The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-12
BLOWN UP BY BLACkMAILERS.
A THIRD AVENUE BARRIER SHOP
WRECKED WITH DYNAMITE.

Explosion After Midnight Blows Hail Ns
Contents Across the street-Tenants
Above Are Panic stricken-Tho Pro-
prletor Had Turned Letters De-
handing $500 Over to the Police.
Joseph Stravalli, barber 80 prosperous
that he runs two shops. receive ed a letter
six weeks ago telling him that his chill
dren would be stolen and his barber shops
wrecked II he failed to take $500 to the
corner of Thirty-eighth street and First
avenue and hand the cash to two men he
would find there.
That was when the little Mannino boy
was missing in Brooklyn and many Italian
blackmailers were making money out OF
the fears OF the timorous. Stravalli had the
nerve to take the letter to the police With
two detectives he went to the corner, but
the blaokmailers were wary and failed to
appear.
Stravalh got another letter a few days
ago worded in the same way, telling him
that no more time would be given to him to
deliver the money; he must bring II at once.
With Central Office detective he went to
the corner again. Not sign OF the letter
writer's did they see.
At 1850 o'clock this morning the roar
OF an explosion In the building at AT Third
avenue, where Stravalli has one OF his
barber shops, drove the tenants living above
out OF their beds In fright. A sheet OF
fame shot out Of the windows Of the barber
shop and smoke rolled up through the tene-
ment.
Walter Bailey OF 16l East Twenty-sixth
street and Frank Roupp Of o. Linden ave-
nue. Brooklyn, were passing when the
explosion came They ran for policeman.
A fire alarm was turned in and the reserves
were ordered up from the East thirty
fifth street police station.
When the police and fremen got to the
place they found that the barber shop on
the ground floor had been practically
wrecked, apparently by the explosion OF
dynamite bomb. Pieces OF the plate
glass and bits Of wood from the front win
dows had been hurled across the street
into the saloon OF James Moriarity.
Tho frightened tenants had run to the
roof, thinking that the whole five story
tenement was on FIRE. From there they
made their way to the tenement at tle.
| No ono was injured save two little girls
who fell In their fright and were bruised
| and cut.
The fire was extinguished easily. The
explosion Of the bomb, or whatever It was
had caused so much smoke that the blaze
looked ominous until the hremen got 70
work.
| Nothing could be found inside tho do
mollshed shop to indicate Just what 1t was
that had been thrown into Stravalhs place
| The police said they believed 1t must have
b5cn 1 dynamite bomb. '-'--
Tho only living thing there had been
In the shop was mastif owned by the
Italian. When the firemen went into the
shop one Of the first things they cav was
the mangled body Of the big dog, headless
The head was found In the street.
sravalh was too frightened to talk after
the excitement quieted. He looked himself
In his room with his wife and six children.
So far as can be asoertsined by the police
no one saw the bomb thrown nor was any
one seen In the street before the tenement
at the time. About $50 o'clock three mer
were seen standing before the house talk.
ing earnestly.
They we're Italians. 30 the police were
informed, and strangers In the neiehbor.
hood.
The damage was slight. The tenants
could hardly be convinced that there wat
no further danger. The police set guarc
| on the place.