Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-02-01
MICHIGAN
HAPPENINGS
THE FIENDISH PLAN OF A
RECLUSE TO DESTROY
NEIGHBORS.
HIS INTERNAL MACHINE THAT
WAS TO EXPLODE DYNAMITE
DISCOVERED IN TIME.
SUICIDES WITH SPECTACULAR
EFFECTS, LEAVING FORTUNE
TO WOMAN NURSE.
Hermit Suicides.


'I'hwarted in his fendish plan 10
blow to eternity those who undertook
TO learn the cause OF his mysterious
disappearance, old jim Thompson, the
rich hermit, who has lived the life OF
a ,recluse for the past twenty years
in the sand hills, near Lake station,
Indiana City, stole into his deserted
barn. set fire to the building and then
committed suicide by shooting him
self
Three months ago Thompson. who
for years had terrified the vicinity
about his home by acts of deviltry,
prepared a plan to blow TO atoms some
of his inquisitive neighbors. Securing
several hundred pounds Of dynamite,
he placed the same in his house and
barn and, by means of wires, strings
and weights, constructed a machine
which would explode the dynamite the
minute the doors or windows were
opened. He then disappeared from his
home to await the result of his plan.
Failing TO appear in Lake station for
a week the officers of that place went
TO the hermit's home to make an in
vestigation. il being feared that the
old man was i'll or dead. PreCaution
was used in approaching the cabin
and, before trying the door, the Off
GERS thought best TO view the interior
through the windows The sight that
met their eyes made their blood run
cold. for. in the center of the room
was the machine which was 10 deal
destruction TO the inquisitive. Further
investigation revealed a similar ma
chine in the barn.
After posting warning signs about
the premises, the officers began the
search for the old man. but he was
not 10 be found.
Last Thursday night the barn on
the hermit's farm burned TO the
ground. While the building was burn
ing, several loud reports were heard
from the center Of it, which al that
time was thought 10 be caused by
exploding dynamite, but which later
proved TO be the explosion of cart
ridges in the revolver used by the old
man in taking his life
On the day of the fire search Of the
smouldering ruins revealed the char
red remains of the hermit. Through
the trunk of the body was a bullet
hole and it is believed that the old
man took his own life after firing his
barn
The entire fortune OF the hermit
was decided 10 Mrs Charles Thorn. an
aged woman who had nursed Thomp-
son through serious illness several
years ago
Died in Prison.
William Brusseau. aged IS. sent TO
prison from Detroit July 1G. 1895, for
aiding Mrs Nellie Pope in the murder
of her husband, died last night OF heart
disease. Brusseau slew DR.. Horace
e. Pope, dentist. with Il Ratchet while
the doctor was asleep in his room in
the family apartments on Feb. 2. 1895.
Shortly after the crime was perpe-
trated Brusseau, who had been arrest
cd with the doctors wife on suspicion
OF knowing something about the trag-
cdy. confessed that he killed Pope at
the instigation OF Pope's wife For
turning states evidence he got of
with a sentence of % years.
Mrs. Pope was afterwards convicted
of murder and sentenced TO lire I'M
prlsonment and is still in the Detroit
house OF correction working in the
button-carding room.
Brusseau was barber by trade. but
was engaged in the Pope home as a
nurse for Mrs. Pope al the time of the
murder Pope was heavily insured and
Brusseau said that Mrs. Pope planned
the crime, and that he carried II out.