of Brit
fsh 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.
Having learned all they could re-
garding his attempts on the Umbria
and the statue, the police officials
turned their attention to learning
something of the antecedents of the
man. He said he was born in Amer
lea and that he was farmer. Where
In America he was born and where
his present home is, he would not say.
He admitted his name was not Cess
Ter Rosseau"