The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-01-08
WILMINGTON, N. c., JANUARY 8, 1907

elSnL STORY structure, was 1alllnS mace
rush for the door, Mr.. Rushton
among them. The roar of the explo-
sion brought the tenants on all floors
to their feet and a general rush was
made to the elevators and the stair
ways. AS the excited people came out
there was a rush from tie Street to res
cue those who it was thought had been
caught in the explosion.
In the meantime an alarm Of fire was
sent in and firemen Wete quickly Oh the
ground, there being no fire in the place
the firemen and policemen ordered
everybody out and a strong guard was
thrown about the building.
After President RushtOn had recov-
cred himself, he told what happened
and a search for the bomb thrOwer WAS
made At the moment it was supposed
he had not been killei DI5 i'll taking out
the body of Cashier McLear and lCOk-
ing for other dead, portions OF body
were found that plainly indicated that
! the man had been blown to pieces.
! The escape of President RushtOn was
almost miraculous, for the damage is
greatest in his office.
Not only is the entire interior Of the
DdLh WI6ChSI, DuI CliI IdI &c
looking out on small side street were
blown out. The explosion scattered all
the books and papers Of the institution
that were not within the Valuts at the
time Some of them were blown out
of he windows and were returned by
those who found them. AS soon as the
excitement Of the explosion had sub
sided policemen and uninjured clerks
Welr set to work seaiching the wreck
age for all papers. 1t probably will
take days before the bank officials are
able to tell how much of the valuable
documents in the banks custody were
| destroyed as the whole place was
strewn with torn bits Of paper.
The detective bureau is at work in
efforts to identify the man who was
! the cause of the tragedy. The only
thing found that probably belonged to
him was a bunch Of 25 keys on the
ring of which was the name 'R. Steele,
| Garner, Iowa"
w. T. McLear, the dead cashier, was
about As years Of age. He had been
| with the institution about ten years.
acting as assistant cashier. Six months
ago he was made cashier.
l
terribly injured. Both his eyes were
! blown out, his scalp torn off and his
| face 50 mangled that he was unrecog-
niZable He was taken to the PennSyl-
vania hospital.
Chicao, January 5.-The family or
! Ro1la Steele lives at 1910 North Ash
/ land avenue Mrs. Irene Steele the
| widow tonight received telegram
from Philadelphia saying that hei hus-
band was seriously injured. 1t is not
known who sent the telegram and MRS.
| Steele does not yet know that her nus
| band is dead.
| Steele came to Chicago five years ago
| from Garner, Iowa, with his wife and
| three young children. In Chicago he
| was employed by various firms as fore
man of steel construction. About a
year ago, he procured employment IN
| a similar capacity with the Bell Con-
| struction company, of Washington, D.
lC
For some time past he had been at
| work in Lynchburg, Va, whence he de-
parted two days ago. On leaving
Lynchbrug Steele informed his wife by
letter that he was going to Ph1ladel-
phia to work for the Bell company. In
the letter he said that everything was
we'll with him. There was nothing in
the communication to show that Steele
was in anything but his usual state
Of mind. Steele's mother, who lives at
745 Racine avenue, with her son Royal
received a letter similar in purpOrt.