The record-union., 1891-12-05
Special to the REcoRD-Ux1oS.

millionaire broker, escaped death by a
miracle to-day, his Office and the entire
Empire Building, in which it was, being
shaken to the very foundation by the ex-
plosion of dynamite bomb hurled by a
crank, who made demand upon Sage for
the immediate payment of 81, 100000, the
ultimatum being, in case of refusal, the
death of the millionaire, the crank him
self and those employed in the office.
Never in the history of the metropolis is
1t probable that an event has occurred
that for time caused more excitement in
Wall street and lower Broadway. 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.
It was just 2:2O when the explosion
came, with a force that was absolutely
startling, completely wrecking the sec
ond floor of the building, throwing pedes-
TRANS 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. few minutes later Sage
himself, with the blood streaming down
his face and hands, was helped out into
the street and taken to O'COnnelFS drug
store, just below Wall street on Broad
way. There also was carried the man
blown from the 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 serious 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 the following statement while his
wounds were being dressed: "A man
who gave his name as II. ID. Wilson came
to my office just now. l had never seen
him before. He had carpet-bag in his
hand, and said, If you will not give me
81, ,250,000 l will blow you to pieces
know nothing further except the hearing
of q great explosion and the falling Of the
fioor l regained consciousness here.
The man lying on the floor Of the drug
store is, l believe, the same one who
asked me for the money" When Sage's
wounds were dressed he was taken in a
cab to his home.
Outside of the door everything was con-
fusion. Men lost their heads, and rumors
of the widest kind filled the air. Twenty
people were said to have been killed and
injured, as from the building the firemen
led or carried the dead and injured Am
pitfalls, and soon the streets around were
solidly filled with a 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 a state that rendered recognition
nearly impossible, the head having been
severed from the body. A pointed, red
dish beard gave the appearance of an edu-
Gated man, which was enhanced by brown
Curls of hair and heavy mouStache that
adorned the upper lip. When the body
was taken up it was found to have been
torn into shreds by the explosion.
The interior of the offices plainly
showed that the force of the explosion
was something terrific. All the partition
walls were blown down and the sashes
and window frames forced outward. The
ceiling had been blown down, and the
floor forced downward, rendering it un-
safe to walk upon. Desks and chairs Were
overturned and hurled into an indescrib-
able 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 the pointed beard
was the only one among the debris. In
the meantime the crowds in the street
grew larger, the elevated trains from UP
town bringing thousands TO the scene, all
impelled by curiosity. For an hour con-
fusion reigned. Then the police found
their heads and something like correct
list of the killed and injured was had.
But one person had been killed outright,
the man with the pointed beard. He is
supposed to be II. d. Wilson, the man
that made the demand for money from
Sage and thI Iew the bomb. Benz T..
fhrNr1yr H.
window, a clerk in the Office, was re-
moved to the Chamber-street Hospital,
where he died at l:30.
The following injured were taken to the
hospital: Frank Robertson, 80 years old,
clerk for Imbre IL Co.. brokers. He was
In Sage's Office at the time of the ex-
plosion. His skull was fractured, and he
win probably die.
Charles w. Osborn, Russell Sage's
cashier, fractured skull, and will prob
ably die.
Samuel J. Calherin, who was in the
building at the time, received a fracture
of the leg.
Colonel J. J. Slocum, brother-in-law of
Sage and his chief clerk, was badly cut
about the head and face and received
other wounds. When they were dressed
he returned TO the scene, declaring that
he had left the door of the safe open, and
was fearful that the securities in it had
ering 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 the firemen found
among the debris a leg, thought to be that
of woman. Whether it is or not has not
been discovered. Russell Sage did not
employ a woman typewriter, and as this
fact is well established the supposition is
that if the leg is that of a woman it is all
that is left of one of his put and call''
customers, who was in the office at the
time.
Chase James. a railroad man and resi-
dent of Chattanooga, Tenn, had an ap-
pointment with Sage at II o'clock. and
had an experience that be will never for
get. He says: 81 called at Sage's office
at u o'clock, and found him out. seat
was offered me in the main office near
the desk. l took it and awaited Sage's
return. Sitting on bench near the wall
j noticed a man, perhaps five feet eight
inches IN hight. He wore a plug hat, and
had pointed beard and heavy brown
nlustache. AT about 1915 o'clock Sage
came in, and, greeting me, asked me into
his private office Sage had just removed
his hat and asked me to be seated, when
his clerk entered and said something tc
him | did not hear. Turning to me, he
said, Excuse me a moment and passed
through the door into the main office
The door closed behind him, and push
ing my chair over to the wall, and facing
the door through which Sage had gone
T.