Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-29
BOMB FIRED IN CHURCH
PANIC FOLLOWS EXPLOSION IN sT.
PETERS ROME.
DECO WITHOUT PARALLEL
Perpetrator Escapes While Men, WON.
en- and Children Struggle
to Reach Exits.

Rome-Just after the last mass had
cathedral Sunday, in celebration OF
the anniversary Of the dedication OF
the basilica, a man lighted the fuse
of a bomD which had been placed at
the altar Of st. Petronilla. The ex-
plosion occurred as a canon. with up
lifted arm, turned to bless the COM
m~unicants. Dense clouds OF smoke
rolled through the cathedral, the
crowd rushed panic.stricken for the
doors and in the excitement the bomb
thrower escaped.
The outrage IL without q parallel In
Rome since st. A%nacietus, who was
ordained by Peter himself. erected an
oratOry in 80 A. D.. on the site Of the
present bOscilica. to mark the spot
where the remains OF st. Peter are
buried.
That no one was injured by the ex-
plOsion or in the panic that followed
seems miraculous. AS 500 as the
echoes of the roar had ceased, a canon
sought, by reassuring words, to quiet
the people, but In vain. They fed in
all directions, and children screamed,
and the men tried to protect their
families In the crush.
The canon at the altar tried to stem
the tide OF fear. He shouted out:
do not be afraid; 1t Is nothing;
merely the MONDAY gum"
Mad Rush For Doors.
HE v,npIu ho1 Iift1n nNnnk 1Ntny
were refuted by the smoke and the
pungent smell of powder. and the peo-
pie continued their headlong flight.
Chairs were OverthrOwn, making the
confusion more serious. Men and WON.
en- fled, stumbling in all directions,
the scream of children and cries of
anguish were heard or all sides, and
for a few minutes 1t seemed as II moth
ing could avert a grave disaster.
The vast size of the church, how
ever, gave room for the crowd to scat.
ter, and at the end OF a few moments
the people were surging towards the
doors, excited and nervous, but or.
derby.
AS Don as the smoke cleared away,
a hasty examination showed that no
body had been hurt in the crush and,
furthermore, that nc one had been
wounded by the explosion. Calm vas
gradually restored. and people re-
turned to view the extent OF the dam.
age.
The bomb had been placed under a
scaffolding that had been erected to
facilitate repairs to the roof exactly
under the celebrated tomb of Clement
Kill, by CanOva, which consists Of a
figure OF The pope. and which Is the
most remarkable piece OF sculpture In
the basilica, This tomb ranks among
the finest efforts OF modern sculpture
and by it's execution Canova estab
lishcd his reputation.
When the first gendarmes reached
the spot the scafY0ldlng was found tc
be smOldering, but this fire was easily
~extinguished. The tomb was found t.
be uninjured. and ever the pavemen,
shows scarcely any signs OF the cx
p%losion.
An examination of the fragments o
the bomb leads to the s%uppOsition tina
ME 1t was manufactured in thu
country and brought to Rome. II II
believed that the bomb had a yer,
long fuse In order to enable the Grim
inal to gain the plaza before the ex
plosion. 1t has been impossible Il
trace him. and no one has any recOI
lection of seeing a man who by hi
movements might have aroused sus
picion.