Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-10-26
WITH FIRE and POWDER
Infamous Attempt to Blow Up
and Burn a Building on
West Park Street.
Timely Discovery and Prompt
Action Avert a Great
Calamity.
From Wednesday Daily.

From Wednesday Daily.
An attempt ives made at about 2:3(
O'Clock this morning to set fire to tn
Chinese rs,taurAnt known q, the Sa,
Francisco chop house, ene-etory fran,
building ON the south side OF West Parl
street between Main and Academy streets
In design the work was bold almost be
yond belief. La resultit was unsuccessful to q
degree bordering On the miraculous. Mex,
to the restaurant on the east stands the
newtwostory brick block occupied by the J,
D. Thomas grocery house. Had the chop
house became thoroughly ignited as the in.
tent OF the firebues contemplated the loss
would have been very large and the extent
OF the fire in that thickly built and in
ismmable portion OF the city would doubt
less have been greater than that of the big
fire OF the memorable Sunday few weeks
ago.
That the blaze was OF ineendiary origin
can not be gainsaid. It came literally like
Q fash from q gun and with report de-
scribed AZ the bursting OF q bottle in which
some explosive had been contained. The
flame shot mp quickly, attracting the i'm
mediate attention OF several men in the
Cafe Royal, Metropolitan restaurant, and
Sideboard and Rosebud saloons. almost
directly across the street. Three OF the late
diners in the Metropolitan. L. Iba,
Mike Adams and Merritt Dublin-rus he'd |
hurriedly to the blaze and Mr.. Iba threw |
upon the flames gunny sack which he
picked out Of the gutter. He stamped
upon the sack and had the fire almest ex |
extinguished before water was brought. |
a few pailfuls frUm the saloons |
above named suficed to entirely
subdue the blaze, and then an examine
tion by the many police who had been
attracted by the pistol shots fired to an.
noEncs the discovery OF the fire rel
vealed most alarming condition Of
things.
Between the wooden walls OF the chop
house and the brick wal OF the gro.
cery was found quart beer-bot-
tie, in which was cork that
had been bored to admit a fuse. Inside
was pound or more OF black powder, as
near as could be learned in the excitement,
the darkness and the natural desire to con.
ceal the character Of the evidence vouch-
sailed by the bottle itself. On the sidewalk
was found q cloth several feet in length and
more than foot in width from which
coal oil was fairly dripping. Int
o little hole under the edge OF the wooden
building was q broken bottle which showed
to the onlooker the cause OF the explosion.
The theory formed by the persons who
we're present soon after the occurrence was /,
that IN dastardly attempt had been made
BY the band Of fire hugs that seems to be !
n Butte to not only set fire | 1
70 but to blow up buildings ,
or purposes best known to the members
,f that infamous band. 1t is really a
matter OF wonder that Mr.. Iba and his &
companions were NOT seriously injured as 4
result OF their courageous work, for the /.
use in the bottle OF powder had been ig.
lited and had burned down to the cork.
There was not enough time after the fire /
% CLEAN any idea as to whom the Police
Inspected, hut Chief Smith was heard to '
emark as he hurried away bearing the
violence OF incendiarism in his hand that ]
here was one man whom he wanted to pst. c
ndar lock and key at once. c
Mat Wilkins, the hackman Familiarity | i
nown as Winnipeg" was ON Park street '
men the explosion occurred and the blaze G
esuited. He had seen no one near n
be point from whence the blaze "
prang and said that he had seen n
o one on that side of the street for some o
linutes. He has an idea that the oil a
baked rag was wound about the bottle OF "
owder aud that the instrument of destruc- IL
on was thrown from the ear and between 81
he buildings. d
1