The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-06
Interior Of Fourth Street National,
Philadelphia, in Ruins
CRANK WANTED $4,000 CASH
Sees the President of the Bank Then
Blows Up Himself and the Cashier.
His Identity Mystery.
Many Injured.

Philadelphia, January 5.-Two men dead,
a score of others injured, two of whom
may die, and the beautiful interior of a
bank building laid in ruins, is the result
of a bomb being dropped in the Fourth
Street National bank here today by a
man who had demanded loan of $1,000
for which he could show no collateral.
The identify of the perpetrator of the
outrage is wrapped in mystery for he
was blown to pieces by his own engine
of death.
Nothing is left to tell who he is but
a bunch of ten keys found in a fragment
of clothing belonging to the bomb-throw-
er. A plate on the ring holding the keys
bore the name of "R. Steele, Garner,
Iowa." and the police are looking up the
man. The other man killed by the ex-
plosion was w. y. McLear, cashier of the
bank, who had been talking to the strang-
er, and had refused his request.
Among the most seriously injured are:
William Crumpton, colored, private mes
senger to the president of the bank, bad
iy mangled and may die.
William Wright, bank employe, may
die.
Thomas B. Rutter, Lansdale, Pa, frae-
tured skull.
Frank LaBolde, clerk.
A. F. Dominica, clerk.
c. R. Potion, clerk.
Miss Julia Brady, stenographer
Wanted $4,000.
The man who dropped the bomb called
upon r. IT. Rushton, president of the
bank. who is also president of the Phila-
delphia Clearing House association, short
ly before noon, and asked for a loan of
S500O The president quickly sized him up
a. an eccentric and turned him over to
tho cashier with the idea that the latter
would have him taken from the build
ing. Before leaving Mr.. Rushton the man
shaved him picture of woman and
a child, with the remark:
"Ain't they all right?'
A few moments later there was ter
rife explosion, which shook the big build
ing and completely wrecked the interior
of the bank. Cashier McLear was IN his
office when the man threw the bomb, and
was instantly killed.
With the e>ception of his right arm and
shoulder he was not mangled. The most
seriously injured is William Crump, the
tempt to seize the object which the man
was about to drop from his raised hand,
but he was an instant too late. The mes
senger is badly torn, and If he survives
his terrible injuries he probably will be
blind.
At Another Bank.
A man answering the description of the
bomb thrower earlier in the day visited
the Equitable Trust company on Broad
street and demanded loan of 5000 on
securities to be in his possession
Receiving Teller McDevitt whom he ap-
preached. ordered the stranger away. The
man fumbled In his pockets, but finally
withdrew. He stopped at the doorway,
however, and aagin fumbled in his
pockets. A woman patron of the trust
company passed the man and his eyes
followed her This, it is said, diverted the
mans attention and when the watchman,
following instructions of the teller, order
ed him out, he reluctantly left the build
ing. Shortly afterwards news of the ex-
plosion at the Fourth Street bank reached
the Trust company.
Largest In City.
The Fourth Street National bank is the
largest financial institution in the city
and occupied the greater portion of the
first floor of the Bullet building on Fourth
street, between Chestnut and Walnut
streets, in the heart of the financial dis
trict The explosion was terrific and it
caused tremendous excitement in the
crowded building and the street
No one saw the unknown man enter the
bank except E. E. Shanbacher, the vice
president, who was passing out of the
building on his way to luncheon. He
noticed the man was poorly dressed,
looked like Russian and carried small
parcel. The man walked straight back
to the rear of the bank and asked clerk
to direct him to the office of the pres
ident, Richard H. Rushton.
The president said: II was very busy
when the man entered my office, and !
asked him to be seated for a moment.
He was very poorly dressed, had patches
on his shoes and his entire appearance
made me a bit curious. While he was
waiting for me to finish the business /
had in hand at the moment, / happened
to notice that he looked at me very curl
ously / asked him his business and he
gave his name as G. e. Williams and
said he wanted a loan of $4,000. He did
not look like man who could make
loan of that amount, and | asked him for
callateral. He said something about an
insurance policy and that it would mature
in from one to five years. / was then con-
vinced the man was a crank and decided
to dismiss him at once | told him he
would have to see the cashier. and di-
rected him out into the banking DEPART
ment. AT the same moment | called my
colored messenger. VIM. Crumpton. to see
that the man was quickly taken out of the
building.
Terrific Explosion.
"As I turned to continue my work at
the desk there was a terrific explosion,
and l thought the building was coming
down. The man had no time to reach the
cashier, the explosion came so soon.'
The door to the office of Cashier Nc
Lear is only a few feet from that of
President Rushton, and the man must
have dropped the deadly missile between
the two rooms
At the time the explosion occurred all
the vaults were 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 de-
vastated the interior of the big banking
room. Glass and wooden partitions were
wrecked and leveled to the ground as
though cyclone had swept through the
place. Desks We're ruined and iron bars
were twisted; in fact. there was hardly an
object left intact in the ROOM OF all
the persons in the room. at least six. all
~ fbor,,f cIarl-e uvoro hurt fuo n them