Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-07
Philadelphia Police Believe For
mer Iowa Man Threw Bomb
to Rob Bank,
uNEARrH SUSPICIOUS, OUTFIT
Fuses and Caps Discovered in His
Room - steele's Identity Fully Es-
tabIished - Appears to Have Two
Wives, Ono in Chicago and Another
in Lynchburg, Va.

Philadelphia, Jan. THE police rap
idly are becoming of the opinion that
ROLAND Steele, Of 1910 North Ashland
avenue, Chicago, threw the bomb
which blew him and Cashier William
McLear to death in the Fourth street
National bank Saturday for the ex-
press purpose of robbery. The dis
covery of many articles of q cracks
mans kit in his room today has about
exploded the theory that he was a
crank. That Steele's own life was the
penalty is laid either to ar accidental
dropping OF the grip containing the
bomb or to his inaccuracy of aim In
throwing it.
Some police officials think that
Steele may have come to Philadelphia
to meet an accomplice, and that 1t was
planned for Steele to throw the bomb
in one portion of the bank and for the
other man to gather up the money
during the confusion. But Captain of
Detectives Donaghy thinks the chances
are that Steele intended to operate by
himself, tossing the bomb far from
him and working during the excite
ment sure to follow.
In Steele's room at the New Grant
hotel, Eighth and Spring Garden
streets, place on the outskirts OF the
Tenderloin, patronized by laboring
men, the police found one revolver, a
box of cartridges, four yards Of dyna-
mite fuse, six long electric fuses with
loaded caps. a ball of waxed cord,
window cord, two files, pair of nip
pers, some wax, and a package OF un-
charged fuses and caps The electric
fuses were exactly similar to those IN
possession of Anarchist Fritz Rosseau,
who attempted 10 blow up the steam
ship Umbria and the statue Of Fred
erick the Great.
With these discoveries as a basis,
the police reason that Steele was an
expert in the use of explosives. There
are hints also that he was intimate
with, If not actually concerned IN, the
anarchistic propaganda.
Steele's identity was established
without doubt by the discovery of his
name on clothing In his room in the
hotel where he had registered on Fri
day as ]. r. Steele of New York. His
grip contained Washington newspapers,
a freight bill made out to Steele by
the Southern Railway for box of pic
lures, lot of plain cards, ruler, an
eraser. a fountain pen, box OF nails,
and a memorandum upon a piece OF
brown paper, almost illegible, but evil
IDENTIFY marking the time OF appoint
ments to meet several men whose
names appear to be Italian.
The clothing was all made and sold
in Chicago with the exception of a
pair of overalls, which bore the mark
of a store in Lynchburg, Va.
On his arrival Steele refused to al
low a porter to carry his brown leather
grip, which, it is now believed, con-
tanned the bomb that wrecked the in
terror of the city's biggest bank.
The police have traced Steele's move
ments around the city to a large ex-
tent. AS q result they think that he
exploded the bomb in the Fourth Street
National bank because his nerve failed
in other places. They believe that he
visited several banks before making his
appearance at the Fourth street bank.
One clerk at the Equitable Trust
company recalls a man coming to his
window and asking for money, FUN
bling in his pocket the while. The
mans description resembles that of
Steele.
Two of the most seriously injured in
the explosion, Thomas E.. Rutter and
William Crump, are reported at Jeffer-
son hospital to be i'll a slightly i'm
proved condition. It is probable that
none Of those hurt by the explosion will
die