Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-26
GUEST BLOWS Up A HOTEL
He Wrecks the Building with Dylanit'
and Shoots Himself.
MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR At WASHINGTON
said 20 Have Been In Love with
Daughter OF Proprietor, but
There Had Been No quar-
rel Between Them.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-The Golden
Eagle hotel, on the corner Of Jersey avenue
and d street, was d~ynsmited this morning
at 80 o'clock by Frank McKie. one OF the
guests, who subsequently committed sui
eide.
Between twenty and thirty guests were
thrown from their beds by the explosion. but
only the proprietor, Louis Brandt, and his
wife were injured, the latter seriously. The
roof Of the building was blown of and the
falling wreckage crashed through to the
basement, leaving the structure as II
wrecked by a tornado. Every pane OF glass
in the building and the adjoining structures
was broken. The explosion called out the
FIRE department.
The affair Is involved in some mystery.
the proprietor gave q banquet last night
in honor OF his wife, who had just returned
from Germany, and McKie was a guest.
In Love with Daughter.
McKie had boarded at the hotel four
years and had been treated as a member
OF the Brandt family, which includes a
daughter, Sophie, with whom McKie is said
to have been in love. Brandt denies that
there was any understanding between the
two. McKie remarked last night that he
was going to wait until Sophie returned
from Germany and then he was going to
his old home in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Brandt and her daughter returned
about s o'clock last night. The attempt
at wholesale murder followed this morning
McKie, with a pistol in his hand, was seer
by an employee OF a lunch room opposite
the hotel just before the shots we're fired
! When the explosion occurred a slight blaze
sprang from the debris, but II was quickly
extinguished by the fremen.
Brandt and his wife were rescued before
many Of the thirty guests of the establish.
ment had reached the part Of the building
In which McKie's room was located. Nc,
Kie, with revolver clutched in his hand, was
found lying on the floor with his head In
a pool Of blood. A bullet hole near thu
right ear had caused instant death. Brandt
was bruised about the body and shaken VI
badly and received a severe cut on the left
leg. Mrs. Brandt sustained bruises about
the body and a cut hand.
Trunk Full of Dynamite.
When the wrecked building was searched
today enough dynamite was found in Nc
Kie's trunk to blow up a block of build
ings. There were six whole sticks anC
parts Of two or three broken sticks, to
gether with a box Of caps and q quantit!
Of wire for lnng-distence explosion II
had at least nine sticks Of dynamite in hi,
possession.
McKie was about 2S years old. He wa,
formerly Of Philadelphia and had rela
tives in Chicago. His brother, Harr!
McKie, was killed in Chicago last year, &C
I cording to a telegram found in the dea,
mans room today. McKie was a machin
list in the navy yard here. but resigned o.
- AnA mn g..
years ago. This amount he is said to hav
lost on the races and his act is accredite
by some to this loss. Detectives are In
vestigating the case today.
An uncle OF McKie who was locate,
today telegraphed to Major Sylvester, tn
chief OF police. that he would come t.
Washington and take charge Of the bod
Of the dead man. McKie is known to hav
inquired as to the effect Of explosives an
there seems to be no doubt that the ex
plosion was deliberately planned.