Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-27
A DYNAMITE SENSATION.
A Can or the Explosive Creates Mueh ~
element In Chicago.
tuy taIagra nh IN the Dispatch.l

ACau or the Explosive Creates Much ~
element In Chicago
IBy telegraph TO the Dispatch.l
CHICAGO, December 26.-A little
after Q o'clock this morning q quart can
of peculiar construction was found on
the front porch of Judge Lambert Trees
palatial residence, No. "a Cass street,
by his coachman, who tenderly picked
II I'D and carried it into vacant lot IN
the rear, and then started on run Tor
the Chicago Avenue police.station. lie
was pale with fright when he reached
there, and, telling Lieutenant Shepard
that he had found can OF dynamite
and where he had found it, asked that
an officer be sent down to investigate.
Officer Gallagher was sent back with
him, and together they took the mystic
rious can to the lake shore at the foot OF
Chicago avenue and touched match to
the foot of the dynamite fuse which was
wound about the can. The explosion
made a terrific noise, which was heard
distinctly at the station, and the earth
was torn up for several feet. When
the can was first found it was standing
under the doorway. The fuse was
charred at the end, showing that it had
been lighted and gone out. The deadly
continuance looked like common
lamp. and, thinking it was put there by
some practical joker, the coachman re-
moved it to the yard. In laying 1t
down he was Mortified to notice that a
fuse was attached to the machine. y
hurried inspection showed that it was
not the innocent thing it first seemed
TO be. and it was left untouched until
Officer Gallagher's arrival. The lat
ter carried it to the Central sta
ton. His appearance created the wild
est excitement, and the officers lost
no time in getting outside. Many of
them, mindful Of Otto Funk's expert
ment with internal machines, ran pell-
nell out of the station, and Gallagher
was forced to dispose of the machine
himself. lie carried it to powder deal
er on Lake street, but this man refused to
touch it. The clerk in the store. how
ever, examined it and at first sight pro-
nounced it a finely.constructed dyna-
mite bomb. "Take it out of here ,
Explode it at once shouted the fright
ened clerk, "or it will blow up the
whole street :" Gallagher and the
clerk FASTENED with the machine to the
lake front, where preparations were
made to explode the bomb. \ fuse five
feet long was attached to the machine
and fred both men ran with all speed
to a safe distance, but none too soon,
for they had not gone 200 feet when the
machine exploded with tremendous
noise. The report was heard as far as
west Fifth avenue, and an idea Of the
force of the explosion may be had by
the way the ground was torn up for a
depth of six feet. The hard-frozen
ground was scooped as if it were so
much water. Officer Gallagher's com
paniOn, an expert, was of opinion that
the explosive was nitro. glycerine, and
declared that enough of it was in the
machine to blow up the City Hall.
Thus far the police have no idea of the
parties who are responsible for the con-
templated outrage. tits not known that
any motive existed for the commission
of such a barbarous act. There have
been no arrests made. The Tree resi-
dence is one Of the most elaborate and
costly houses in the city, occupying one
quarter of an entire block in the fash
ionable-residence district in the north
division of the city. The building pro-
baby represents 100000 with its
valuable contents. 1t is three-story
structure of brown.stone, rock faced,
and covering a wide area. 1t has been
occupied for some time by General A.
c. McClung, of the large publishing
house Of Jansen. McClung & Co.