Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-05-06
WAS OASTARDLY OUTRAGE
Attempt Made to Injure Members
Of DR.. Henshaw's Family.
EXPLOSIVES USED LAST NIGHT
Two Heavy Reports Heard In Rear
of His Residence, Causing
Great Excitement.

OTedC EAClLeuSut'
What is believed to have been das.
tardly attempt on the part of unknown
persons TO do some member of the fam
lily of DIR. w. Il. Henshaw serious
bodily injury was made in the rear of
the home of the former mayor at a late
no ur last night, giving rise to the
most silly and sensational rumors aud
causing great excitement in the neigh
borhood in (which DIR. Henshaw re-
sides.
Shortly before II O'Clock the men,
bers ofEDr. Henshaws family, who
had retired for the night. were
awakened by two heavy explosions in
a small1enclosed yard in the rear of
the residence. adjacent to the Doll
hardware establishment. The exDlo-
sions were similar to these made by a
revolver or gun of heavy calibre, or
might have been made by torpedoes or
dynamite.
Owing to the temporary absence of
DR.. Henshaw. the members OF his
family .weie rgreatly frightened. and
assistance was summoned. Several
members of the police force made an
Investigation, but the nature OF the
explosions and the identity of the per-
son or persons responsible could not
be determined. The mystery sur.
rounding the outrage caused the wild
est and most sensational stories to soon
spread about the city. In one quarter
it was reported that DIR. Hensbaw had
killed himself and his body could not
be found. Another was that he had
killed some one else and had fed.
whileEothers were even more silly.
The matter was partially cleared up
in shorta time afterward. however.
by the arrival of DIR. Henshaw him
self from the Baltimore IL Ohio depot.
where he had gone to meet is brother.
whom he expected on late train.
Dr. Henshaw was unable to explain
the explosions. but threw consider
able light on the matter by stating
individual who had been sending him
anonymous letters for the past six
weeks, in which the writer had told
him of dire things that would happen
to him and mer. bers of his family in
ocnseqence.of DR.. Henshaw's political
activity.
DR.. Henshaw stated to newspaper
man that these letters had been COM
ing to.him at frequent intervals dur
ing the past six weeks and that about
every other morning he would dis
cover one off. the cowardly missives
stuck in. some creyice of door or win.
dow of his home. The last one was
rece we'd on Tuesday morning, and was
of a violent and vengeful character.
Up to that time he had paid little at.
tention to tne!ssmissives, having been
so favoredEat intervals during the past
few years, but the last was of such
nature as ito lead him to believe the
matter..was coming to a climax. be
then armed himself aud awaited de-
velopments.
Knowing that his brother would be
in Martinsburg on late train and not
wlshinasto keep the members of his
family mp, he lett home shortly before
time for retiring and went IN street,
visiting several places before going to
the Baltimore & Ohio depot. Upon
the arrival of,the.train he started for
nome, and was able to explain the ex-
plosions and set ut rest the rumors
which had quickly gained circulation
on the streets.
DR.. Henshaw states..thst he believes
the incident was the outcome of polit-
ical animosities. fostered bv the prom.
inence and actlvityBhe has displayed
in local political affairs. and bv sore
spots during his terms as mavor of the
city, and that the perpetrators are men
of disreputable character whom he has
punished for infTactions of law, or
some obscure political heller who has
been endeavoring to scare him into re.
tirng from politics. There is abso-
lutely no clue to the persons except the
fact that the letters have evidently
been written by person of some in.
telligence, this theory being borne
out by the fact that six or seven of
the cowardlv missives were typewrit.
ten.