Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-03
TRAGEDY in CHICAGO

/ House Blown Up With Dynamite and
Father and Daughter Instantly
kiIIed-A Suspect Now Under Ar
| rest.
Chicago. Nov. 3.-Joseph Kordech
and his daughter Lucy, years old,
were blown to pieces by a dynamite
bomb at $3.50 o'clock yesterday morning
while asleep in their home at Chicago
Heights. Mrs Kordech, who, with an
infant 2 weeks old, was sleeping in the
same bed, was badly injured, but will
recover. Charles Smith, a former
boarder at the Kordech home, is under
arrest at the Chicago Heights lookup,
charged with blowing up the house and
with double murder.
Smith has made repeated threats to
blow up the Iordech home, it is charg-
ed. He is a rejected sutton of Mamie,
Oldest daughter of the kordechs, and
also has a grievance against the kor-
dech family because 1866 of his money
disappeared from his room while he
was a boarder in their home. This was
more than a year ago. Smith charged
the family with taking the money, and
has said on several occasions, 1t is
charged, that he would get even.''
In a fire following the explosion of
the bomb the Kordech home, at 1434
Portland avenue, was completely con-
sumed, together with the frome resi-
dence of Justin Comolawisky, few
.le -
was a one-story frame structure.
Mrs. Kordech's escape is considered
extraordinary. Sleeping in the same
bed with her husband, she and the in
FAINT escaped death, while he was killed
outright as well as Lucy, who slept In
a crib near by.
The other children--Helen, Joseph
inc, Peter, Emily, Mamie and Eddie,
from 4 to 16 years of age-were not In
the room with their parents, and suf-
fered only slight injuries. They are
being cared for by the neighbors. Mrs.
Kordech is at the Presbyterian hospital
In this city. Several boarders in the
house also escaped uninjured.
The explosion occurred shortly after
$3.50 o'clock. The bomb had been
placed under the floor of the room oc-
cupied by the father and mother, and
directly under their bed. The bomb
is thought to have been about ten
inches in length. It was made of sheet
Steel and lined with lead. The explos-
ion was terrific. Two large pieces of
the steel were found imbedded in the
wall of J. C. Adams house, 500 feet
away.
Mrs. Kordech is thought to have es-
capped from the wrecked house thru the
hole made in the floor by the explosion,
as the whole structure was caying in
when she awoke.
at seemed as if the whole house We're
falling into our ROOM" said Mrs. Kor-
dech yesterday. when I opened my
eyes the room was full of smoke, and
glass and plaster were falling in show
ers around me.
Il called to my husband and Lucy.
They did not answer me. The walls of
the room were on fire. felt a dull pain
In my right SIDE Nothing was clear to
me. Selling the baby in my arms got t
out Of the house. don't know how we
got out. The next thing / knew several
people were leaning over me-"
The children were found, one by one. /
by policemen and neighbors when they
arrived few minutes after the explos-
ion Mrs. Kordech was found uncon- I
scious, with the infant in her arms, ly-
ing several yards north of the house.
The entire force of the explosion was
upward. The bed in which Mr.. and
Mrs. Kordech were sleeping was torn
into splinters. Kordech's body was
horribly mangled. 1t was taken from
the ruins after the fire was extin-
guished.
Pieces of flesh the size of a mans
hand were the largest parts of Lucy's
body found by thes searchers in the
ruins. A large piece of flesh was torn
crarn Mrs kardach,s RIGHT side