The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-05
KILLED BY BOMBS
Twelve Persons Meet Death at
Madison Square Garden.
They We're Witnessing a Dis
play of Fireworks.
SEVENTY-FOUR HURT.
Premature Explosion Caused
Discharge of Mortars.
Missiles Plowed Through the
Mass Of Humanity.
POLICE POWERLESS.
Many Were Trampled in the
Rush to Escape.
Managers of the Exhibition
Placed Under Arrest.

Placed Under Arrest.
New York, Nov By a series of ex-
plosions of pyrotechnic bombs and other
fireworks last night among a vast null
titude gathered in Madison Square gar
den to witness the ascension of an air
ship and a display of election returns.
eleven persons We're killed outright,
many being blown almost to pieces, and
at least fifty injured, many of them
fatally
It is estimated that at least 10000 per-
sons thronged the square at the time
of the explosions which We're succeeded
by a frightGul panic in which hundreds
were thrown down and trampled under
foO--
Five hundred policemen and all the
ambulances in the city were instantly
summoned, and the dying and those
most seriously injured were removed to
the hospitals In addition to these many
CT the wounded were taken away by
friends.
Nine men in charge of the fireworks
display were placed under arrest i'm
mediately after the explosion.
The list OF the dead is:
POLICEMAN DENNIS SHEA.
WILLIAM & FINNEY.
GEORGE RITZLE.
HAROLD RORLEy
FIVE UNKNOWN MEN
UNKNOWN COLORED MAN.
UNKNOWN COLORED BOY.
The most seriously injured are:
Policeman Michael MCGEE.
Policeman Michael Reagan.
Florence Dyer.
David M.7ers.
William Mallory.
John Claner.
James Corrigan.
Frank Lesion.
George LandOn.
Charles GLADDEN..
John Farrell.
f. Driller.
Frank L. Keeler.
Frank Wilson
Helen Wilson.
Henry Adams.
Charles Oglan.
/. David.
Joseph Schaefer.
Samuel MAYER
Angelo Donick.
The densest portion of the throng that
packed the square was gathered along
Madison avenue close to the place re-
served for the discharge of the fireworks.
Along the border of the square facing the
avenue were arranged three groups of cast
iron mortars, twenty in each group and
| loaded with heavy bombs. A few minutes
after 10 o'clock the first row of mortars
was touched off, but before the discharge
! took place one of them fell over its
side, and the next instant the bomb was
shot into the thckest of the crowd where
/ it exploded and hurled the people into
heaps. The fall of the mortar and the
conclusion of the explosion knocked down
the rest of the row of mortars and a thun-
dering voley of huge projectiles plowed
through the crowd.
Almost instantaneously the second group
of twenty mortars about 100 feet further
up the avenue discharged their contents
/ into the crowd and moment later the
third group. evidently igniting by the
showers of falling sparks, exploded in the
same manner.
In the panic that ensued thousands ran
blindly across the square, tripping over
the seats and the benches and falling,
were tramped on. The police on duty were
| carried along by the rush and for half an
hour the widest confusion reigned After
the smoke of the explosion had cleared
away 16 persons were found lying in Madi-
son avenue between Twenty-third and
Twenty-fifth streets. Scores of injured
were scattered about the avenue and
square. Among the dead was a policeman
who was standing close to the first NOR
tar and whose body frightfuily man.
gIed. A force of 500 policemen was soon
on the spot and upwards of 100 physicians
and 200 nurses We're summoned from the
hospitals, every available vehicle being
pressed into service for the transportation
of the wounded The following persons
connected with the fireworks in charge of
the display were arrested
Henry Temple, Frank Listvan, James
T. Allen, Edward Smith. Herman Rogers
Charles Holman. John Fullan.
None of them could offer an explanation
of how the explosion took place.
LIST OF DEAD AND INJURED GROWS
With list of II persons killed and "A in
iured before him, Coroner Scholer has in
augurated an investigation of the explos-
ion of fireworks in Madison Square last
evening. Eight men already have been
locked up, charged with criminal neglig-
ence The coroner has issued a warrant
for the arrest of John Dimundio of Coney
Island. who is alleged to have been in
charge of the fireworks.
.It is a case of absolute criminal
neglect said the coroner. lone of the
mortars was set off and it was pointed at
a row of other mortars in a line. There
| was a defect in the bottom of the mortar
| and it leaned towards the others, which
! were set off by the fire bah thrown toward
it,
District Attorney Jerome. who was at
the Union club in Fifth avenue. not far
from the scene of the explosion hurried
to the scene and after an investigation
ordered the arrest of the men in charge OF
the fireworks.
He had the prisoners taken to police
headquarters, together with the unexpIod-
I ed fireworks. Inspector Brooks. of the po-
lice department, also ordered the arrest OF
the manufacturer of the bombs, but he
has not yet been found.
/ The district attorney said:
Dynamite bombs should not be allow ed
in such a public place. I have no doubt
that a permit had been issued for the ex-
hibition but a rigid investigation will be
made. Steps will be taken to prevent any
thing like this occurring in the future
revised list of the dead follows:
PATROLMAN DENNIS SHEA, of the
Brooklyn Bridge squad
WILLIAM c. Penney, u years old
nephew of Major W H. Buck, of this
/ city.