The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-04-28
BOMB UNDER
STREET CAR
Explosion in Heart of
City.
CAR BOUND FOR THE BARN
Wrecked by Dynamite Near Corner
Of Decatur and Madison.
First Outrage Reported On Any Line
since The Oners OF Rewards
Were Made BY Governor
And Mayor.

Discharged with a reverberating de-
donation that awakened and startled n
sleeping city. a dynamite bomb explod-
ed at 1890 o'clock this morning on the
track of the Montgomery Traction
Company at Decatur street and Madi-
son avenue the first outrage of the kind
that has occurred since the ploclama-
the Mayor.
The explosion was the first. too, that
has happened In the very middle of the
city, and though another car was with
in two blocks of the car under which
the dynamite was exploded, and Cap
tain of Police Miles Smith reached the
place where the explosion occurred be-
fore the smoke had cleared away, there
Is absolutely no indication of the iden-
tity of the person guilty of the crime
against the safety of the people of
Montgomery.
No one was injured by the explosion
of the bomb. The glass in the car
windows was shattered and some of
the iron work under 1t was distorted
and broken. The car was No. 33 and
was on its way to the barn after COM
plotting the days run.
The use of dynamite this morning
was by far the most terrifying as well
as the most audacious that has been
made. 1t was close to the center of the
city and the peal of its thunder was
heard in every part of Montgomery.
Inquiries made by The Advertiser and
anxious petitions to The Advertiser for
information indicated that beyond Five
Points. from Virginia avenue and JEFF
Davis avenue, from the Brewery to
the northward, far out in every section
of the city. sleepers had been aroused
to sense of the nearness of danger.
Residents along Madison avenue, espe
cially near Decatur street, were agita-
ted by fright which with them as
with other citizens of MONTGOMERY,
later gave way to a feeling of angry
resentment against such a bold outrage
of the peace of the city.
The spot where the bomb was run
over and discharged by the car is on
Madison Avenue, about 100 feet east of
Decatur Street. 1t is not a well lighted
portion of the Avenue and its darkness
is assumed to have invited the dyna-
miters to do their work there, where
they were least likely to be detected.
Captain of Police Miles Smith was
just alighting from his buggy at police
headquarters on Madison Avenue and
North Perry Street when the explosion
occurred. He and Special Officer Tay-
lor jumped into the buggy at once and
drove his horse at full speed for the
distance of the four blocks that lay
| between police headquarters and Deca-
| tur Street. When he reached the spot
there was no person in sight, the car
| had gone, yet the smoke from the dy-
Mantle was but just slowly lifting from
the ground. EEfN
| Oak Park car No. 81, Conductor Hat
field of 81 said this morning. had pre-
ceded No. 80 by less than four minutes,
probably by not more than two, and
was hardly two blocks away when he
heard the explosion. The fact that the
cars were running closely together. all
bound for the barn, rendered the liza
bility of the guilty persons detection
greater and his affront holder, and 1t
is certain that the laying of the bomb
| must have been very carefully planned
and as cautiously accomplished. On
car 81, which Immediately preceded No.
49, were Conductor Hatfield, Motorman
Dunn and Deputy Sheriff j. G. Curry,
In charge of the forces of the Mont
gomery Traction Company.