The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-06
BLASTED By MAFIA.
New Orleans Building Blown
Up for Revenge.
DEAD BURIED IN THE RUINS.
Five Bodies Have Been Recovered
Italians Wanted . Frenchman Who
Had Killed One OF Them.

New Orleans. April 5.-About . O'Clock
this morning an explosion from some mr.
known cause occurred on the corner or
Decatur and Crsuline streets In a two
story brick building containing two stores
on. the ground floor. One Of these was oc
cupied by Emile BouIet as drinking sa-
loon, and the other by Charles Saiatha as
a grocery and ship chambers. The build
ing was near the lower end of the French
market. Little tongues OF flame began
shooting UP from the debris. and by this
time the on-lookers had recovered from,
the shock and set about TO think of Soma
means for rescuing the unfortunates
whom, they knew. were imprisoned in the
smoking mass Of brick and tinbers An
alarm of fire was sounded and the Ere
knen poured water on the debris to save
The dead from cremation. People ran 10.
and fro so much out of their wits that
they could not give intelligent answers to
Inquiries.
Salathe's place was known as the Fish
ermen's Exchange. and was rich in mem
cries of the Cheniere Cemi Ra6N storm.
IL was there that many OF the rescued
made their headquarters when they were
brought TO the city. and II was a very
popular resort for fishermen. At o'clock
this morning two bodies were recovered
They were those of Charles Salathe and
his wife. At daylight the work OF remoy-
ing the ruins began. The police were COM
PEELED TO use force to keep the crowd
away. The bodies OF Felix Rigot and
James Edwards. employees of a fish stand
In the market, were found. 1t was ascer-
tanned that Edwards entered the saloon a
few minutes before the explosion with q
basket of Shrimps.
While the police are inclined TO believe
the explosion was the result OF accident,
people residing in the vicinity of the
loI h,tft a an emit
ent opinion They state openly that the
explosion was an attempt to kill Boulet,
who had such a miraculous escape. Bou-
let is a Frenchman who two years ago
shot and killed one of the wealthiest Ital-
ians doing business near the French mar
ket. This man. Ariestene Balestraci. and
Bouiet were In the saloon business to-
gether. Boulet's wife contracted liason
with Baiestraci. which caused Boulet TO
leave her Balestraci would taunt Boulet
with dishonor, but was always surrounded
by friends when doing so. Two years ago
they met I'm the French market and Bale
straci, who was carrying cane. drew
from its sheath large sword, With which
he attacked Boulet. The latter drew a re-
yolver and killed the Italian. The trial
resulted in Boulet's acquittal. Ever since
then Boulet has been looked upon as a
marked man. His friends tried to per-
suade him to leave the city, but he re-
fused Last night he occupied a room
above the bar room. on the second floor.
and 1t is believed the explosion was done
for the simple purpose of killing him.
Balestraei was leader of the Italian COL
ony and just the sort Of man TO be at the
head of the Malta
The dead, so far as recovered. are:
Charles Salathe. grocer; Mrs. Charles Sa-
lathe. his wife; the 1i-month-old infant of
Mr.. and Mrs. Salathe: Felix Rigot bar
keeper for Abe Decuerst: James Ed
wards The injured are: Tillie j. Salathe,
aged 5, badly bruised; Edward Salathe.
aged 4, bruised: Charles Reiss. driver. jaw
fractured; I. Valienter, skull fractured;
Tom Anderson. slightly injured
c. II. Witty. collector of the French
market was standing on the corner OPP