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

The interior of the Offices plainly showed
the force Of the explosion to have been
something terrific. All partition walls
were blown down and sashes and window
frames forced outward. The ceiling had
been blown down and the floor forced
downward, rendering it unsafe to walk
upon. Desks and chairs were overturned
and hurled into an indiscribable mass,
| and every piece Of glass In the big air
shaft that ran to the roof was shivered.
The search quickly showed that the
body of the man with a pointed beard was
the only one among the debris.
In the meantime the crowds in the
street grew larger, the elevated trains
from uptown bringing thousands to the
scene, all impelled by curiosity. For an
hour confusion reigned. Then the police
found their heads and something like a
correct tisg of the killed and II jured was
| had.
But one person lad been killed out
right-the man with the pointed beard.
He is supposed to be FL. D. Wilson, the
ma that made the demand for money
from Sage and threw the bomb.
Benjamin T. Morton, who was thrown
through the window, clerk in the office,
was ISuUNtu 10 Tic CudH UtIS StIcCU ucS-
pital, where he died at 1:30 o'clock.
The following injured we're taken to the
hospital:
| Fraak Robertson, 20 years old, clerk for
Imbre & Co., brokers. He was in Sage
office at the time of the explosion. His
! skull is fractured and he will probably
die.
Chas. W. Osborn Russell Sage's cash.
| ierl has fractured skull and will probably
die.
Samuel j. Calhoun, who was in the
building at the time, received a fracture
of the leg.
Col. J. ]. Slocum, brother-in-law of
Sage, and his chief clerk, was badly cut
about the head and face and when his
wounds were dressed returned to the scene,
declaring 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
placed them in a small safe and had it
removed to the Office OF the Manhattan
Railway company in the same building.
| In the afternoon iremen found among
the debris leg, thought to be that of a
woman. Whether it is OF not has not
been discovered. Russell Sage never en-
ployed woman typewriter, and as this
fact is we'll established, the supposition is
that if the leg is that of woman it is all
| that is left of one of his "put and call
customers who was in the Office at that
| time.
Among the debris in the wrecked Of
fees was found the remains of a silk hat
evidently worn by the man who gave the
name of Wilson, ard in one corner of
Sage's priv ate Office where James was
sitting at the time of the explosion man S
hand was found.
| The coroner made an examination
Of the mangled remains of the man found
in Sage's office and from the mangled
mass of flesh and clothing took a seven
chamber bull dog revolver. This was all
that could be found 10y which an identif,
cation could be made. What was left OF
the body was laid out in an undertaken S
office on Greenwich street. 1t was not
much. The head was there, bIackened,
but neither cut For dis6gured in any way.
It was cut off at the top of the
neck and looked for all the world like
a mask of man IS Or 40 years old
with full beard that might have been
long, but was now burned close to the
cheek. Then there was a leg-the right;
the left foot, one hand and that was all
The body proper was gone; OF neither
chest nor abdomen was a trace to be
found. Shreds of clothing were founo
showing that the man had worn trouser:
of blue black plaid, black overcoat ano
long black stockings. That Nigh,
have started the story that woman's leg
was found. He had been careful to rid him
self of everything that might disclose his
identity. His name had been written IN
his hat but it had been cut out with a
knife. Russell Sage made this statement
to Inspector Byrnes this evening: ~
came out of my ofhce, having been sent for
and found a man with satchel. HI
D. Wilson. He said he came from }. ID
letter in a sealed envelope. 1t was ad
upon me for million and a quarter of dol
lars. The letter stated that if the none!
was not given up at once to the presenter
of the letter he would blow me, hinsel
and the entire office up with dynamite.
read the letter and placing it in envelop
handed it back to him and turned to g
into my private office, when the explosion
occurred.
|
bers street hospital and took the ant
norton statement of Frank Robertson. al
employe of Imbre & Co. He said he wen
to Sages Office to get some shares of stock
He saw man talking to Sage very atten
lively. The man pulled out what looked
3 like pistol. 1t glittered and he put i
t in his right hand over his coat pocket
1 II knew nothing more until | yelled mur
der. heard an explosion and everybod
} yelled murder"
Russell Sage. Jr., said that of late MI
Sage had received three or four threaten
ing letters signed by James Walsh. L
e one of them the writer demanded 81
t 100000. Why that sum, Sage could no
7 say. Recent troubles between Presiden
Andrews, of the New York Steam Heat
e ing com pany and the Standard Ga
Light company now come into pla
n in the case. A large part of the stoc
$ in dispute belonged to the WILLOWS c
\ Spinola and Mannheim. These womer
Walsh said, in his letters, be was about t
J, marry. He therefore demanded none
o to put him on their fnancis
{ level. Sage paid no attentio
d to him. Jay Gould was also attacked /
n letters and denounced in abusive term:
|, The writer threatened Ssge's life, but n
e attention was paid to it, as all who kne'
/. about the letters believed him a charm
II less crank" to use young Sage's ow
: words.
IS Wedding at GAINESVILLE.
= EVANSVILLE. Wis, Dec. 3.-Mr
e Elizabeth Grifiths, of this town. an