Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-10-26
FOULER YHlN MURDER.
A Most Fiendish Attempt on
the Life of Oscar
stenberg.
Blown up. While Sleeping, With
Giant Powder-Smitz-
ger Missing.

- SSt MiSSiHBs
From Fridays Daily
II A plot that is unparalled in Butte
!. blood-thirsty premeditation and col
calculating villainy was put into executio
: In this city before sunrise yesterday.
! was directed against the life OF Oscar Stel
berg, the well known Park street sig
painter, and that it was not wholly su,
cessful is due entirely to the interventio
!. OF the ruler OF that destiny (which shape
our ends" and not to any miscalculatio
on the part of the plotters. While the II
tended victim was sleeping soundly in hi
own bed at about 6 o'clock. there was
terrific explosion directly beneath hi
head. Stenberg was thrown up and pal
TALLY out Of bed: the wire mat
tress, the woolen mattress an,
the pillows were rent and torn ant
their contents scattered all over the room
the wall againt which the bed stood wsa
shivered and the plaster scattered over the
apartment. Dast, feathers, woolen shreds
and smoke made the atmosphere OF the
apartment stifiing in its density. The
smoke from the explosion was augmented
by the smudge from the smouldering bed
clothing and in it all, stunned, wounded,
bleeding, lay Stenberg, unable to help him
self and really unconscious of what had
taken place. Tht noise Of the explosion
was loud enough to awaken half the people
in the neigh borhood, but none knew what
had happened until Officer Andy Daum,
who chanced to be in the neighborhood at
the time, hurried to the hiding, kicked
open the door leading directly from the
outside into Stenberg's room and there
found the helpless and bleeding form. The
sufferer was taken at once to an adjoining
house, also his property, and there he was
attended by Doctors Howard and Sarchet.
The smouldering mattress and bod clothing
were removed to the yard, or court, and
the fire in them extinguished. The room
was locked with q hasp and paddock and
the key entrusted to special officer. Then
the crowds began to gather and the ques-
tions "How did it happen?" and What
was the cause Of the explosion?" were on
every lip.
An examination of the premises showed
readily how tho thing happened. Stem
berg's room was in the south end OF the
lower part of two-story frame building
which stands on The rear end OF the lot No.
SO West Park street. On the front end of
the lot is one-story shop now occupied
as tailor shop by Mr.. ShiIler. The two
structures are connected by wooden
walk fully ten feet wide leading to the
paintshop in the upper story OF the rear
building. Under that walk and piled |
against the front OF the rear building are a |
lot 81 loose laths. Concealed by those
lath4is an augur hole about half an inch |
in diAmetfr. Through that hole piece of |
fuse had been run and fastened inside the |
room giant pow der cartridge, which /
had be1n plac, between the wooden mat
tress and the wire mattress and di ectIy
beneath where Ste e.berg might be expected |!
to lay his head. Before the time of the ex-
plosion some one lighted the fuse from out
side the building and sought a place OF safety
without waiting to see the result OF his crime
Such view of the case was taken by
Chief Smith and Officer Daum, the first
officers on the scene after the explosion.
The whole in the wall speaks for itself, the
indiDg OF burned fuse in thehole tells how
he fire was communicated, and the
wrecked interior shows that nothing but
liant powder could have caused the ruin.
That Stenberg's life was not stopped at
'nce by the explosion is miraculous. The
pillows and the soft wooden mattress pro-
ected him, and tie we'll known fact that
he greatest force of giant powder is exert, d
downward aided in preventing immediate
leath. As it ,s his body is a mass of
'ruises from the top of his head to the
oles OF his feet. Every muscle and Joint
q his body was racked and his face
'as bruised beyond recognition, the
ps and nose almost torn from
heir place and his jaw twisted far to one
de. His eyes were blown almost from
heir sockets and since the minute of the
xplosion he has not eeen 40 much as a raw
light. What would have been Stenberg'sl
had the full intent of the murder.
rs' plans been carried out it is hard to sur {
lise. Underneath the bed was found a I
lick OF giant powder, evidently placed
lere with the intent that it should ex- '
lode. That powder and the burned fuse !
re in the possession OF the police.
The question '.Who is responsible for the
ime2" is not to be answered by the evid- a
ice now at hand. A reporter interviewed '
rs. Stenberg shortly after the occurrence
nd she denied all knowledge Of or partici-
stion in the affair, as she might have been Z
,pected to do under any circumstances. t
er grief was not apparent and her only n
,nression OF sympathy, "Isu't it awfulp',
d not express much sympathy for the
fferer. She said that there was only one l
y to Mr.. Stenbergs room and that was
.rried by him. 1t should be remarked Il
re that the house in which Mrs. Stenberg n
ID her children hved is q two.story struct- u
g on the rear of the lot next south of the 81
le on which the paint shop stands, and Is
at her domicile haG NO connection with
g paint chop, in the basement of which W
r. Stenberg slept. It might be added that
Q Stenbergs have lived apart for mouths.
9 husband taking even his meals alone in
staurants. The reporters interview with
70. Stenberg took place in the house she
8 occupied. Her daughter Agnes, a girl
out IA years OF age, was present, and in
u onse to questions said that there were az
9 keys to her fathers room; that the
her carried one and the mother the tn
her; that sometimes she, Agnes, tended ca
her fathers room and sometimes Mrs. W.
,nberg performed that duty; that she. be
kiCcS hou uOO uduo ucE laGQeT6 De0 on PH
,dnesday. On that day Mrs. Stenberp gu
q done all the work early and had gone sp
to Walkerville to a dressmaker, leaving tel
daughter at home to care for the Id.
nths old baby. August Stenbere, the ma
year old son, was in the room when his an
ther and sister were talking. He was
.oncernedly smoking cigarette. He ca
1 that he knew nothing about the case liv
when his mother began to weep in. ou
ereptly he told her to stop her bawling. ha
en- the lad was assured that his fathers w
!ries were not necessarily fatal he said:
len't care much if he does die. he has for
er used me WELL" yo
RS. Stenberg said at first that she was
'ep when the explosion occurred, and the
'rwards stated that she was in the act
lrising when she heard the report. She