Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-04-09
Bomb ThrOyver COnfesses.

The man who held the bomb and who
was about to hurl it at the squad of
policemen when it exploded had his
right hand blown off just above the
wrist and both of his eyes were blown
out. Despite his terrible injuries he
was occasionally conscious during the
afternoon and evening and told the DO
lice and the coroner, who took his
ante-mortem statement. that he had in
tended to throw the bomb at the DO
lice. He also said that he had been
beaten by a policeman about a week
before, when he was trying to make
speech, and he wanted to get revenge.
Later he added: Il was told to do
this. L bought the nitroglycerin for the
bomb at a drug store at Clark street
and Broadway, Brooklyn. | made the
bomb myself from piece of gas pipe
l have wife and two children in Rus
STA. l have been in the United States
two years. My nearest relative is
named Cohen and lives at p Park
street, Brooklyn. l worked for a tailor
named Goldstein on Eldridge street,
near Broome street (Manhattan)
The bomb thrower said his name was
Selig Silyerstein and that he lived at
p Vantine street, Brooklyn. There is
no such street. Silverstein' companion
was identified as Ignatz Hillebrand,
of 2SS Third avenue, a tailor, who
worked for II. hickman, of 80 Prospect
place, Brooklyn.
The bomb itself appears to have been
filled with tenpenny nails and buttons.
Fragments picked up around the scene
Of the explosion indicate that these, to-
gether with the explosive used, were
brass.
Several witnesses said that they saw
sparks coming from the bomb just be-
fore it exploded, which makes it prac-
tically certain that it was set off by
means Of fuse, and that the explosive
used was powder.
1t had been trying afternoon both
for the policemen and for the thou
sands who had been trying to hold a
meeting, but it seemed at o'clock as
if things were pretty well cleared up.
Five minutes later, when the explosion
took place, excepting the police, there
were not more than a dozen persons
within the limits of the park.
Around the dead fountain in the
center of the park was little group of
a half dozen persons who somehow or
other had escaped the police dragnet
and had rot been driven out. The bomb
thrower and his companion were among
these.
Not fifteen feet away stood Capt.
Miles O'Reilly, of the Mercer street
station. He was lining up twenty men
from his station and was just about to
give them the order to march back to
the station. It was at O'Reilly and his
men that Silverstein aimed his bomb,
but whether from fright or bad judg-
ment he held it too long.
Socialists Call Meeting.
The meeting was planned by the
leaders OF the SO-calied unemployed con-
ference of the Socialist party, promi-
nent in whose councils have been Nor
ris Hilquit and Robert Hunter, once
head worker of the University settle
ment and formerly of Chicago, and
now husband of the former Miss Caro-
line Stokes, sister of J. G. Phelps
Stokes.
Mr.. Hunter himself was in the crowd
that tried to hold the meeting and
marched around the side streets for
some time before becoming convinced
that the police would not give way. A
few hours later he denounced the treat.
ment Of the crowd by the police, say
ing that it was an outrage He was