Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-05-26
ANARCHY In IOWA.

~ AAO
Saloonmen Blow Up and Wreck
the Homes OF Active Pro-
hibitionists.
The Postmaster Of NIuscatine
One OF the victims--.No
Fatalities Result.
Tho homes Of John Mahin and E.
M. Kessinger, at Muscatine, were
wrecked by explosives last week. Mr..
Mahin is the postmaster Of the city
and editor of the Evening Journal.
He is one of the oldest newspaper
men in the state in point of service.
Mr. Kessinger is one of the best
known citizens of the place.
The explosion took place at 1880,
just after the electric lights were ex-
t!nguished. The noise was as IL a
thunderbolt had struck that part of
town. The first report was that MI.
Malrin's residence was ablaze and the
fire department appeared promptly.
1t then appeared that it was not the
elements, but f1ends who had sought
to burn and kill. Giant powder OF
some other powerful explosive trans
formed Mr.. Mahtn's house into an
utter wreck. Every wall was Jared
from the foundation, and floors, fur
niture and fixtures were reduced to
fragments.
The loud report awoke Mr.. Mahin,
who at first thought that his home
had been struck by lightning. He
Immediately assisted his wife and
three children, all of whose sleeping
apartments were on the second floor,
from the house and then summoned
help.
He experienced great difficulty in
getting out, as the doors were jammed.
An exit was finally effected through
a broken window in the parlor. The
escape of the family without serious
injury is miraculous. A small blaze,
evidently caused by the exposure of
an electric light wire, was quickly
put out before it made much head
way. A large wardrobe that stood in
the apartment occupied by the two
daughters, tottered when the explo-
sion came and fell against the bed at
an angle, but fortunately missed
them. 1t is evident that the explo-
sive vas placed in the cellar under
the center OF the house, as it was
there that the mass of ruins was most
striking.
Immediately following the report
there was a second explosion. This
came from the residence Off. M. Kes-
singer, corner of 9Th and Orange
streets. The bomb that had done the
mischief had been thrown in alower
window On the westside Of the house,
completely demolishing the interior,
tearing up the floors and blowing out
doors and windows. The hall and
parlor floors were torn from the joists.
A handsome piano lay on it's side and
countless articles of bric-a-brac were
scattered about. The fact that all
the occupants slept on the second
floor accounts for their escape.
Guards were placed at the doors
Immediately after the situation was
realized, and no one was allowed to
enter the house. Hundreds of per-
sons who heard the reports rushed up
to the scene of the disaster.
Another residence which it was
sought to destroy was that of N. Ros-
enberger, a well-known attorney Of
Muscatine. 1t is said that a baby in
Mr.. Rosenberger's home was blown
out of a second story apartment to
the ground, but being wrapped in
clothing was not injured.
j. A. Harvey, president of the Iowa
State Temperance Alliance, has been
in Muscatine for three days. He has
been prosecuting injunction suits
begun last fall against saloopkeepers.
The day before Mr.. Harvey was in
the district court, aud associated
with him was N. Rosenberger, whose
house was also endangered in the
series of explosions. The trial of
William Crate, ct al, came up. Both
sides waived the argument, whereup-
on the Judge announced his decision
to be that the injunction should pro-
coed against William Crate as the
keeper of the nuisance, and Charles
Lange as the owner Of the building.
mother cases tiled, one Of them be-
ing that Of Turner Hall, a decree for
injunction was ordered.
The damage done to the three
houses will amount to $4,000. John
Mahin lives near the center of the
town: E. NJ. Kessinger lives a mile
distant from the Mahin residence,
and N. Rosenberger a mile out IN the
country. The three widely separated
blasts were fred almost at the same
moment. Trails of the bombs show
them to have been professionally pre-