Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-05
A A DYNAMITE CRANK
Makes an Attempt on Rus
sell Sage's Life.
The Millionaire Brokers Mirac-
ulous Escape.
His Office Completely Wrecked by the
Explosion of a Bomb.
The Assassin Himself Torn to Pieces, a
Clerk Killed and Several other
Persons Severely Wounded.
Sage Slightly Injured.
Associated Press Dispatches.

NEW YORK, Dec. 4.-Russell Sage, the
millionaire broker, escaped death by a
miracle today, his office and the entire
Empire building in which it was, being
shaken to its very foundation by the ex-
plosion-of dynamite bomb, hurled by
crank who made demand on Sage
for the immediate payment OF 81 $780,
900, the ultimatum being, in the case OF
refusal, the death of the millionaire,
the crank himself and those employed
in the Office.
Never in the history OF the metropolis,
ia it probable, has an event occurred
that for the time caused more excite
ment in Wall street and lower Broad
way. Fully $4,000 people were drawn
to the scene of the explosion, and for an
hour the police were powerless to bring
order out OF chaos.
1t was just 2:20 O'Clock today
when the explosion came with a force
that was absolutely startling, complete
ly wrecking the second floor of the build
ing, throwing pedestrians in the street
to the ground, and startling people for
blocks around. Those close at
hand saw man blown through
one of the windows of Sage's office into
Rector street. A few minutes later
Sage, himself, with blood streaming
down his face and hands, was helped
out into the street and taken to O'Con-
nelps drug store, just below Wall street
on Broaway. There. also, was taken
the man blown from the window.
Within ten minutes after the explo-
sion DIR. Mum, the physician of Jay
Gould, was at the side of Sage, and per-
sonally attended to his injuries, which
proved not to be OF severe nature.
The hair and eyebrows of the million
aire were burned, and his face and
glass and plaster, the result OF the ex-
,plosion.
sAGE'S STATEMENT.
Sage, though suffering from the
shock, made the following statement
while the wound was being dressed:
e4sA man who gave the name ofeH. d.
Wilson came to my Office just now. /
had never seen him before. He had a
carpet bag in his hand, and snid: If
you will not give me one million two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, l
will blow you to pieces know
nothing further, except hearing great
explosion, the falling of the floor; until
| regained consciousness. The man
lying on the floor of the drug store is,
believe, the same one who asked me for
the money"
When Sage's wounds were dressed, he
was taken in cab to his home.
EVERYTHING CONFUSION.
Outside the door everything was con-
fusion. Men lost their heads, and ru-
mors of the widest kind filled the air.
From the building fremen led or car
ried the dead and injured. Ambulances
were summoned from three hospitals
and soon the streets around were solidly
filled with struggling mass of persons,
all eager to get to the scene OF the
disaster.
When the police arrived in force the
building was quickly cleared OF all per-
.sons, and search was made in the
wrecked offices. just inside of the door
of the general Office, was found the
trunk of a man in state that rendered
recognition nearly impossible, the head
having been severed from the body. A
pointed reddish beard gave the appear
apce of an educated man, which was EN-.
HANGED by brown curly hair and the
heavy moustache that adorned the up
per lip. When the body was taken up
it was found to have been torn into
shreds by the explosion.
THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The interior of the Office plainly
showed that the force of the explosion
was something terrific. All the parti
tion walls were blown down and the
sashes and window frames were forced
outward. The ceiling had been blown
rendering it unsafe to walk upon. Desks
and chairs were overturned and hurled
into an indescribable mass, and every
piece OF glass in the big air shaft that
ran to the roof was shivered.
A search quickly showed that the
body of the man with the pointed beard
was the only one among the debris.
In the meantime the crowds in the
street grew larger, the elevated train!
from up town bringing thousands to the
scene, all impelled by curiosity.
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
For an hour confusion reigned. Their
the police found their heads and some
thing like correct list of the killed anC
injured was had.
: But one person had been killed out
right, the man with the pointed beard
He is supposed to be H. D. Wilson, thu
man that made the demand for the
money from Sage and threw the bomb
The man who was thrown through
the window proved to be Benjamin +
Morton, clerk in the Office. He wal
removed to the Chambers-street hos
pital. where he died at 1s30.
The following injured were taken tt
the hospital:
Frank Robertson, 90 years old, clerl
for Imbre & Co., brokers, who was il
Sage's Office at the time of the explosion
His skull is fractured and he Will prob
ably die.
E Charles w. Osborn, Russell Sage
cashier, fractured skull will probabl
die:
.sAGR's FAITHFUL CHIEF CLERK,
Samuel ]. Calhoun, who was in tn