The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-04-19
A NEW YORK HORROR.


/ sudden, loud, Earring noise, for which
hey were puzzled to account. A mo-
nent later black smoke was seen issu-
NO from second-hoor windows of John
Jewett & Sons white lead establishment |
at Burling Slip and Front Street. The
first to enter found the senior partner, |
Mr.. George w. Jewett, stretched dead |
on the floor of his private office; near
him his nephew, Orville d. Jewett, NOR
tally wounded; another partner, Mr..
Joseph A. Dean, badly wounded, the
room a wreck, and, lying on the floor,
a revolver, pistol, and knife. Fur
Their investigation discovered fragments
of shell, or hand-grenade. The young
er Mr.. Jewett died in a few hours after
his removal to the hospital, having ut
tered no word to clear up the mystery;
and the surviving partner, Mr.. Dean,
processes to be unable to explain it.
The firm of John Jewett & Sons is
one of the oldest and wealthiest in the
white lead and linseed oil business in
this country. Its commercial record in
the Commercial Agency dates as far
back as 1S47, and it was then an old
firm. 1t is rated "a A l." considerably
over a million dollars. A note in the
Mercantile Register says: sit was so
safe and close it has never been neceS-
sary to look them up, as credit has never
been discussed Orville ID. Jewett, a
son of John Jewett, went into the firm
in january, 1859. After the death of
his father he inherited and represented
that interest. The present firm was
composed of George w. Jewett, Joseph
A. Dean, Charles Jewett and Orville ID.
Jewett. Unlike the other members of
the Jewett family, Orville was of an
irascible temper. People well acquaint-
ell with him say that he was sporting
man and a spendthrift, and that this
gave no little annoyance and uneasineSs
to the other members of the firnl-so
much, indeed, that it was decided to get
rid of HIM by buying his interest. When
Orville heard of this determination he
became incensed, and had frequent dis
putes with his partners on the subject.
About two weeks ago, however, he con-
scented to sell out his interest to Joseph
A. Dean for S150,000. The agreement
was drawn up, and, it is said, $4,000
of the money paid down. Yesterday the
papers were to be finally approved and
signed, and the balance of the money
paid
At half-past 8 O'Clock on the day
named above, an hour much earlier than
usual, Orville Jewett entered the office.
He Immediately went to private room
on the thial floor, where he remained
some time. What he did there no one
knows. After coming down to the office
on the second floor, he went first TO the
front room where his desk was, and
shortly after passed through the middle
room, or outer office, to the rear room,
where his uncle, George w. Jewett, and
Joseph A. Dean had their desks. In q
few minutes Mr.. George Jewett came
out and passed to the rear room. A
heated conversation could be heard
going on in the back room at this time
Mr.. Charles Jewett left his desk anC
went in there. He remained for some
time, but finally came out and went
down stairs to the street, leaving Orvill'
Jewett and Joseph A. Dean in the room
The discussion still continued, and Mr.
George w. Jewett returned to the real
room possibly as peace-maker. He haC
not been in the room more than three
minutes before the explosion occurred
Here the mystery begins, and the state
ments of those who were first upon th'
scene threw but little light on it.
At the time of the explosion the mid
die or business Office was occupied b.
J. w. Silleck, cashier; G. B. Pollock
entry clerk; Arthur Dean, nephew o
Mr.. Joseph A. Dean, and Charles Tain
tor, business manager. The explosion
was so loud as to attract the attention o
the officers around the Fulton Ferr!
slip, while in the immediate neighbOr
hood the shock was distinctly felt. En-
cine No. 30, whose house is just oppo
site, was returning from fire, and fire
men Henry Murray and Cook were as
sisting in getting it into the house whei
they heard the explosion. Looking owe
the way, they saw dense volumes o
smoke issuing from the windows. Rush
ing over, they ran up the stairs ant
entered the middle office. As to wha
occurred after his arrival, Henry Murray
says:
"When l got into the outer office,
found the clerks there, but they were a!
motionless as statues, apparently par
alyzed by what had just taken place
The room was filled with smoke, anC
larger volumes, mixed with SCOT, wer'
issuing from the rear room. Thinking
that the place was on fire, l rushed in
when second exploson took place
Through the smoke l could see fire nea
the fireplace, and, in endeavoring t.
reach it, stumbled over the body Of ;
man. Ipicked it up and carried it t
the front room, and then discovered tina
he was dead. This was the body o
George w. Jewett. Returning to tn
rear room, l found another man lyin:
on the floor He was unconscious
With the assistance of Cook, carre'
him to the middle room, laid him on TIL
floor, and, while Cook opened hi
clothes, raised the window to give hin
air. He soon became conscious, an'
Just then Officer Sullivan, of the Easter
steamboat squad, came in, and L left tn
man in his charge, and returned to thu
rear room to put out the fire. When
got into the room, Cook says: 'LOoi
here Going to where he was point
ing, saw lying upon the floor large
sized navy revolver, and, a little further