Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-11
LONG BEACH HOME
BLOWN TO RUINS
MARSHAL C0NKLIN VICTIM OF
HORRIBLE PLOT
REIGN OF TERROR ENSUES
Attempt Is Made to Murder officer
With Wife and Little Chill
dren While They Are
Asleep
REIGN OF TERROR ENsUEs

City Marshal ]. j. Conklin Of Long
Beach, his wife and five children, the
Conklin home at 1880 South Elm street
was destroyed by dynamite about 2
o'clock yesterday morning, but beyond
few bruises the family almost mirac-
ulously escaped uninjured.
The perpetrators are believed to be a
gang of law breakers against whom
Conkin has waged relentless war.
AS result of the outrage, coming as
the elimination of dozen hold-ups,
robberies, six incendiary fires and the
robbery of the postoffice, all within the
past four months, a reign of terror
exists in Long Beach, citizens not
knowing what may be the next act Of
lawlessness.
That the Conklin family was not
killed is probably due to the fact that
ythose interested in the plot were evi-
IDENTITY unacquainted with the proper
ties of the explosive, as the dynamite
was so placed that it's worst effects
found vent on the outside of the build
ing. Moreover the occupants of the
house were in bed, being in part pro-
tected by their reclining position.
Terrific Explosion
The noise of the explosion was heard
by everybody in the city who happened
to be awake at the time and shook
houses near that of the marshal's home
with a violence similar to that of an
earthquake, sending the occupants to
their doors to investigate Window
panes a block away were shattered.
Conklin remained at his office until
after midnight and did not retire until
about 1 o'clock. He was sound asleep
when the explosion occurred. The first
recollection he has is of sitting on the
had happened. His wife was aroused
first and rushing to the side of her hus-
band found him dazed by the shock.
The marshal and his wife then hur-
ried to their children. One of them,
Lena, occupied a room off the front
porch, twelve feet from where the
bomb had been placed. This room and
the parlor adjoining were completely
demolished and Lena lay under heap
of plaster and other debris, on top of
which was chair, blown from an op-
posite corner of the room. The little
girl was taken. from the bed and found
to be suffering from nothing more than
fright and a few cuts and bruises.
Three other children, Mildred, Hazel
and Gordon, were in rear rooms and
were not hurt. The marshal's eldest
son, Clarence. was spending the night
with friends at Huntington Beach.
Door Blown From Hinges
In the parlor the front door had been
blown from it's hinges and thrown clear
across the room knocking section of
lath and plaster off the wall on the OPP
posite side. Strong oak chairs were
torn to pieces and scattered about.
The front of the piano, which stood ten
feet from the front dor, was smashed
in and the instrument ruined. Every
floor in the house was sprung, twisted
or warped out of shape, the windows
were blown from their fastenings and
heavy iron drain pipe in the rear of
the kitchen was broken in two places.
The building is a total wreck and its
contents are almost entirely destroyed.
The damage is estimated at $4,000, on
which no insurance can be collected.
When the marshal went outside he
found that the front porch had been
blown to pieces and lay heap of
kindling wood on the ground. Excited
neighbors collected at the ruined home
and Immediately organized a posse to
search for the perpetrators of the act.
Feeling ran high and the town was
searched for the criminals, who would
undoubtedly have been roughly handled
if caught, but no trace of them was
found. The marshal buckled belt
containing his revolver and several
dozen cartridges about his waist and
Joined in the search. He wore the belt
all yesterday.
Suspect Flrebugs
Suspicion is generally directed to the
gang of firebugs driven out by Marshal
Conklin last week. This gang was sus-
pected of the recent dynamiting of the
Long Beach postofiice in June and the
attempt to burn the Riviera hotel July
49, One of them, Leroy Andrews. about
three weeks ago confessed to burning
the Casa Palma rooming house. An
drews is now in the county Jail on the
charge OF arson. Three other members
OF the gang were kept under surveil-
lance but no evidence against them
could be secured. and last week Conk-
lin ordered them to leave town. They
disappeared Saturday. The theory is
that the gang wanted to avenge An
drews. whose attempt to gain Immunity
by charge against Mrs. Grace Getz
had failed. People living on American