The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-29
DASTARDLY DEED.
Some Miscreant Places a
Deadly Bomb In Mrs.
Hilsenbeck Wood
shed.
CARPENTER RATH ACCUSED
had Threatened Her Because She
Occupied What Was Once
His Home.
CARPENTER RATH ACCUSED

A dastardly attempt was made yester-
day to blow UP the entire family of Frank
Hlsenbeck, ait No. % Stagg street, this
city. Some miscreant placed a bomb In
their wood pile in the back yard of their
house between seven o'clock Saturday
night and eight O'Clock Sunday morning.
Mrs. Lilly Hilsenbeck in picking up
some wood TO build the fire found the stick
which looked like an ordinary piece of
kindling wood, and took it into the house
with the other wood. The only difference
between the bomb and the. other sticks
was that the bomb was covered with
mud. She laid it to one side and after
starting the fire began scraping off the
mud. AS she did SO she noticed at one
end a sort of ring in the centre of it.
The stick was about seven inches long and
two inches square, and had a peculiar
look about it. She called the attention of
Henry Krum, one of her boarders, to it.
and he advised her to take IT to the police
station. Sh waited until her husband
came in and then she showed the mystic
rious piece of wood to him. He took it
to the Oakland avenue police station, and
it was kept there until this morning, when
1t was shown to Judge Douglass.
Mrs. .Hilsenbeck called at the police
that William Raph, a : next siaS door %neigshbor.
had placed the bomb in her wood pile
witt the intention Of killing her and her
whole family. as he had often threatened
Judge Douglass refused to entertain the
complaint unit. after The stick had been
was taken downstairs in the police sta
tion and opened by Roundsman Jackson.
In the centre of the wood was found a
cylindrical piece of metal with a plug at
Patroiman John Mcguire is an ex-coal
Explosive. He WA Was called d IN to invest
safe: the bomb further. and after carefully
rrying It open with q knife, disclosed a
Of which was a sInan quantity of gun
wading. which had heen soaked in kero-
sene oil, and at the other END a wooden
plug with some cotton sticking out OF
Interior Of the cylinder. The cotton ass
1 Wadd 1 s'fS aas care saref 81 set ts ! out S1t: ana ana
cylinder. Then the plug was drawn and
p r"s Sg''as Mcclure CUR ss said Z that It it 4' was No 10.
blasting. II is a non-explosive powder
unless coming in contact with fire.
The bomb was so arranged that when
the wood got burning the oily cotton
ne Msulp poM IsRlte an Tae cG SioegK 5 II m taaaes wa az
sIeel nails hammered IL i; The heads
going in covered up with mud.
Mcguire sad that It was one Of the
bombs which were made by the Molly
Maeuires" In the zeal regions;
was a bomb. judge Douglass. upon Mrs.
Hilsenbeck's complaint, issued a warrant
for the arrest of Rath, and Detective
rear of his house. at Nc. q Stage street,
and placed him under arrest. He was
arraigned before Judge Douglass and held
IN $1,000 bail for examination at half past
four O'Clock this afternoon.
Rath is a short; thick set German, about
50 years old. At one time he was a
owned several houses and lived in the
one at No. Is Stage street, where the
Hilsenbecks now live. The house was
was purchased by a Mr.. j. B. Van Wag-
eren of Tonnele avenue for 1000. He
sold it to Mrs. Hisenbeck for 5000, az
is said. having threatened to kill anyone
who undertook to live in it. The threat
however had no effect upon the Hilsen-
Eouse a v year ago last June. Ever since
entering it, Rath has made trouble for
them.
beck said that in August last there was
an explosion in her stove, which has
caused her to be very careful in looking
stove ensr IS She ~ also s Mated mat ans she has IS h az
considerable trouble with Rath, and on
May IL last had him arrested for break
| ing down her fence and an Clubhouse
She said that a man by the name Of Pat
rick Murphy told her yesterday that ne
saw Rath working with a piece. of wood
in his shop, not long ago. A subpoena
was issued for Murphy's appearance in
| court this afternoon and also for several
| told her that they saw him working with
| a peculiar looking piece Of wood.
Rath denied that he had placed the
! laughed at the charge and seemed to
think that the whole affair was a huge
joke.