The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-07-19
A Flendish Act,

o'clock on Thursday night, by some hu.
man hend to destroy the life of John
Tucker, Esq, Justice Of the Peace,
for the County Of Providence, and a
Constable Of North Providence, by put
ting a keg of powder under his bed and
causing its explosion.
Several persons residing in the neigh
borhood of Mr.. fuckers house, on
Smith Street, heard an explosion at the
time before mentioned, and went to see
what was the cause. They found the
sides Of the lower part of the house
blown nearly out, and other parts of it
completely shattered. Mr.. Tucker was
thrown by the explosion across the
room, and was UNCONSCIOUS of what had
occurred, but was not materially in
jured. A daughter Of Mr.. Tucker, who
occupied room adjoining, aud daug ii.
ter of Mr.. Burlington, occupying q bed
with her, were nearly covered by pc
'tition which fell in.
The furniture in Mr. fuckers apart
ment was nearly all destroyed, and the
house so much damaged that it cannot
be repaired.
The upper tenement was occupied by
Daniel Burlington, grocer on North
Main street, whose family were started
from their slumbcrs by the explosion
and found the floor settling from under
them, and the walls pressing out. Their
furniture was somewhat damaged and
their crockery broken. Fortunately
none of the family were injured.
1t is mistery how the keg Of powder
could have been put into the room and
al! the arrangements made fol- its ex-
plosion without being discovered. A
small hole was found bored through the
floor, near a cellar window, through
which slow match was placed, by
which the fire was communicated to the
powder. At what hour this arrange
ment was made cannot now be known.
Mr.. Tucker and his daughter were abb
sent during a portion Of the afternoon,
but no person could have entered the
house any time before dark without be-
ing discovered.
The community are Mortified with the
thought, that an act so attrocious could
have been committed in a section OF the
city SO thickly populated, and can con-
ceive no cause which should prompt any
one to commit so inhuman an act.
Since writing the above, we learn that
DR.. Miller, who called to see MIR. Tuck
er, thinks he is injured internally, to
what extent he cannot now decide. His
left hand is badly burned, which is al
the, external injury he received. A few
days will undoubtedly developc some
important facts in relation to the cause
as we'll as the result Of the outrage.
Prov. Tribune.
B@. Henry NJ. Tucker, son of Mr.
John Tucker, has been arrested on sus'
pieion of being concerned in this horri'
bic affair. In speaking Of tho cause o.
his arrest, the Tribune says :-"Ther'
are various circumstances that led to th'
arrest Of young Tucker. 1t was gener
ally known that Henry had not enter
tanned the best of feelings towards his
father for several months that the
drinking habits Of the son had been
source of serious grief to him, and OF
that account, he had not been so read,
to assist him in money matters as hi
otherwise would have been, or as tn
son desired The fact that Henry wa
at the house of his father during his an
his daughters absence on tho afternoo
previous to the explosion, while ther
was no other person in the part of tn
house occupied by Mr.. Tucker, excer
an Irish girl, who was busily engage
:. in the attic and the fact that he wa
found at the house at the time of tn
explosion by those who first heard it
and who FASTENED to the spot after put
ting on only their pantaloons and slip
pers, while he was in full dress with a
his clothing properly arranged, and Will
he lived several rods further from th
house than they did, were at the tim
considered circumstances somewhat sus
picious. These and other facts whic
/, have come to the knowledge Of the au
thorities, a statement of which migf
forestall public opinion, we're thought
=, be sufficient on which to base a suspic
ion and justify an arrest" The exam
ination commenced at Pawtuckct 0
t Tuesday morning, and continued thr'
f the day, when it was adjourned for on
, week on account of sickness of yer