Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-10-22
YONKERs. n. ", MAN THE VICTIM OF
AN UNKNOWN MIsCREANT.
BOMB PUT UNDER HIS DESK.
HIS BODY FRIGHTFULLY MANGLED
BY THE EXPLOSION.
Was a Man of Wealth and an Omcer
J of u Chemical COmpany-Bomb
May Have Been Intended
for His Millionaire
Brother.


secretary of the Arlington Chemical works.
located on Palisade avenue, Yonkers. was
instantly killed this morning by dyna-
mite bomb which, the police think, was
placed there for the purpose Of destroying
life and property. There is deep air of
mystery about the entire affair, and one
particularly sensational rumor is afioat.
The body Of the victim was frightfully
mangled by the explosion. and death must
have come instantly.
Hamln Andrus was a man of wealth,
and he lived in Yonkers in handsome style
with his family. He left home in company
with his son, Hiram. aged 20 years, little
before o'clock this morning, and they
went to the factory together. AS was his
custom. the young man opened the safe
and got out the books. after which young
Andrus went from the Office into the fac
tory. The Office is one-story structure
and stands detached from the factory prop
er. The room used by Andrus in the office
building was separated by a thin board
partition from the part occupied by the
clerks OF the concern. 1t was a few min
utes after O'Clock when the explosion oc-
CURED. 1t shook the factory building, and
was accompanied by the sound of crashing
glass and volume of smoke.
A wild rush was made by the factory
employees to the Office. They were headed
by young Andrus. He found the floor of
that portion of the office building occupied
by his father covered with glass. mortar
and broken furniture. In one corner of
the room he saw the bleeding body of his
father. partly covered with the debris. 1t
was in a terribly mangled condition I'M
bedded in the flesh Of the dead man were
found several pieces of cast iron. Other
pieces, corresponding to these, were found
in the office. They were carefully placed
together, and although all the pieces were
not found, there was enough of them to
show that the bomb. or machine, that ex-
ptoded, was a piece of cast iron pipe, about
six inches in length by one and one-half
inches in diameter. Fastened to either end
OF this piece of pipe was cap, which was
screwed on. The odor and smoke indicated
that the explosive was either dynamite or
Giant powder.
So far no motive has been disclosed for
the murder. Mr. AndIus was popular with
all IN Workers and was essentially home
man. Information of a startling character
was received by the police, which may aid
In the solution of the mystery.
1t was to the effect that the bomb was
intended for John F. Andrus, brother of
the dead man, a several times millionaire.
John F. Andrus did not appear at the Of
fee of the Chemical company this morning,
as was his custom. On learning of the ex-
plosion and the death of his brother he
hurried to the police station and communi-
Gated with Captain -Mangin. To the cap
tain he said that the explosion Of the bomb
might have. been the work Of anarchists
and offered an explanation for his belief.
About three weeks ago, he said, he was
walking along Wall street. New York,
when he was accosted by a rather seedy
hooking individual, who took him by the
arm and said: "Mr. Andrus, you are a
very wealthy man. You have too much
money and I am one of number of peo-
pie who believe that you ought to distribute
at least one-third of what you have among
the poor. You will either do this. or there
will be way found of compelling you to
do it,
Andrue. according to his story. paid little
attention to the man at the time.
Up to the present time no arrests have
been made. The police were informed that
Hamlin Andrus was in the habit Of experi-
menting with explosive chemicals, and sew
eral tubes similar to that by which An
drus was killed were sent to the police
captain by an unknown man. who said he
had made tubes of that nature for Mr..
Andrus. The police are looking for that I'M
known. This story. however, is not be-
lieved by the dead mans relatives or
friends. who declare that he had never
engaged in such experimentation or shown
any interest in ii.
The theory is that bomb was placed in
a box under Mr.. Andrus' desk and that
1t was exploded when he went there. No
one was in his Office. 50 far as is known.
but the cleaner yesterday. when every
was in
posed to have the keys to the building
beside three reliable people who apparent
ly know nothing about the explosion.
Mr.. Andrus was director of the iCit-
izens' National bank, of Yonkers, and a
member of the First Presbyterian church
He was public spirited citizen. and was
always identified closely in all public mat
ters that tended to the welfare of the peo-
pie and the place. He was the son of a
Methodist clergyman.