Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-12
ATTEMPT MADE TO KILL GOVERNOR
A. J. SMITH.
HIS RESIDENCE DYNAMITED.
HOUSE BADLY DAMAGED AND MRS
SMITH INJURED.
Joseph w. Oliver, n Veteran Who Left
the Home Recently, Under Arrest
for the CrIme-Is Thought
by Many TO BE
Crazy.

Leavenworth. Kas.. June 11.-(Special)
| This morning at S:S5 o'clock an assassin
| made an attempt to kill Governor A. j..
Smith, of the National Soldiers home. by
| blowing his house up with a dynamite
| bomb. Mrs. Smith was slightly injured
and badly shocked by the explosion, and
the house was damaged TO the extent of
about $1,000. Joseph w. Oliver, veteran
who left the home two weeks ago, is under
arrest charged with the crime, and there
is strong evidence of his guilt.
The dynamite was placed on a sill in a
window directly under the room occupied
b. Mrs. Smith. This room adjoins the one
occupied by Governor Smith, for whom
the bomb was undoubtedly meant. Shortly
before the explosion occurred, Mrs. Smith
was up moving around in her room and
she heard a noise at a window. She looked
around and noticing nothing wrong blew
out the light and retired to bed again.
She had scarcely done so when there
was terrific explosion. She thought at
first the house had fallen, as plastering
fell and everything in the room was shat
tered. All parts of the house were shaken
and Governor Smith supposed the building
had been struck by lightning. The first
thing he did was to call to Mrs. Smith.
Miss Daisy and the servants, and when
procured a light and started to make an
investigation. Some members of the home
police joined him and they were not long
in discovering that dynamite had been used
and that an attempt had been made TO
blow up the house and murder the people
in IL.
The explosion was heard for five miles.
and it shook buildings all over the camp.
Window glass was broken I'm barracks as
far down the hospital. When daylight
came, II was found that the rock had
been torn out of the east bay window
and that all window sashes and the east
side of the house were cracked. The
greatest damage was to Mrs. Smiths
room. The bed she was sleeping in was
the five persons in the house were lucky
to get OF with their lives.
Mrs. Smith was injured only slightly, but
was badly shocked. She is confined to her
few days.
At frst no one was allowed to go to the
was the intention to bring on bloodhOunds
to track the would-be murderer. From the
first Governor Smith suspected ]. W. OIL
yer and at o'clock in the morning he tel
ephoned to the city police to have Oliver
arrested. When the police went TO divers
boarding house they learned that his bed
had not been occupied during the night
and that he was absent. They waited and
arrested him as he was coming in the
back way.
divers pants. shoes and stockings were
wet, showing that he had just returned
from a trip through long grass. The man
who fired the bomb left the Smith home
by going through the meadow west OF the
house to an old gate, which he broke open.
When taken to police headquarters. Oliver
expressed surprise to find that Governor
Smith had not been killed, and said that
he ought to have been.
After the arrest of oliver, the hunt for
other persons was given up. During the
afternoon. a veteran was arrested as an
accomplice. but he has been released. Gov
ernor Smiths friends intended al first to
try to show that there was conspiracy
to have him murdered, but this was given
up.
oliver is thought by many people TO be
crazy. Last winter he shot at street car
conductor in a dispte over paying his fare
and he was sentenced to 200 days on the
rockpile for the offense- He has been an
enemy OF Governor Smith. and IS very
revengeful man. During the war he served
in the Eleventh Illinois cavalry.
During theafternOon Oliver was taken
before a United States commissioner and
placed under a 81 600 bond on the charge OF
attempted murder and manslaughter. He is
now in the county Jail and refuses to talk.
A Leavenworth Times reporter called on
Governor Smith during the afternoon for an
interview, when the governor dictated the
following to him:
I'VE have been out and viewed the wreck
at the home. The responsibility for the
crime rests partially upon the shoulders OF
D. r. Anthony"
against Smith during the congressional in
vestigation and the attorneys in charge of
the prosecution would not allow him to do
so. Finding this was the case. he wrote n
twenty-seven page letter, which he handed
an attorney to be read to the committee
He headed his statement in these words:
"A Brief Outline OF the Career and Crime
of the Blacklist Hearted Villain That Ever
Cursed Humanity" After accusing Govern
or Smith of all the misdeeds with which he
was charged during the investigation, and
more, Oliver concluded thus:
You gentlemen of the committee can do
what you like with this paper. You can
read IL to Smith IL YOU like That will |
bring on the war between him and me- and |
then 1 will make short work of the old
brute.
Then let him say whether or not am |
crazy, for that is the great card he has
always played in order to break down the |
testimony of the men he feared. Smith will |
have to go or take his medicine That |
much has been determined. He will be |
killed on the streets of Leavenworth"