The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-06
THE DARKEST TRAGEDY YET
Ufs TYE EXPLOSION ~ JOHv JFWETT
& SONS OfrICE ACCIDENTAL
Two weiLKnown New York Merchants
kuied and Another Badly Wounded Mr..
q. 10. J~we,fs Last Worlds 81 Have Moth
Ing to SAP What Mr.. Dean says
PISTOLS, % Dagger, and "A Hand Grenade.

t,opl, in the vicinity Of Burling slip heard a
sudden loud. jarring noise. for which they
were puzzled h. account. moment later black
smoke wis seen issuing from sccondhoor win
dnws Of John Jewcu 4 Sons white lead estab-
lshmcnt 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. Or
willie d. Jeweu mortally wounded; an
other partner. Mr.. Joseph A. Dean. badly
wounded the room wreck. and. lying on the
floor. "a revolver. pistol and knife. Further
investigation discovered fragments of II shell.
or hand grenade. The younger Mr.. Jcwett died
in a few hours after his removal to the hospital
having uttered no word to clear up the mystery
nni the surviving partner. Mr. Dean. Processes
h. be- unable 10 explain it.
The firm Of John Jcwctt 4 Sons Is one OF
Tho oldest and wealthest in the white lead and
lnsccd oil business in this country. Its COM
nercial record in the Mercantile Agency dates
a. far back as 1s47, and it was then an old firm
j. IA rated A l." considerably over million
dollars. note in the Mercantile Register says;
e. 1t was SO safe and close 1t has never been
necessary to look them up. "a credit has never
tecn discussed" Orvillc d. Jcwett. n son OF
John Jewett. went into the firm in January.
lsj9. After the death Of his father he inherited
and represented that interest The present
triu composed OF George W. JeWett Joseph
A Dean. Charles Jewett. and Orvic ID. Jewett
Unlike the other members Of the Jewett family,
Dryille was Of an irascible temper. People well
A'quanted with him say that he was a sporting
man and a spendthrift. and that this gave no
little ANNOYANCE and uneusiness to the other
uember- " the irm-so much. indeed. that 1t
W. decided to get rid OF him 10y buying his in
trcst. When Oryille heard OF this dctermina-
bon he became ncenscd. and had frequent dis
puts with his partners on the subject. About
tvo weeks ago. however, he consented TO sell
cu, his interest 10 Joseph A. Dean for $3.50 900
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
lii the balance Of the money paid.
AZ hllf past eight o'clock yesterday morning.
Al hour much earlier than usual. Orvillc Jcwcit
tlf"rei tho on'e. He Immediately went 10
private room on the third floor. where he re-
paned some time. What he did there no ono
knows After coming down TO the Office on the
iaonl floor. he went first 10 the front room
where his own desk was and shortly after
ta-srl through the middle room cr outer Office
} the rear room. where his uncle. George W
jew'it and Joseph 4. Dean had their desks. In
af-w minutes Mr.. George Jewett came out AMI
passed 10 the front ROOM heated conyersa-
boa could be heard going on In the rear room
a. this time. Mr.. Charles Jewett left his deck
M went in there. He remained for some time.
but finally came out and went down stairs to the
yr-et. leaving Orville Jewett and Joseph 4.
Dean in the room. The discussion still con
tinued. and Mr. George W. Jewctt returned to
tho rear room. possibly ms peacemaker. He
had not been in the room more than three
minutes before the explosion occurred. Here
d. mystery begins. and the statements of those
who Were first upon the SCENE throw but little
light On il.
AT the time Of the explosion the middle or
tu-.nes- Ofeo was occupied 10y J. W. Silcck.
rashior;C. b. Pollock. entry clerk Arthur Dean.
nephew OF Mr.. Joseph A. Dean. and Charles
Tuntor. business manager. The diagram De
lw shows the relative positions Of the occu-
Inu'- o' the front and rear rooms. The explo-
, o. wa- so loud as 20 attract the attention of
L. Obi '-r- around the Fulton ferry Slip. while
ir t.. immediate neighhorhoOd the shock was
& -fir.fy fit. Engine ~. 32 whose house is
i.-i opposite. WAS returning from a fire. and
lremnn Henry Murray and Cook were assisting
H. 4. Ting it into the house when they heard the
eAp4N-iln. Looking over the way. they saw
deus volumes Of smoke issuing from the win
Vs.. flushing over. they ran NJ the stairs and
ei'.r"l the middl. oili-e. A. 70 what occurred
h., d ll- arrival. H-nry Murray say; 80
When got into the outer OH '" found the
t'rk7 u"r'. hui my wrr" a. mpuph"-s ~
statues. arparrni) phi,>l'd iy What Aah Jl7i
tAs'n place. tn" room wa, illed with smoke.
eui larger volumes, mixed With SCOT, were t.
suing from IN" rear room. IhinkihR that the
iIla,e wa- On FIR" ! rushed IA, when "a second
explosion took place. Through the smoke
oring to reach 1t stumbled over the body ~ "A
,man. picked II up and rarried il u the front
This was the body q George " Jowot,. Re
turning to the rear room found another man
H. ass stance Of Conk carried him Ia The mid.
die room, laid him On the foQr, and while Cook
tpened his clothes, raised the window 10 give
him He soon became cons tllu5. and llHt