The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-22
ONE MAN KILLED BY
BOMB IN new YORK
Meeting Of Unemployed at Union
Square Suppressed by Police.
SICKLY CRANK HURLS MISSILE
Had the Bomb Exploded Later 1t
Would Have Demolished q Pla-
toon of Policemen and Accom-
plished Awful Slaughter.

Would Have Demolished q Pla-
toon of Policemen and Accom-
plished Awful Slaughter.
New York City.-An attempt OF
the Socialist Conference Of the I'm
employed, which has long been pre-
pairing a public. demonstration, to
hold a meeting in Union Square after
a permit had been refused by the
Park Commissioners and the police
had prevented speechmaking, ended
with a bomb. explosion.
The bomb. which was apparently a
small brass. affair filled with explosive
and iron nails, exploded prematurely
in the hands OF q Williamsburg An
archist, who gives his name as Selig
Silverstein, though he is also known
over there as Selig Cohen. He had
taken it into the park with the
avowed intention Of throwing 1t
among the police, against whom he
afterward admitted he entertains an
undying hatred. There were at this
time less than 1000 persons in the
square. Silverstein, with his hand
blown off and his eyes blown out, Is
dying In Bellevue Hospital. Another
man, who was near him, and who the
police believe to have been a con-
federate, was killed instantly. His
body was identified as that Of Ignatz
Hildebrand, a tailor, of 2SS Third
avenue.
Besides these Policeman Patrick
Hartman was injured in the foot.
Mounted Policeman O'Brien, whose
horse was scared by the explosion,
was thrown and badly bruised. These
we're all the casualties.
Had the bomb not exploded before
Sllyerstein had a chance to hurl 1t In
the midst OF an advancing platoon Of
police under command OF Captain
Miles O'Reilly, Of the Mercer street
station, there Is little doubt that the
loss Of life would have been ap-
palling. so terrible was the force Of
the explosion.
The would-be bomb thrower says
he made the bomb himself and acted
alone, but letters from Alexander
Berkmal and other Anarchist leaders
were found In a search Of his room.
Some 1000 persons had gathered
for the demonstration and had been
turned out Of the square by the police
when the explosion occurred. All at
tempts to hold a meeting had been
abandoned from the moment the peo-
)le began to gather, Robert Hunter,
former head Of the University Set
Element; Morris Hillquit, who last
TALL was a candidate for Congress,
Ind other prominent Socialists, were
present.
The mounted police, with Inspector
Schmittberger in command, were
nassed In the Plaza Of Union Square
preparing to return to their stations.
Although two of the police had been
slightl, injured, nothing was heard
Of 1t for half an hour. Neither man
referred to his injuries, and both
kept at their posts until the situa-
ton was we'll in hand. One was Po-
liceman Patrick Hannah. OF the Leon
ard street station, who was on reserve
duty, and the other was Mounted Po'
liceman Joseph O'Brien. Of the traffic
squad, who was one of the men un-
der Schmittberger. Hannah had a
piece of brass in his foot, a fragment
of the bomb, while O'Brien was
thrown from his horse and had his
ankle sprained. Both were taken to
the New York Hospital.