The Washington herald., 1907-01-07

Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. G.-Discovery Of
the room occupied in Philadelphia by the
man who threw the bomb in the Fourth
/ Street National Bank Saturday led TO "A
store Of weapons. dynamite fuses. cleo
trio fuses, cartridges, and general outfit
being found tonight. which convinced the
police yesterday that the bomb thrower
was not a weak-minded crank, but a de-
termined man, who came 10 this city with
the definite intention OF robbing a bank.
The mans identity was made certain.
He IS Rollin Steele whose family lives in
Chicago. His name was found upon por-
tions Of clothing in bis room. and he reg
Iistered at the New Grant Hotel, at Eighth
land Spring Garden streets on Friday as
j. r. Steele, Of New York"
Upon arriving he refused 10 allow a
porter 10 carry his brown leather grip.
(which undoubtedly contained the bomb.
which 50 completely wrecked the interior
Iof the city's biggest bank and killed
iCashier William McLear, besides blowing
Steele himself to bits
Some of the police officials think that
Steele may have come here 10 meet an ac-
lcomplice, and that it vas the plan for
him TO throw the bomb in one portion Of
the bank, trusting 10 the other man to
gather up the money. Captain of Detec-
tiyes Donahue. however. thinks the
chances are that Steele intended 10 oper-
ate By himself. throwing the bomb far
from him, and working during the excite
ment sure 10 follow
Expert with Explosives.
That he was expert in the use Of ex-
pIosiyes was proven by the contents OF
his gI.p discovered in the hotel. Be
sides articles Of clothing showing that
/ Steele must have been well over six
feet in height. the grip contained q re-
volyer box Of cartridges, four yards OF
dynamite fuse, SIX long electric fuses.
with loaded caps. ball Of waxed cord.
window cord. TWO files. nipDers. wax. and
a package Of unchanged fuse caps.
/ The electric fuses were exactly similar
to those recovered in The possession O.
the anarchist Fritz Rosseau, who at-s-
/ tempted TO blow UP the steamship I'm
bria and the statue OF Frederick the
Great in Washington.
! Besides these articles and the cloth
ing. the grip also contained some news
paper clippings, a freight bill made out
10 Steele by the Southern Railway for
[ a box of pictures. plain cards a ruler.
/ eraser. fountain pen, box of nails. and
| memorandum upon piece of brown
/ paper. almost illegible but evidently
/ marking the time Of appointments 10
I meet several men The clothing was ali
/ made and sold in Chicago. with the
/ exception Of the overalIs which bore the
/ mark Of store in Lynchburg. Va
His stopping Place Learned.
! At the New Grant Hotel a description
/ of the bomb thrower was left. but no
mention was made of any name. and it
was not until this afternoon that Mrs. J..
| L. Plunkett, who is in charge OF the
/ hotel. came 10 Capt Donarue's office in
response to the message sent out stating
/ that "a man who had registered at the
/ hotel Friday had gone out Saturday morn
/ ing and had not returned
/ Detective Smith was assigned to go to
I the hotel and there he found the man
/ bad registered as j. r. Steele. of New
York The detective went 10 Stceie's
room. and there found a large brown
leather grin with heavy brass fastenings.
Ii was locked
All of the injured in the bomb throwing
are doing well and expected TO recover.
Worked in Virginia Towns.
LynchbuTg Va. Jan. 6.-J Rollin
Steele, author of the Philadelphia bank
outrage. came TO this city last September.
having been employed on concrete work
during the past year. first on the Tide
water Railroad. at Christiansburg Va.
and later on the Norfolk and Western. at
NIonUalc. Va. AT the end of September
lie came TO this city. and at the Inter
state FaiV had a privilege booth
For the past two months he had been
superintendent of a rc-cuforced concrete
job on a building here for wholesale
house, which was completed the past
week. He told friend that ne had job
in the South. and early Thursday morn
ing. when he left home. told his wife he
was going to Danville, Va, to get work,
and promised 10 write Saturday.
His -workmen said he was a
capable man. but much given TO expert
menting with explosives. OF late ne had
been greatly depressed by reason of the
fact that his wife. Bessie /. Steele. and
little son had been for weeks sick in the
hospital, and be was almost without
money His wife had only read of tie
explosion this afternoon, and could not
believe the bomb-thrower was her hus-
band
Hns Divorced Wife i'm Chicago.
Chicago, Jan. 6.-ROllin Steele, who
threw the bomb in Philadelphia. killing
himself and the cashier of the Fourth
National Bank, was former Chicago
man. \ divorced wife and three sons
still reside in Chicago. Mrs. Steele, Of 1z5J
Addison street, being custodian of the
Addison street depot of the Chicago, Mil
waukee and St Paul Railroad.
Steele was in the employ OF Fair
banks, Morse x Co. as foreman of u
gang Of iron workers which Travelled
about putting up water tanks and coal
sheds A year ago he left Chicago 20
take this position.
Mrs. Steele received a letter from him
last week In this letter be complained
as usual that the world was not using
him right. He was never she said. ''an
out and out socialist
When Steele was in Chicago he was an
iron worker. He was foreman OF CON
structiOn on the Tribune building. When
the building was completed ne went 10
Grand Crossing. H., working there for
some time.
My former husband was always OF a
gentle disposition Mrs Steele said to-
day. The assassin was never a member