Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-04
A STRIKER IN A CELL
Charged With Dynamiting a
Night Car on the Man
chester Line.
REASONS FOR THE ARREST.
The Story Told by Conductor Causes
the officers to Act.
AN EARLY MORNING EXPLOSION
Which Created a Panic Among Residents
of Lower Allegheny.
REASONS FOR THE ARREST.
AN EARLY MORNING EXPLOSION
no STATEMENT FROM THE PRISONER

Preston Kippler was last night lodged in
the county Jail charged with placing the
dynamite cartridge on Pittsburg, Allegheny
and Manchester street car tracks yesterday
morning which blew up the car loaded
with employees and partially wrecked sew
eral buildings.
At 4:50 yesterday morning the last night
car was passing up Beaver avenue, loaded
with Is employees of the road, who were 60
ing to the car stables to take their cars out.
Just as the car was within about 125 feet of
Brady street, there was a report which
sounded like the discharge of many canrons,
and the car leaped into the air, while the
glass in the surrounding buildings showered
down on the pavement like rain.
Almost a Total Wreck.
The car was running at a high rate Of
speed, and when it left the track it did not
stop, but ran over the cobble stones up to
Brady street. Here it was stopped. The
car was found to be almost total wreck,
but of the IS men none of them were hurt,
beyond some bruises and cuts.
The people living in the houses within
radius of several SQUARES felt the shock
badly damaged are st. Andrews Parochial
School, Mrs. Herman Harrison's residence,
Miller's boarding house and Mr.. McEvoy's
residence. These are all three-story brick
buildings, and every pane Of glass In the
front of these houses was broken.
At that hour the inmates were all sleep
ing, and the awful report of the dynamite
caused pandemonium with the sleepers.
Some of them were blown out of their beds.
Several of the Sisters in the con-
vent were overcome, and the Mother
Superior was so affected as to
be i'll all day. Mrs. Harrison
also tainted and was carried from the house.
The inmates of Miller's boarding house
were so badly scared that they did not wait
to make even a hasty toilet, but rushed
from the house. Aside from the glass being
broken in the windows much other damage
was done on the inside.
A Rush to the Scene.
The rumbling of the explosion had hardly
died away until the residents of Manchester
began to turn out en- masse, and soon the
street was black with people. Each was
inquiring of the other how it happened, but
no one seemed able to tell After an hours
work the wrecked car was put into condi-
tion to run into the car sheds.
The Allegheny Police Department was
Immediately notified, and Detectives Steele,
Johnston and Hornman were detailed to
work the case. They suspected Preston
Kippler, striking conductor. and at 5
o'clock last night arrested him. Their sus-
picions were based on the story told
by Conductor Robert Eberhart. of
the ill-fated car. Eberhart claims
that three minutes after the explosion
Kippler came to him and said that he was in
bed when he heard the report, and that he
got up and dressed, coming out to see what
must be rapid man if he could do all this
iuside of three minutes, when his home is
at 62 Preble avenue, and arrested him.
The Prisoner Refused to Talk.
At the police station Kippler was ques-
toned, but he refused to say anything fur
ther than he did to Eberhart. About 10
o'clock he was removed to the county Jail,
as an information had been made before
Gripp. He was charged with
having laid explosives on the track, and
also with malicious mischief The time of
the hearing has not been fixed.
All day yesterday theories were advanced
as to why the deed was done. The one most
generally believed is that it was direct at
tempt to take the life of Conductor Eber-
hart, and to do this the perpetrator was
willing to hazard the lives of the other II
men. 1t is claimed that previous to the calling
of the present strike Eberhart was heartily
in favor of it and an alIaround union man.
When the men went out he was laid of,
owing to sickness, which continued until
the heat of the strike was over He then
went back and accepted position, which
has greatly irritated the strikers, and, it is
alleged, this means of getting rid of him
was adopted
Previous to yesterdays action the citizens
of Manchester have been in sympathy with
the strikers, but now many of them have
changed their views The strikers seemed
to be much affected by the explosion yester-
day, and all day declared that the perpe-
traitor was not one of their number.
The Others Arrested Discharged.
The seven men who were arrested by the
Allegheny police on January 10 for dis
orderly conduct in connection with the
strike, were given a hearing
yesterday afternoon before Deputy Mayor
Braun. They were J. A. Stockdale, O.
Matthews, James Branc, William Beer,
Frederick Ashley, c. Brooks and William
Robecker. But little testimony in the case
was taken, the few witnesses asserting that
the defendants had simply called the new
employees on the cars vile names
No specific charges were made and
Squire Braun discharged the defendants,
saying that he could not hold them on such
indefinite charges. Such action he said
would be equivalent to convicting and
a man for simply holding an
opinion.