The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-01-11
HAD EXPLOSIVES
Bomb Thrower's Grip Shows
That Deed Was Preme ditared
HE IS FULLY IDENTIFIED
Man Who Wrecked Philadelphia
Bank and Killed Two Men Had
Met With Many Reverses and
Was IN Most Desperate Mood

Philadelphia, Jan. with the find
ing of the personal effects of the man
who threw the bomb in the Fourth
Street National bank on Saturday, Kill
ing Cashier McLear and himself, there
is little doubt left in the minds of the
police officials that he was j. Rollo
Steele,
The bonn b. thrower was found to have
slept Friday night at the Grant house.
He registered as J. r. Steele OF New
York. He arrived at the hotel about Z
o'clock on Friday night and engaged
50-cent room. He carried grip which
he refused to allow the porter to carry
to the room.
When detectives searched the room
yesterday they found several yards OF
slow fuse, a number of decorating caps,
a revolver and box of cartridges in the
grip, together with number of tools
and some clothing. There was suit
bearing the tag of a Chicago clothing
house and a pair of overalls marked
with the name of Lynchburg, Va,
merchant. There was also waybill for
a box shipped over the Southern rail
way. AS Rollo Steele was reported to
have been in Chicago and Lynchburg
few days ago, the police say there is
little doubt as to the bomb-thrower's
identity.
1t is probable that none of those hurt
by the explosion will die. William j.
Cramp, the negro messenger in the
bank and bodyguard of President
Rushton of the institution, who is the
most seriously injured, was operated on
yesterday. His condition was such a
few hours after the explosion that he
was reported dead but he rallied and
the physicians operated in an effort to
save his eyesight, though his eyes will
never regain their normal condition.
Dressed in black from head to foot,
Steele, a stockily built man with pc
culiar, drawn, thin face entered the
Fourth Street National bank, the rich
est bank in Philadelphia, at noon Sat
urday, demanded a loan, and on re-
fusal hurled a nitro-glycerine bomb to
the floor, blowing the cashier of the
bank to pieces and destroying himself
at the same moment. Twenty of the
banks employees and depositors were
injured, five of the former seriously.
The dead are w. NJ. McLear, cashier
of the bank, whose body was disem-
boweled. part of the head blown off, and
all his teeth knocked out by the con-
cussion. His body was found under
a pile of laths and plaster, which had
been dashed from the ceiling. His
heart was torn in twain. Steele was
blown almost to pieces by the parcel |
which he dashed to the floor. His feet |
were torn off. His face was mangled |
beyond recognition.
The similarity of the bomb throwing |
Saturday and that of the would-be as
Sassn of Russell Sage 10 years ago is
There was the unopposed |
entrance Of the visitor, the demand for
the interposition of a human shield,
which in Sage's case was Walter Laid
law, and in the Fourth street Crump,
the colored porter, whose eyes were
blown from their sockets.
The escape of President Rushton was
remarkable, for the damage was great
est in his office. The ceiling over his
desk was spattered with blood and I'M
der a pile of wreckage in one corner Of
the office were found the head and
shoulders of the bomb-t hrower, as well
as his OvercOat.