The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04
Letters Sent to Washington
Newspapers Show a Long
Laid Scheme.
SlGNER. "R. PEARCE."
BELIEVED TO BE HOLT
Delay in Action Laid to In
decision OH the Point
of Attack.

WAsuINGToS. july 3.-The confession
Of Frank Holt. J. =. Morgan's assail-
ant, that he is responsible for the at
temp; to blow up the Senate wing Of
the Capitol IL believed by the Wash
ington police.
They accept his statement AS clear
ing away the mystery Of the explosion
which wrecked the reception room Of
the Senate chamber late last night.
The local police have not. however.
given up their determination to ascer-
tain all the facts in regard to this
crime. They are busy trying TO trace
Holt's movements while he was In
Washington. Up to late hour to-
night they had been unable to learn
anything definite along this line.
The Washington police also believe
now that Holt Is the author Il letters
which were received by two Washing
ton newspapers this morning and
which were signed "R. Pearce." These
letters Indicate on their face that the
writer was the man who made the
attempt to blow up the Senate wing of
the Capitol.
The letters were postmarked at 10
O'Clock last night, about two hours be-
fore the explosion occurred in the
Capitol Both letters contain references
h. - - hat
similarity Of Statements.
Early in the day Washington police
were attracted to the similarity OF the
statements in these letters with the
statement made by Holt at Glen Cove
in explaining his attack upon Mr.. Nor
gan. They We're convinced that the
man who fired the shots at Mr.. Nor
gan had the same crazy notions az the
man who had placed the explosive In
the Senate room.
This explosion is the exclamation
point to my appeal for peace" was the
way that "R. Pearce" explained his
crime In Washington in his letter to
local papers.
He warned the papers against at
tributing the explosion to Germans,
and added:
Il am an old fashioned American
with a conscience"
The letters contained rambling
protest against the sale or arms and
ammunition to the belligerents and
against the collection of blood money"
by American manufacturers.
A remarkable feature about these
letters Is that they were dated June l.
1915 They were typewriter, except
for the use of the word SENATE" In
referring to the place of explosion. A
blank space had been left I'm the letters
and In them the word Senate" had
been printed in by long hand, this
sentence reading:
"In connection with the Senate af-
fair. would 1t not be we'll TO stop and
consider what we are DOING"
Planned Month ARO.
From the date of the letter--June
the Washington police believe that
Holt. or "Pearce," as he signed himself,
had been planning for more than
month TO blow up some Government
building and had prepared the letter
before he had decided which one he
would select. They believe the word
SENATE" was written In after the bomb
had been laid in the reception room.
The letters sent TO the Washington
were identical, This Is the
text:
Unusual times and circumstan noes
call for unusual means
In connection with the Senate affair
would It not be we'll 10 stop and con-
slider what we are doing?
We stand for peace and good will to
all men, and ye, while our European
brethren are madly .ctting out 10 kill
one another we eige them Oh and
furnish them more effective means OF
murder. Is 1t right?
We get rlch by expectation of ex-
plosives, but ought we to enrich our
selves when It means the untold suffer-
ing and death of millions OF our
brethren and their widows and
orphans! (By the way. don't put
this on the Germans or on Bryan. l
am an old fashioned American with a
conscience, II 1t Is not a sin to have a
conscence.)
The Moral LAW.
We are within the international law
when we make this blood money, but
are we also within the moral law, the
law of peace. o. Of love, or OF Christ,
or whatever else a Christian nation
may call II? Are We within reason?
Our children have to live after US.
Europe helped and encouraged the
Balkans In their bestial war. and she
reaped the whrlwini, Can't ws learn
wisdom?
Is It right to supply our insane |
Continued on Fourth Poss.