Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-30
THE BOMB THROWING.

frttered in Union square Saturday; .
bomb fell: two men lay dying in the
peoples playground and New York
awoke to the TACT that it harbored
those prepared for armed resistance tc
constituted authority.
The bomb was intended for the po-
lice who with rough firmness. had
broken up a meeting of 10000 unem-
ploycJ. 1t exploded prematurely il
the hands Of the would-be assassin
horribly wounding him, killing his
companion, injuring slightly four po-
licemen, and throwing to the ground a
score of those who were massed in the
vicinity.
Saturday night Union Square park
where the public demonstration was
made, was roped off from pedestrians,
a hundred police patrolled the bOun-
Diary streets and at the station houses
1900 reserves, armed with revolvers and
night sticks were in readiness to has
ten to any scene of rioting.
Bomb throwing in the foreign settle
rlents of the East side is Il rather COM
mon occurance, but yesterday saw for
the first time here an engine of de-
y
rected at police officers. 1t was meant
for Captain Reilly's squad of 20 men
and had the fuse burned longer or
slower, would have made a perfect in
strument of death to probably every
man of the squad.
A labor, or a laborless meeting with
ont police sanction had been adver-
tiscd for the park Saturday afternoon.
In the thousands that gathered We're
many of riotous disposition and a
large number wore red hats whilst
here and there a red flag was dis
played. Suddenly an order to clear the
park was given and the $50 police, half
of them mounted, charged the jeer-
ing, hooting crowds and drove them
back to the streets of the square cir
cling the park.
In the wide streets the crowds fast
assuming the characteristics of 4 mob,
fell into an Indifferent formation and
marched about the square. Having
cleared the park of all but a few ap-
parently harmless men on the park
benches. the police contented them
selves with keeping the paraders NOV
ing. Encouraged, the procession grew;
shouts of derision and oaths directed
at the police filled the air, and then
as though by encouragement, the
strains of 1.-THE Marseillaise" rose
from 10000 throats. The police, hastily
reinforced, held themselves in re-
straint.
Captain Reilly's squad started at a
double quick pace, two abreast, across
the park. AS they neared the fountain
that marks the center of the recreation
grounds. a slghtly-built man darted
out from the shadow cast by the statue
of George Washington, and ran toward
the officers whose backs were now
turned. A large man kept at the 9TH
er's heels.
Within 20 PAGES Of the moving squad
the two men halted and the smaller
raised his hand in which was a smok-
ing bomb. Just as he drew back his
arm to throw the deadly missile, it eX-
ploded The shock that shook the
skyscrapers of the square threw a
score of people to the ground. The
would-b be assassin and his companion
fell, the latter lifeless with his breast
torn open.
The bomb thrower still lived. but his
hand had been blown off, both of his
eyes were gouged out and his skull
and shoulder were fractured. The
four policemen who brought up the
rear We're injured, but not seriously
one of them being hit in the foot by a
piece of the bomb.
A panic followed the explosion and
the thousands who surrounded the park
were jostled together as perhaps hall
their number rushed toward the scene
of death and AS many more turned in
flight from the square. Many were
injured as the mounted police sur
rounded the injured and again drove
back the mob. A half dozen arrests
were hade off-hand of those nearest
the bomb thrower. but no particular
importance is attached to these ar
rests.
Little is known of the bomb thrower
beyond what he has told himself.
Rendered unconscious at first, he
later regained his senses at a hospital
and under prolonged questioning de-
clared that he had been commissioned
to kill the police. They had beat him
he said At first he insisted that he
aclen alOHe ana ldteT WHeH TIC Sdlu
that his act was inspired, he refused
to reveal the identity of his compan-
ion His first statement was:
Il am Selig Silverstein, q years old
and live at q Van Brunt street
Brooklyn. 1 was entirely alone in
this thing; no other person being in
league with me. ! made the bornt
from directions I got from the encyclo-
paedia. / was 10 feet from the po-
lice and / wanted to throw it at them
I was mad; a cop had hit me. The
bomb went off In my hand"
Later he added
'I was told to do this. I bought
the nitro-glycerine for the bomb at a
drug store at Clark street and Broad