Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-01-10
BANK BUILDING
DESTROYED BY
BOMB IHROWER.
Kills Vice President and Self

A bomb thrower wrecked the banking
house OF the Fourth street National Bank,
situated en- the first floor of the Bullett
Building, Philadelphia, on Saturday, kill
ing the cashier, William z. McLear and
himself and iniuring nearly score of
others.
The explosion of the bank occurred at
just As o'clock in the morning, when
the greatest rush was on in the institution,
for the bank closes at noon on Saturdays.
The roar Of the exploding missel was
heard for blocks People rushed from their
places of business and on to the streets,
fearing an earthquake or other horrible
calamity had occurred, when on the streets
they saw rush of people toward the Bull
lett Building, from which the first to ar
rive saw ascending a vapor-like cloud OF
smoke.
A correspondent of the DEMOCRAT was
one of the first to enter the place. Every
where was broken glass. The windows
and glassdoors in all the offices were broken
and the tenants were in the corridors anx-
iously inquiring the cause and the effect OF
the explosion. No one, in the first few
moments knew.
A bank clerk, his face streaming with
blood, and his hands torn and cut walked
slowly toward the door, saying the boiler
in the cellar had burst This theory was
rundown and found to be false. A sui
phorous odor that filled the place told that
some kind of an exp osive had been fred.
Richard H. Rushton, the president soon
explained the cause by telling the police
and tiremen who had been called that
bomb had been thrown and that W. z.
McLear the cashier had been killed and
that score of others had been injured.
Coroner Jermon and three deputies were
soon on the scene and started the investiga-
tion that gave the first clue as to who had
wrecked the place. For half an hour or
so the police and bank officials guarded the
doors entering the bank rooms themselves
and none saye employees or officials were
admitted.
After examining the bank and putting
his deputies at work coroner Jermon re-
turned to the corridor and told the news
paper men that the only clre as to the
indentity of the man was bunch of nine
keys on which was fastened a small steel
tag with the name, 'tR. Steele, Garner,
Iowa. stamped on it. He then admitted
one representative of each Of the Philadel-
phia papers.
The sight inside the bank was terrible.
With the exception Of a few curved plate
glass windows at the end of the bank far
therest from the location Of the explosion,
every piece of glass in the place was broken
to tiny bits. An iron radiator beside the
north exit from the place and the fartherest
thing away from where the bomb was
hurled was cracked and broken. The top,
still in place was broken as if struck time
and again with heavy hammer.
The explosion occurred in the southeast
corner Of the building. The entrance was
at the northwest corner of the bank.
Down the corridor in the west side of
the house was scattered pieces of flesh and
cIothing, none larger than small saucer.
President Rushton was standing on a
pile of debris foot deep talking with
|Supt of Police Taylor. He said, "About
90 minutes of 12 O'Clock strange looking
man entered my-office and asked to borrow
$4,000. First he wanted it for 5 years, say
ing be was honest and that he would pay
il back when the time was up. was busy
and did not pay much attention to him at
the time.
"He kept on talking, however, but in
such a low tone of voice that | could
scarcely hear him. asked who he was
and be said his name was G.. E. Williams
and lived in the suburbs. noticed that
be was queer. had never seen the man
before and told him could do nothing for
him as he had no security, then he asked
me to let him have the money for 60 days,
which likewise refused.
HE kept putting his hand inside Of his
coat and vest in nervous sort Of manner
and finally he pulled out picture and
handed it to me Its my wife and child !,
he said. 'Aint they all right, look at
them, what do yon think Of them, any
how? | told him could do nothing for
him but he wouldn't 60.
s'I had a lot Of papers in my desk SO
picked up bundle, ran through them and
walked out. | went TO Mr.. McLear's
Office and asked him to go in and get rid Of
the fellow. He went in there, in another
moment the bomb exploded and roar and