Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-10

RUSSELL SAGE
well-known broker, who has an Office
In the building, is among the injured.
The widest kind Of excitement fol-
lowed the explosion and in a few
minutes surging crowd of 5000 people
filled the street in front of the building.
Men having offices in the building
rushed into the halls in panic, crazy
to get out into the street, fleeing from
they knew not what.
The police were soon on the ground,
but the excitement was so great that it
was an hour before euy intelligent YER
sion of the cause of the explosion could
be obtained. Then it was learned that
stability dressed man had entered the
office of Mr.. Sage just as the latter was
preparing to leave his desk to go to
luncheon. The man had a package in
his hand, and when Mr.. Sage looked up
the visitor held it above the million
aires head.
'What do you want?'' asked Mr..
Sage, noting wild look in the face of
his visitor
"Russell Sage" responded the man,
II want a million and a half dollars"
Mr.. Sage at once knew the man was
insane, and rising from his chair, said:
"All right, | will have to see about
1t and let you know
mo, want it now" said the man,
motioning Mr.. Sage to stop. eff don't
get it," he continued, raising his voice
30 that people in the outer office could
hear, you will regret it. Will you
give it to me?"
'.No,'' said Mr. Sage, quietly, s.not
NOW; come after it some other time"
Mr.. Sage had hardly spoken when the
man raised the package he held in his
hand above his head and saying: ''Here
goes, threw it to the floor, almost at
the feet of the millionaire broker.
There was instantly as tremendous ex-
ploSlon. When the relief party of
police went into the room half an hour
later they found the body of the man
who threw the dynamite literally torn
to pieces
The explosion took place in the outer
office, where the man had backed from
Mr.. Sage's private office in his efforts to
keep the millionaire from getting away.
a clerk who was in the outer office SAYS
the man stood almost in the DOORWAY
between the outer and inner offices
when he threw the bomb. Just before
he did SO another man came into the
outer Office The clerk thought he
was companion of the first He
said nothing, but he evidently knew
ha WI, l,aI Il
of Mr.. Sage, for he nodded to him.
The second man stood within three
feet of the man. with the bomb and
when the latter threw it to the floor he
turned as if to run, but he only adj
yanced few feet when the explosion
occurred. His body was found stretched
through window leading from the
outer Office into account, terribly man
gled.
Mr.. Sage was seriously though not
badly injured. He was able to walk to
his carriage and be driven home, where
his wounds were dressed. Mr.. Slocum,
clerk, who was present at the time,
said: IT can tell you nothing definite
about the affair. The explosion oc-
Cured, | think, in our office,
room 35. 1t was just lur b time.
don't know how many we: in the Of
fee Mr.. Sage was seated DIT his desk.
! was standing beside the safe putting
some papers in. heard terrific bang
and then I was perfectly blinded with
pain and blood. The safe is still open.
I must go up and shut it now. 1t won't
do to leave it open"
Fuller Account.
Never in the history of the metropoli
is it probable an event has occurred tina
for the time caused more excitement L
Wall street and lower Broadway than tn
tragedy of this afternoon. Fully 500
people were drawn to the scene of the ez
piosion and for an hour the police war
pOwerless to bring order out of chaos.
1t was just twenty minutes past twelv
when the explosion came with force tina
was absolutely startling, completed
wrecking the second floor Of the building
throwing pedestrians in the street to til
ground and startling people for block
around Those close at hand saw ma
blown through one of the window
of Sage's office into Rector street. /
few minutes later Sage himself, wit
blood streaming down his face and hands
was helped out to the street ann taken
O'Connell's drug store, below Wall stet
on Broadway There, also. was carrie
the man blown from the window. With,
ten minutes after the explosion DR.. Mum
physician of Jay Gould, was at the sic
of Sage and personally attended to his 1,
juries, which proved to be not
serious nature. The hair and ey
brows of the millionaire were burnt an
his face and hands hurt by small particle
of glass and plaster, the result OF the e,
plosion. Sage, though suffering from tt
snock, made the following statemel
while his wound was being dressed: :"
man, who gave the name of Il. D. Wilso
came to my Office just now. had new
seen him before. He had carp
bag in his hand and sa
If you will not give me l,25O,OOO, | VI