The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06
B0M1-T THR0NER
I KILLS CISH|Eh
Unknown Man Asks for
Loan and Exploues
ln.erndl Machine
PRESIDENT HAS
MANVELOUS ESCAPE
Interior of Room Wrecked and
Noise Drives Crowds From
Great Office Building.
Porter Has Both
Eyes Blown
Out.


to get IT, man who has not yet been
identfed. droppcd a bomb IN the Fourth
sts1et National Bank to-day, b!o%i"1 M
ee,s to pieces. instantly kH.llL3 rhier
W. Il. ES lear, ard inturitg six others.
one OF twJ OF @lior may die The only
clue TO the identlty 81 tho bomb turower
was a bunch of keys found IN q portion
OF the clothing, attached TO which was
q plate inscribed r.. steele, Garner
lava"
ghe F'ourl street National Bank IS the
iatgest finaneial Institution in he city
and occupies the greater portion OF the
first floor u the Bullitt Building on
Fourth Street. between Chestnut and
Walnut Streets, in The heart of the finan-
ciai district 1hr explosion WAS terrific.
and it caused ts,ratadpus excitement In
the crowded a.slNae and the street.
The eNplosl n occurred tcw minutes
before II oejpak, =, a time when the
hank is usually well filled with parsons
IN hurry to transact business before the
bank closea No one saw the unknown
man enter the bank except L r. Shan
baeher .he vice-presidcut. who WAS pass
Ing out OF TIE building on his way 10
luncheon. He noticed the man was poorly
dressed, looked Ike a gagsian. and car
riGd small parcel. The man walked
etralght back 10 the rear Of the bank
and asked clerk to direct him TO the
once OF the president. Richard III. Rush
Ton. what took Mace in his office is bes.
tod by the president himself
Presidents Story.
II was Yery busy when the man en-
tered my Office. and ! asked him 10 Be
seated Tor moment He was very
poorly dr9ssed had PATCHES on MS shoes.
and his entire appearance mado ME q bit
curious While he was waiting for me
70 fin'sh ehe- hssiress / iad in hand at
the nonena happened to notice that he
looked at me very cIriously. I asked
him his business, and ne gave his name
as Z Williams, and said he wanted
loan OF 500 He did no; look like A
'nan who could make loan OF that
amount. and | asked him for collateral.
He said something about an Insurance
policy. and that It would mature in from
one TO five years. I was thcnsconvinced
the man was crank. and decided to
dismiss him AZ once, not for moment
thinking there was any harm In him. I
told him he would have to see the cashier
and directed him out into the banking
denartment. At the same moment j
called my colored messenger William
Crump. to see that the man was quickly
taken OUT OF the building. AsI turned
30 continue my work at the desk. there
was terrific explosion. and thought
the building was coming down. The man
had not time to reach the cashier, the
explosion came so soon
Details as to what actually happened
when the man left the office OF Presi-
dent Rushton differ, as no one can be
found who saw the man drop the bomb.
The door to the office of Cashier Nc
Lear is only few feet from that of
President Rushton, and the man must
have dropped the deadly missile between
the two rooms. Cashier McLear was
sitting at his desk at the time and his
body was badly mangled. The bomb
thrower's body was torn 10 pieces.
Wrecked bank.
At the time the explosion occurred all
the vaults We're open, books were piled
on desks and papers of all sorts of value
were lying on desks preparatory to being
put away for the day.
The explosion devastated the interior
of the banking room. Glass and wooden
partitions were wrecked and evelied to
the ground as though n cyclone had swept
through the place Desks were ruined
and iron bars We're twisted in fact,
there was hardly an object left intact
III the room. OF all the persons in the
room at least six, all of them clerks,
were hurt two OF them probably fatally.
Three of the injured Were sent to the
hospital.
The explosion threw everyone in the
banking room to the floor, and for u
moment they were dazed, Many of them,
not knowing what had ,,aprened and
fearing that the building. which is an
eight-story structure. was falling, made
II rush for the door, Mr.. Rushton among
them. The roar of the explosion brought
the tenants on all floors 20 thei,. feet.
and a general rush was made tc tie e.e-
vators and the stairways. As the excited
people came out there was risi, from
the street to rescue those who 1t was
thought had been caught in the explosion.
In the meantime, an alarm OF fire was
sent in. and firemen were quickly on
the ground. There being no tlre III the
place, the tiremen and policemen ordered
everybody out, and a strong guard was
thrown about the building.
Marvellous Escape.
After President Rushton had recover'd
himself he told what happened, and a
search for the bombthrower was made
Al the moment 1t was supposed he haG
not been killed, but in taking out the
body of Cashier McLear and looking fol
other lead, portions Of q body We're fount
than plainly Indicated that the man had
been blown to pieces.
The escape of President Rushton was
almost miraculous, for the damage Il
greatest In his office.
Not only is the entire interior of the
bank wrecked, but the large windows
looking out on small side street were
blown out. The explosion scattered al
the books and papers of the institution
that We're not within the vaults at til,
time Some OF them We're blown out Of
Tho wir1ows ind We're returned ~
who found them, AS sooi, MS the excite
J ssp mani pf tle nXOlOSiOn had SihsiiaaE M
lcemen anu uniniured clerks were sen
IL work acnrching the WrecknEn for al