Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-30
ARSON TENDS AWFUL FATE.
A Terrific Explosion Demolished Several Large Buildings-Mlne Owner
 Under Suspicion.

Scranton, Pa, June 29.--A dynamite explosion early this morning in South Scranton blew up the business block of Otchoffski, double dwelling block own cd by h m and detached house owned by Michael OHara. The business block, two story building, was torn to pieces. Twenty dwelling houses had their win- dows broken out and walls damaged. The shock was felt all over the city. Otchof- ski was badly injured in saving his wife and his recovery is doubtful.
 Following the explosion the wrecked buildings took fire, but the firemen pre- vented the flames from spreading. Other properties seriously damaged were the brick block and dwelling of Charles John son, dwellings of William Grambe, Chas. Kiefer, John Kline, Michael Joyce, pr. J. J. Watts, James H. Welsh, Adam FL finger Biebel Lavell, Joseph Demins, Philip Kleip, Carl Scheurman and George Gardiner and B. Huse's blacksmith shop. In some of the houses the sleeping peo- pie were injured by falling plaster. The infant child of Michael Joyce was dan- gerously injured and a little son of John Klein almost suffocated. The total less will reach $25,000.
 Otchoffski has been in political and church WrangleS for number of years, and was the recognized leader of one of the warning factions among the s9uth Sfue tP9tdnucIS.
 When asked if he thought it possible tha. some enemy had blown up his store he said he did not know what to think it might be, but he would not like to say anything abou, it. He closed up the sSore at o'clock last night and left every thing in good shape. Otchoffski lived on the ground floor next to the sore build ings. All he knows is that he was aroused by an explosion and a burst of flame into his room. He grabbed his wife and leading the way made his exit to fhe street, where he lost consciousness. He was carried to house opposite and physician summoned. He was found to- be painfully burned about the face and hands and cut on the forehead, large lump indicating that he had bsen struck by a flying missile. His eyes are se- riously burned
 Mackalowski, the saloonkeeper, who lived above Otchoffski, awoke to find his bedroom fillsd with smoke and tongues of flames bursting in the windows from the store Side. His wife came running into the room with blood trickIng down her face from a slight abrasion caused by falling plaster. Gathering up their children, they started for the hallway exit, but the key of the door had been knocked out by the explosion, and being una ble to find it in hurried hunt about the floor, they made for ths windows and one by one dropped to the roof of summer kitchen below and then to the ground.
 Chiefs Rolling and Hickey of the po- lice and fire departments respectively, and a corps of assistants worked with a great deal of cagerness today in an effort to fix the responsibility for the explos on. It Is generally believed that Leon Otchofsky, owner of the main building, is the guilty party. He was arrested to- night charged with arson. At the rear of the store was found three big drawers filled with oil He had no clothing on when the explosion occurred and ruseled into the streiet. The wreckage was re- moved today and no bodies found, Fix perts say that 100 pounds of dynamite or proportiorate amount of some equally powerful agent must have been used.