Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-03-29

ing 10 society. They are known as
'soschi' and usually supposed to be
hired by political groups when any
pubic violence Is conspired. The
word ''soshi' literally means useful
samurai" and in former days signiaed
brave young patriot. Gradually the
term like the man degeneratcd and
today in popular parlance il means
strong-armed men," Although no
arrests have been made up to today
the police are inclined to lay the crime
at the door OF these individuals rather
than to an anarChistic organization
The belief entertained in some quar-
ters that the attempt may have been
made by German spies OF Chinese rev
uluuonaries Is not generally held and
the popular idea is that the crime was
the work Of Japanese malcontents.
Count Okuma's escape which was
exceedingly narrow was undoubtedly
due to the extraordinary presence OF
mind OF his chauffeur The driver no
tlced man suddenly emerge from a
dark alley between a top shop and n
confectiOner's- He was waving his
arm as he ran toward the automobile
and the next moment q heavy missile
struck the motor case of the car
glanced of TO a window. which it
broke and then rolled to the street
by the time the missile had struck
the chauffeur had pulled his levers and
the limousine bolted forward with the
speed OF an express locomotive The
assailant had hurled another bomb i'm
mediately after the first but II struck
the ground behind the car exploding,
with a terrific defamation and only a
few OF its fragments did some slight
damage to the cover of the limousine.
The street was deserted at the time
but the noise Of the explosion caused,
residents to draw aside their Japanese
shutters and peer out anxiously. One
householder declares he saw a man in
western clothes stink away into a mar
! row passage TO be swallowed up by the
obscurity.
TIE limousine stopped shortly after
ward and the detective who accom-
panied Count Okuma picked up the un-
| exploded bomb. II was taken to the
I Toxic military arsenal and here IL was
| found TO consist Of a copper kettle full
| small quantity of explosive. There
I was fuse OF powder attached. Plain
/ " the Internal machine was the crea-
| ton OF an inexperienced hand, vet had
/ II exploded as intended its effects
would undoubtedly have been disas-
| trous
Threatening letters were received by
| Count Okuma and by the household
| department just prior to the corona
ton and threatening piacards were
| posted in one Of the parks OF the city
| Also, the public recalls newspaper re-
]
I sive had been previously stolen from
one Of the military depOts. Il Is not
! improbable that the bombs used two
days ago were manufactured from this
| explosive.
Count Okuma's frequent utterances
keep him in the eye OF the public as
| the most prominent japanese of to-
/ day. next TO the Emperor. He was Sc
! erely attacked by the opposition
| groups when he withdrew his resigna-
1 ton as premier last year at the request
/ OF the Emperor Political opponents
/ declared his act TO be against the con-
/ stitutiOn and the discussion which took
/ place at that time may have awakened
| a feeling which has only been slumber-
ing and which found expression In the
recent attempt TO slay the premier
Countess Okuma was as unmoved by
| the incident as her PREMIER husband
She told an interviewer that she was
not surprised for she always felt that
her husbands life was exposed to dan
| ger-a danger. which, she said. she was
always ready to share with him
| The newspaper Asahi has been main
| tanning the theory that the outrage
/ was the work OF two japanese men
who were hired or instigated by some