Omaha daily bee., 1908-03-29
BOMB FOR POLICE
Attempt to Repeat Haymarket Affair
in New York.
ASSASSIN HORRIBLY WOUNDED
Internal Machine Explodes as He is
Throwing It,
COMPANION INSTANTLY KILLED
Four of Squad of officers Are Slightly
Injured.
MEETING IN UNION SQUARE
Police Had Partly Cleared Park when
Red Flags Appeared and Crowd
Began Singing Mar
SQUARE

NEW YORK, March "a red flag flut-
tered in Union Square today. bomb fell,
two men lay dying in the Peoples play
ground and New York awoke to the fact
that 1t harbored those prepared to give
their lives in armed resistance TO consti-
tuted authority.
The bomb was intended for the police,
who. with rough firmness, had broken up
meeting OF 10000 unemployed. 1t ex-
ploded prematurely in the hands of the
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.
Tonight Union Square park, where the pub
lie demonstration had been made, is roped
off from pedestrians, 100 police patrol the
boundary streets and at the station houses
1900 reserves armed with revolvers and
night sticks, await in readiness to throw
themselves into any scene Of rioting. No
further disorder had developed at late
hour.
Bomb Meant for Police.
Bomb throwing in the foreign settlements
of the East Side is a rather common oc-
currence, but for the first time today saw
an engine OF destruction openly and delib-
erately directed against a squad of police
| officers. 1t was meant for Captain Relly's
squad OF twenty men and a longer or
slower burning fuse would have perfected
an instrument of death for probably every
man of the twenty-one. A labor, or more
exactly, a laborless meeting, without po-
lice sanction, had been advertised to be
| held at the park this afternoon. In the
thousands that gathered were many of a
riotous disposition. a large number wore
red hats and red flag was displayed.
srddenly an order to clear the park was
given and the $50 police. half of them
mounted, charged the Jeering, hootins
crowds. arriving in time to drive them
back to the streets of the square circling
the park. In the wide streets the crowds,
fast assuming the nature of a mob. fell
into an indifferent formation and marched
about the square. Having cleared the park
OF all but few apparently harmless men
who occupied benehea.s she police contented
themselves with keeping the paraders
moving
Encouraged the procession grew, shouts
of derision and oaths directed at the police
filled the air and then as though by pre-
Arrangement the strains of the "Marseil-
lafse" rose from ten thousand throats. The
police. hastily reinforced, held themselves
in restraint. Captain Relly's squad, which
had been stationed at the east side of the
square, started at a double-quick pace
across the park. AS II neared the foun-
tain that marks the center of the recrea-
ton grounds a slightly built man darted
out from the shadow cast by the heroic
statute of George Washington and ran
toward the officers, whose backs were now
turned to their pursuer A large man kept
at the others heels. Within twenty PAGES
of the moving squad the two men halted
and the smaller raised a hand in which
was clasped a smoking bomb. Even as he
drew back his arm to throw the weapon
It exploded. The shock that shook the sky
scrapers OF the square threw score OF
people to the ground. The assassin and
his companion fell, the latter dead with
his breast torn out. The bomb throweI
still lived. but his right hand had been shot
off both OF his eyes were gouged out and
his skull and shoulder was fractured
The four policemen who brought up the
rear were injured, but not seriously, one
being hit in the foot by a piece of the
bomb. panic ensued, and the thousands
who surrounded the park crushed togetheI
as perhaps half the number rushed toward
the scene of the killing, while as many
turned in flight. Many were injured as
the mounted police surrounded the injured
and again drove back the mob. hall
dozen arrests were made offhand of those
nearest the bomb throwing, but no particu-
lar Importance is attached to the arrests.
Little is known of the bombthrower be-
yond what he has told himself. Rendered
unconscious at first, he later regained his
senses at a hospital and under prolonged
questioning, declared that he had been com
missioned TO kill the police. They had beat
him, he said At first he had insisted thai
he acted alone, and later, when he saiC
that his act was inspired, he refused tC
reveal the identity OF his companions. Hi
first statement was;
"I am Selig silversteIn. 2l years old anC
live at q Van Burnt street. Brooklyn.
was entirely alone in this thing; no othe
person being in league with me. mad
the bomb from directions l got from tn
encyclopedia l was ten feet from the po
lice and I wanted 10 throw It at them,
was mad; a cop had hit me. The boml