The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-21
BLOWN INTO ATOMS.
A Newcastle Miners Home Re-
duced to Fragments.
STRIKER UNDER SUSPICION.
Deputy Sheriff Cave Shot At-"ork Re-
sumed NJ the Black Diamond Mine
Both Sides Pleased.

NEWCASTLE. July 2o-fspecial l-Houss No
100 gcxr.y1v occuuisd by John McQuade, one or
to leeders In the recent strike, was blown mp
this Afternoon At In o'clock. The building was
completely demolished. and the tail timber sur
rounding It was set on IRE. The deputy snsIlns
fought for . part OF the afternoon 70 save tne
county bridge near by. The road supervisor
fnaI1y srrfyed With . gang Of men and took
charge Of that part Of the proceedings The
material used to blow up the house was COM
mon Santa Cruz blasting powder, as is shown oy
stains on that part OF the furniture that mas
como down up to the present writing, with per-
hans Z stick or two OF giant powder thrown in
The Ioud report seems TO indicate the presence
Of the latter explosive.
There are number Of very peculiar circum-
stances connected with the explosion. John
NcQusde. the former tenant OF the house, hes
bean one OF the worst agitators during the re-
cant conflict between the employers and their
employees, and his friendship for law and order
hss usver been conceded. The part he has taken
In the ssriks rrecludss the possibility that the
work wss done to BE- reveuged on McQuads
hfmseIf. He was one Of the men who would
have been eyicfed on the sd inst. II he had
stayed, but be, . few days ago. announced bis
desire 70 leave the country. He told several
persons that be was going to Nanaimo 40 soon as
hs could sell out He told others that Victoria
the story that he intended to visit the Eastern
ssates He finally found . purchaser for his
furniture In the person of Jonah Hughes,
one OF the new men ut the mine Hughes given
name stayed with him to the last. Last evening
he paid 500, advanced By the Oregon Improve
unent Company. in cash for furniture to Nc
Quade. Thero was special agreement between
shs men that AcQuade should say nothing about
the purchase, at least until Hughes had been
md
some one In charge OF his new purchase. 'sThe
whole 500 worth OF stuff would not be worth
nvs cents to me, McQuade," he said, IS they
concluded the bargain and the money was paid
over, "if the strikers should know that was
the one that bought It: there would be nothing
- take possession OF by the time got around TO
moving IN"
NcQusds promised TO be secret, as requested,
and ayowed his intention OF going away be-
tween and IL o'clock today. He did leave on
she 9o'cloek stage for Seattle. II Was trifie
over four hours later that the explosion oc-
curred. but the general opinonis that McQuade
did the work himself by some sort of mechan-
icsl de,ice which would postpone the shock
until he had gone far enough to be able to prove
m alihi With the money safely in his pocket.
IN amount fully equal to the value of the furni-
surc, u was easy enough to destroy the CON-
psny's property and ct the same time be re-
venged upon man who had been classed In the
category known to the miners ~ "blacklsgs."
Hughes was as much friend OF the mine
owners a. McQuade was the reverse At the
time when men were needed most Hughes
secured the country, and good many farmers
and others were persuaded to go to work at the
mine through his efforts. AZ o result the men
were not warm friends, although Hughes IL re-
lated to McQuade's wife. McQuade's reputa-
tion has ct no tins been very good, while
Hughes IL given . good name BY nearly every
body. The scene of tie fire and explosion IL a.
barren - . Stag pile this evening. The shreds
Of the houses which were not blown out OF
In one Of the rooms, but couple OF covers and
m elbow Of pipe are all that now remain, so
that IL II thought quite probable that the stove
was filed full Of powder.
Several school children were picking black
berries on the side hill below the building, not
seventy away ut the time OF the explosion.
The house was blown down the hill, right over
their heads; but they were unframed. though
terribly frightened from the conclusion. Glass
from the windows was blown 800 and 400 feet
AWAY, while chairs, lounge and other articles
Of furniture were scattered about the hillside
Deputy Sheriff Brooks, who was first on the
scene, managed to secure . spring mattress and
mother atufied with hair, but badly burned.
These were taken 20 Coal creek and
Hughes now refers TO them jocularly 90 'my
100 purchase" The deputies worked hard
10 save possible occupant OF the house, but IL
was empty, and the furniture was too infiam-
nable to be saved. Az matter OF course there is
no insurance. The officers are at work on several
clues, one OF which In based upon Q suspicion
that II was McQuads himself that was at the
bottom OF the whole business. He left his trunk
It the depot, to be shipped to Seattle. superin-
tsndent Corey has been notified by telegraph,
and no 10 expected to offer reward for the ar
rest OF the guilty parties. Sheriff
Woolsry was at Coal Greek when IL oc-
rurred this afternoon. He examined the ground
md several interested persons and left for
seattle to work out the solution OF the mystery.
II was an action similar TO the explosion OF the
dynamite at August Sanders cabin The perps-
lrator evidently thought to get all the revenge
hs could by destroying his enemies property
without taking the chances that go with the
OF capital crime McQuade win
BE- watched. and II no does not 70 to Australia.
N he said he would do before he Is located. IL ia
not improbable that hs win be detained pending
IN examination.