The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-22
Killed by Pieces of n Cast-IrOn Pip
That Had Been Filled with Dy-
Mantle or Giant
VERY MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
THE POLICE HAVE NOT YET
BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE.
The Victims Brother Certain that the
Crime Was the Work of Anarch-
i~sts-Other Theories.

IL OlkIAg wv
secretary of the Arlington chemica works,
located in Palisade avenue, Yonke was
instantly killed this morning by a dynamite
bomb, which the police think was placed
there for. the purpose of destroying life
and property. There is a deep air or mys-
terry about the entire affair, and one par
ticularly sensational rumor is afloat. The
body of the victim was frightfully mangled
by the explosion and death must have come
instantly.
Hamlin Andrus was a man of wealth and
he lived in Yonker in handsome style with
his family. He left home in company with
his son Hiram. aged twenty years, a little
before 8 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 a one-Storied structure
and stands detached from the factory
proper. 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 minutes after s o'clock
when the explosion occurred. 1t shook the
factory building, and was accompanied by
the sound of crashing glass and a volume
of smoke. A wild rush was made by the
ldClOTy employees 10 the Olllce. IHey 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 cor
ner of the room he saw the bleeding and
nnangled body of his father, partly covered
with the debris. 1t was in a terribly man.
gled condition. Embedded 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 We're
carefully placed together, and although
all the pieces were not found there was
enough of them to show that the bomb,
or machine, that exploded was a piece of
cast-iron pipe, about six inches in length
by one and d half inches in diameter. Fas-
tened to either end of this piece OF pipe
was a cap, which was screwed on. The
odor and smoke indicated that the eX-
plosive was either dynamite or giant pow
der. So far no motive has been disclosed
for the murder. Mr.. Andrus was popular
with all in Yonkers, and was essentially a
home man.
rma 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, sew
eTdI llIIlcS &c oOiii NN
not appear at the office of the chemical
company this morning, as was his custom.
On learning of the explosion and the death
of his brother he hurried to the police sta
ton and communicated with Captain Man
gin. To the captain he said that the ex-
plosion of the bomb might have been the
work of anarchists, and offered an explana-
ton 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-looking individual, who took
him by the arm and said:
Mr.. Andrus, you are a Very wealthy
man. You have too much money, and 1 am
one of a number of people 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 a way found
of compelling you to do it,"
Andrus, according to his story, paid little
attention to the man at the time.
Up to the present no arrests have been
made. The police were informed that Ham
lin Andrus was in the habit of expert
menting with explosive chemicals, and
several tubes similar to that by which
Andrus was killed were sent to the police
captain by an unknown man, who said he
had made tubes of that nature for Mr.. An
drus. 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 en-
gagged in such experiments or shown any
interest in it.
The theory is that a bomb was placed in
a box under Mr.. Andrus's desk, and that
it was exploded when he went there. No
ore was in his office, so far as is known,
but the cleaner, yesterday, when every
thing was in order, and no one was sup
posed to have the keys to the building be-
sides three reliable people, who apparently
know nothing about the explosion.
Mr.. Andrus was a director of the Citi-
zons' National Bank, of Yonkers, and a
member OF the First Presbyterian Church.
He was a p~ublic-spirited citizen, and was
always identified closely in all public mat
tiers that tended to the welfare of the peo-
pie and the place. He was the son of a
Methodist Clergyman.