The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-02
Attempt to Blow Up the Store of Garry Bros,
Which Is Said To Be the 0utgrOwth of
Trouble with Their Employees.
Opposition to Shelving the Senate Dyn-
amite Resolutions in the House.
Chicago Socialists Declare that There Are
Too Many Tramps and Too Many Million
aires-How Dynamite Is Made.
Attempt to Destroy the Property of q New
York Dry Goods Firm.


NEW YORK, Feb 1.-The first criminal use of
dynamite in this city has greatly excited the
people bere to-day An explosion took place at
a very late hour last night One or two of the
morning papers made second editions, giving the
news. The explosion occurred at Garry Bros
dry goods store at Grand and Allen streets. and
that section Of the city to-day is crowded with
people At the time of the explosion number
of persons were passing the spot but none of
them were injured. Captain Allaire and guard
of officers guarded the premises of Garry Bros
and those of Ridley Bros, the windows of
whose establishment were also shattered
by the explosion. Shortly after the ex-
plosion four men were found in the shadow
of the Rivington-street station of the elevated
road One of them, Charles Henry laborer,
who said he lived in Williamsburg, was severely
cut about the head and face. The others, Will
lam Britton, waiter, James DAILY, clerk, and
Joseph Lamb, printer were binding Henry's
wounds All were arrested and remanded.
To-day lad was arrested, charged with ex-
perimenting with dynamite at the corner of
Grand and Essex streets, where he succeeded in
dislodging portion of the horse-car track. He
could not be connected with the other explosion.
The bomb or cartridge used at last nights
plosion must have been placed Immediately un-
derneath the frame work of window of Garry
Bros. store. The window casing and sash
were entirely demoraized. The shock
was felt several hundred feet A lamp
on shelf in an Eldridge street
house, three hundred feet away, was thrown to
the floor. Dishes in tenementhouses in the
neighborhood ratified, and the iron stanchions of
the elevated railroad near the store. look as
though they had received violent blows. There
is no evidence that a cartridge was applied to
Ridley's store.
Had it not been for the heavy elevated railroad
structure, which runs UP Allen street. be-
tween the two stores, however, the probability
is that good part of the west side of Ridleys
building would have suffered. Many of Ridleys
employees came to the spot to guard the
premises The damage to both buildings is
So. 500
The police are satisfied that the explosion is
the outcome Of strike of Garry Bros en-
ployes. Burke, former clerk of the firm,
and who caused the strike, was
dismissed for failing, one night, to
properly secure the doors of the establishment
The dry goods clerks union, of which he is
member, tried many methods to secure his
reinstatement they went so far as to station
men in the vicinity of the store and ask intend
ing purchasers to boycott the firm. strike
was ordered by the union, and the firm was left
without clerk. Non union men were finally
secured. Garry Bros. also received threaten
ing letters and committees from several trades
unions called upon the firm, but the firm
assured them that they intended to run their
own business. The persecution of the
firm became so persistent that steps for
its protection were taken, and to this end
private meeting of dry goods dealers was re-
Gently held. What action was taken was not
divuged, but it is thought this organization by
the dealers made the union men more desperate
and impelled them to the use of dynamite. The
union, or Equality Association" was organized
one year ago, when the employees of Grand-street
houses endeavored to induce the proprietors to
close at o'clock. Ridley & Sons were among
the houses who refused to close at that hour
For some time they were prosecuted, and, last
June, a huge stone shattered one of their plate
glass show-windows, but the perpetrator was
never discovered
Thos. Garry. Of Garry Bros, said: ''Of course
the Equality Association is at the bottom of the
outrage. What surprises me is that they have
done nothing worse They have made threats
of all kinds, but we were inclined to look for
their execution upon our clerks rather than
upon our premises"
7. Naughton, delegate from the Equality
Association, denied all knowledge of the at
fair, and claimed the outrage was not
caused by members of the association, al
though he said it might have been
done on individual respons ibility He thought
Garry's own agents caused the explosion
The men arrested on suspicion of completely
in the explosion stoutly deny all knowledge of IT.
Joseph Lamb is printer, and works for the
American Bank-note Company, where he has
been employed for years; William Britton
is waiter, and works at 1876 Broad
way. He and James DAILY, who il
a book keeper in his uncles plumbing
establishment board in the same house Brit
ton says that when he and Daily were going
home, Sunday morning, theysaw the fuse burn.
ing, and before they could remove it the explos-
sion took place. Police Captain Alaire had
long conference with Inspectors Byrne and Muir
ray to day, in relation to the affair. Inspector
Byrne refused to talk. but intimated that more
arrests would soon follow.