River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-11-06
ARE SLAIN BY A BOMB
Dastardly Deed Committed in Chi
cago Heights, I'll.
CovardIy Assassin Places Bomb Un-
der House Father and Babe
kilIed-Eisht others Injured
Suspect Under Arrest.

Chicago, Nov. By the explosion
of dynamite bomb, which had been
thrown by a revengeful hand, a father
and child were killed in Chicago
Heights Sunday morning, mother
was seriously injured and seven chill
dren were slightly hurt. Partly
wrecked by the force of the explosion,
the house caught fire, and, with resi-
dence adjoining, was destroyed by the
fames, with the contents, the occu-
pants barely having time to escape.
Two men, one of whom the police be-
lieve to have perpetrated the crime,
are under arrest. Loss OF money by
theft and unrequited love for the
daughter of the victim are reasons as
signed as a motive for revenge. The
dead are Joseph Cordeck and Lucy,
his tWO-year-oId child.
Bomb Placed Under Bedroom.
Cordeck and his family lived in
one-story frame cottage in the suburb.
The father and mother and two
babies occupied one room, while two
other rooms were occupied by three
girls and three boys. The bomb was
placed under the room occupied by the
parents. To get it there the guilty
man was forced to remove ooaro
from the side of the house near the
ground, making hole large enough
for him to crawl under the building.
SO great was the force of the eX-
plosion, which occurred at four
o'clock in the morning, that it blew
large ragged hole in the foor OF the
room and tore the bed into shreos'
Cordeck's body was dismembered.
Flesh was torn from the right side of
Mrs. Cordeck and the baby's body was
cut by the flying particles.
Mother Saves Baby.
Though painfully wounded, Mrs.
Cordeck seized her baby, jumped TO
her feet and called to her husband.
Receiving no answer and believing he
already had left the house with the
other child, the mother rushed
through the flames and out to the
street. There she fell unconscious.
Aroused by the explosion and the
plaster and boards which were falling
around them, the other children has
tened from their beds. The fire was
threatening them, and, being unable
to save any of their clothing, they
hurried from the house. In another
instant the cottage was in flames.
Former Boarder Accused.
Attracted by the noise of the eXplO-
sion and by the fire, residents of the
Euburb FASTENED to the scene and at
once gave their attention to the care
of the injured while the local depart
n1ent was fighting the fire. Mrs. Cor
deck was found on the ground with
the baby at her side. She was partly
revived, and when she realized what
had occurred she accused Charles
Smith, former boarder at the Cor
deck house.
Find MangIed Bodies.
She inquired for her husband, and
then it was learned he had not been
seen since the explosion. Search was
made for him, and, in a pit torn into
the earth by the dynamite, an arm was
found Later the other arm, both
legs and the charred body were dis
covered in the debris of the wrecked
and burned cottage. Continuing the
search, small portions of the body of
the little girl were found.
Acting on the statement made by
Mrs. Cordeck, Policeman Grove went
to the house where Smith roomed.
Smith was found in bed, and in the
same room was Thomas Koblinski.
Both were arrested and locked up in
the Chicago Heights Jail Smith was
charged with having blown up the
house, and KOblinski will be detained
as a witness. From Mrs. Cordeck's
statements the police see possible
double motive for Smiths interest in
the affair in that he had quarreled
with COrdeck over the loss of some
money and in his attentions to the
eldest daughter of the family, who
had ignored his suit and was about to