, 1891-12-05
BLOWN UP WITH A BOMB
Millionaire Russell Sage Has a
Very Close Shave.
His Office Wrecked and Several
Killed By the Explosion.
Il Crank Demands a Million
and a Quarter
And Failing to Get it Explodes
a Dynamite She'll.
Tried TO hIlI Russell Sage.

NEW YORK, Dec. Russell Sage,
the millionaire broker. escaped death by
a miracle today, his Office and the entire
Empire building IN which it was. being
shaken by the explosion of a dynamite
bomb. hurled by a crank who made a de-
mAnd upon Sage for the Immediate pay
ment of 81 $50, 900, the ultimatum being
in case of a refusal the death Of the mil.
l%ionaire, the crank himself and those
employed in the office. Never In the
history of the metropolis is it probable an
event has occurred that for the time
caused more excitement in Wal street and
lower Broadway. Fully $1,000 people
were drawn TO the scene of the explosion
and for an hour the police we're powerless
to bring order out oil chaos.
When the police arrived in force the
building was quickly cleared OF all persons
and a search was made in the wrecked
offices.
The search quickly showed the body of
n man with a pointed beard was the only
one among the debris. In the meantime,
the crowd 10 the street grew larger, ele-
waited trains from up town bringing
thousands to the scene, all impelled by
curiosity.
Just inside OF ths door OF the general
office was found the trunk of a man in a
state that rendered recognition nearly i'm
possible, the head having been severed
from the body. The pointed, reddish
beard gave the appearance of an educated
Dan, which was enhanced by brown curls
of hair and a heavy moustache that
adorned the upper lip. When the body
,,o. ,oIn, So .. ,rna cr,l - 49, 49,.
torn into shreds by the explosion. The
interior OF the offices plainly showed the
force of the explosion was something ter
rIble. All the partition walls were blown
down and sashes and window frames were
forced outward. The ceiling was blown
down and the floor forced downward, rem
dering it unsafe to walk upon. Desks
and chairs we're overturned and hurled
into an indescribable mass, and every
piece of glass in the big air shaft that ran
to the roof was shattered.
1t was Just 2:20 when the explosion
came with a force that was absolutely
startling, completely wrecking the second
floor building. throwing pedestrians IN the
street to the ground and startling the peo-
pie tor blocks around. Those close at
hand saw a man blown through one OF
the windows of Sage's office into Rector
street. A few minutes later Sage him
self. with blood streaming down his face
aud hands, was helped out in the street
and taken to O'Connell's drug store, just
below Wall street on Broadway.
There also was carried the man blown
IRON a window. Within ten minutes
after the explosion DR.. Mum, the
physician of Jay Gould, was at the side
of Sage and personally attended to his
injuries, which proved to be not of a seri-
Gus nature. The hair and eyebrows of
the millionaire were burnt and his face
and hands hurt by small particles of glass
and plaster, the result of the explosion.
Sage, though suffering from the shock,
made tie following statement while his
wounds were being dressed:
"A man who gave the name of II. d.
Wilson came to my Office just now. | had
never seen him before. He had a carpet
bag IN his hand and said: If you will not
give me one million. two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars I will blow you to
piect s. -"
For the hour confusion reigned. Then
the police found their heads and some
thing like a correct list of the killed ami
injured was had. But one person was
killed outright, the man with the pointed
beard He Is supposed to be Ii. ID. Will
son, the man that made the demand for
HlOucH lTOn cdRt anu tuitW Tue DOmD
BENJAMIN F. Morton, who was thrown
through the window, a clerk In the office,
was removed to the Chambers street hos
pital, where he died at 100.
The following injured we're taken to the
hospital: Frank Robertson, 20 years old.
clerk for Imbre & Co, brokers. He was
in Sage's Office at the time of the ex-
plosion. His skull was fractured and he
will probably die. Chas. w. Osborn
Russell Sage's CASHIER fractured skull;
will probably die. Samuel j. Calhoun,
who was in the building at the time, re-
ceived ID fracture of his leg. Col. j. j.
Slocum. brother-in law OF Sage, and his
chief clerk, was badly cut about the head
and face and when the wounds were
dressed returned to the scene, declaring
that he had left the door of the safe
open and was fearful the securities in it
had been blown out and lost. Quickly
gathering together what he found, he
he placed them in a small safe and had 1t
removed to the office of the Manhattan
Railway company in the SAINT building
In the afternoon the firemen found
among the debris a leg. thought to be
that of a woman. Whether it is or not
has not been discovered. Russell Sage
never employed a woman typewriter. and
as this fact is well known the superstition
Is, IT the leg is that of a woman, that it is
all that is lett of one OF his put aud CALI
customers who was in his office at the
time.
Chase James, a railroad man and a res
ldent oil Chattanooga, Tenn, had an ap-
polntment with Sage at IL O'Clock and
had an experience he will never forget,
He says: II called at Sage's Office At 10
o'clock and found him out. A seat was
offered me in the main office near his desk
II took it and waited Sage's return.
Sitting on a bench near the wall I noticed
a man perhaps five feet eight inches in
height. He wore a plug hat and had a
pointed beard and a heavy brown nous.
tache. At about 1915 Sage came in and