DYNAMITE OUTRAGES IN LONDON.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1156, 25 April 1884, Page 3

DYNAMITE OUTRAGES IN LONDON.

The statemenc in ttie Times that the authorities were watching for the development of a “ double event” has been more than justified by results. Infernal machines, charged with dynamite, have neen found in the cloak roe ms at Charing Cross and Paddington stations. The discovery at Charing Cross station was made at an early hour in the morning. Just before midnight, the cloak room porter, acting under instructions, timed ove" the luggage to examine any of a suspicious character. Alighting upon a black portmanteau of Common material and more than ordinarily heavy, he placed it on one side for examination. Subsequently it was opened and was found to contain, under old clothes, some cakes of a peculiar material, each bearing a slip marked “ Atias Powder..” This material is pot brought to this country as an article of commerce, and no shipowner would knowingly import it; For •* Atlas Powder’" is dynamite pure and simple- that is to say, nitre-glycerine mixed with foreign material, as earth and sawdust to enable it to be handled with salety. Part of the material was in a tin box, while other cakes were wedged round it. The suspicions character of the consignment was further shown by its being in immediate vicinity to a pistol, the hammer of which had fallen. The trigger was coanecte iby a wire with the alarum spring of a clock of the “Anaonia” pattern- the common clocks freely imported into this country from America. The clock had been so manufactured as to admit of the pistol being connected with the alarum spring so that it ■night go off at any given time within twelve hours. .There is reason to believe that the clock was set to go off at a time when there would have been many persons about the station. The machine acted, but thefulmi nateof mercury in the pistol failed to ex - plode, and the detonators placed opposite to its inuzzel were left in harmless connection with the terrible explosive, of which there was about 271b. The important nature of the discovery having been made clear, the portmanteau and its contents were taken in a cab to Woolwich. On its way to the cab the parcel was guarded by police in uniform, while detectives guarded it inside. At Woolwich it was seen by experts, who at once had it sent to the “proofs” in. the marshes. Colonel Majendie ascertained that the rlock contained a soring similar to that found nmnng the debris at the Victoria station. The portmanteau in which these things were found was deposited ou Moudav evening, and w-.s two feet in length, lim in height, and about Sin across. A similar discovery was made in the afternoon at the Great Western Station at Paddington. The portmanteau, wh-oh had been deposited on the Monday night, was well made of brown leather, and stud-lei with brass nobs ou the bottom and sides, to prevent the leather from coming into con« tact with the ground. It was 18in long, Sin deep and about 4in across. It was fastened in the centre "iih a lock, having a flip to E revent wet from entering, «nd it had uokles #nd straps an e eh side and on the top. On being opened it was found to contain forty six cakes of the “ Atlas Powder,” some m a casn box, au I others packed around it In this case, however, Hie label “ \tias Powder” has b-eu torn off nearly all the packets. The arrangement of the clock and the pistol here was exactly as in the Charing Cross bag. The dock work had been set; but the workmanship or (Raterial of the spring had proved c-> be inferior, arid , the alarum had run down—the bell, of course, being off without “pulling offi’i the trigger of the pistol.' The determination wi A which the authors of the outrage had s t about their diabolical work may be illustrated by a description of one of the cakes of dynamite—the one placed opposite the muzzle of the pistol. This particular cake, which was so arranged as to explode the contents of the cash-box was studded with detonators, all charge I with fulminate of mercury, and all connected by a wire, so as to give a shock to each and all on one being struck. The pistol and clock having been taken from their dangerous proximity to the explosive the “ Atlas powder” was conveyed to Woolwich, where it will follow the fate of the nitro-giycerine found in the possession of Gallagher and hia convicted associates. There was one no'aoly article lefr in the portmanteau - a copy of the Neio York Sun of the 6th of February, 1884 The endeavour to sat up an explosive manufacture ia this country having failed, the outrage-mon-gers, to all appearance, have fallen hack upon the plan of importing their material from America.

There is one point in these discoveries which has caused astonishment even in offi cial circles, arid that is how large quantities" of this dangerous explosive could have passed through the Custom house of : his country. Travellers from the Continent kn iw that their luggage is often rigor >udy searched ou their arrival. But hole it is plain that at least 901b of an explosive compound of the most dangerous character has been allowed to slip through the fiu-.ers of the Custom-house officers, and this, ton, from what may be called the iand of tobacco.— Times, February 28.