The Penn's Grove record., 1907-01-11
BOMB THROWER WRECKS
A PHILADELPHIA BANK
RolIo Steele Kills Himself and
Cashier McLeaF.
CRAZY MAN DEMANDS MONEY
Had Asked For $4,000 Loan-Identi-
fed as q Man Who Had Lived in
Chicago-Ten Persons Injured,
Several Fatally.

UeU as u MAN VINO E1au LhVeu III
Chicago--Ten Persons Injured,
Several Fatally.
Philadelphia.-A bomb that prob
ably contained itro-glycerine, thrown
by a mailman upon the marble floor
of the Fourth Street National Bank,
wrecked the interior of the building,
killed William q. McLear, the CASH
Ter, tore the bomb thrower himself
to shreds, and badly wounded a score
of clerks and other employees.
The bomb thrower, identified as
Rollo Steele, who lived in Chicago
had made a demand for a loan Of
$4,000, for which he could show no
collateral. This had been refused.
The man then drew the deadly mis-
sile from his pocket and threw it at
his feet.
The big building trembled at the
shock. The bomb thrower and the
cashier, who was nearest to him,
we're the only ones killed, but every
n on the bank floor was thrown
from his feet, some severely injured
in the w~reckage. Many were made
temporarily deaf by the terrific de-
tonation, heard many squares away
from the bank, which occupies part
Of the first floor of the Bullitt Build
Ing, in Fourth street, below Chestnut.
A shower of gold and silver. swept
through the bank from the desk of
the paying teller. At least $4,000
was scattered in the Wreckage about
the place. Partitions, desks and
chairs were thrown in a tangled mass
upon the floors. Flames started
among the splintered woodwork near
the dead cashier, but we're quickly
extinguished by those who rushed
inside to the aid of the injured.
President Rushton said the man
anne into his Office and, after stating
that his name was G.. E. Williams,
and that he lived in the suburbs of
Philadelphia, asked for a loan of
$4,000.
81 asked him what security he
had" said Mr.. Rushton, land he re-
piled that he had none. He added,
however, that he was honest, and
would pay the interest annually, and
return the loan at the end of five
years"
Nh. Rushton told him finally that
1t was out of the question for the
bank to lend him money without
ever being assured of his identity.
He advised the man to get somebody
who knew him and return to the
bank some other day.
The president hoped in this way
to get rid of him, but when the man
continued to insist that he must have
the $4,000 Mr.. Rushton excused him
self for a moment and left the caller
sitting in his office. Stepping out
into the waiting room President
Rushton asked Cramp, the colored
messenger, to get the man out of the
offices. Then the president walked
through the second vice-pTesident's
offices and out of sight into the
banks general offices.
Cramp told Williams that the
president was engaged with other
business and could not see him again,
Williams %thereupon walked out
into the waiting room, still declar.
ing, however, that he would not leave
until he had had another interview
with the president.
Cashier McLea~ vas sitting at his
desk just inside the wooden counter
which separated his Office from the
reception room. Williams walked
over to the counter and renewed his
request for a loan of $4,000, which
was refused.
Just at that moment the cashiers
telephone bell rang. He picked uI
the instrument, listened for a second
and said:
"All right, come in Monday and
we'll fix that up"
He was sitting in his chair halt
facing the man on the. other side OF
the counter when the latter quickly
pulled a shining metal cylinder from
his pocket and tossed it owe at tho
cashier. There was a puff OF white
smoke. a tremendous report and then
all was confusion.
When the police got in. they found
the cashiers body about twenty feet
from the spot where he had been sit
ting. The force of the explosion had
struck the upper part of his body,
and it was torn to pieces.
Cramp, who was standing about
ten feet from the spot where the
missile exploded, but in front Of the
counter, was blown into the big jopen
CRATE. Both eyes were blown5 out.
His clothing was torn into rags and
his face and body cut horribly by the
flying particles of glass and : the
sp%linters.
The other injured are: Harry
Beck, bank employeJ Miss Julia
Brady, stenographer; "A. S. Dominci,
c. R. Horton, Frank LaBold, Office
boy; Eugene McIlhone, clerk; Arthur
McNichol, clerk; Harper Mercer,
clerk; T. B. Rutter, Albert Smith,
hurt by flying glass while walking
along the street; William Wright,
clerk.
All doubt of the identity of the
man who hurled the bomb was re-
moved by finding some of his cloth
ing, marked R. Steele, in the room he
occupied while in this city. In a
brown satchel which he left in the
room were six long electric fuses with
loaded caps, four yards Of dynamite
fuse, a box of cartridges and a re-
yolver.