Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-09
WENT TO SIX BANKS
Bomb ThroWer Had Carefully
Sought Scene for Crime.
MUCH DEPENDS ON WIFE
Police Urge Her to Name Man Who
Sent Her Message.
MISSILE HIDDEN IN HIS BREAST
Anarchist Had Examined the Offices
of Many of the Great Bank
ing Houses.
MISSILE HIDDEN IN HIS BREAST

NEW YORK, January 9.-J. R. Steele,
the socialstic, bigamistic bomb-thrower
who brought death and destruction in the
Fourth Street National Bank on Saturday
last, had visited at least six other finan-
cial institutions before going to the in
which the tragedy was enacted. He spent
most of Friday looking over the lay of the
land and finally, apparently, laid his plans
carefully to rob the bank by the most vio-
lent means at his command. Nothing but
the slipping of the bomb from his hand an
instant before he intended to hurl it at
the vault containing a vast sum of money
prevented the carrying out of his idea.
Such at least is the belief now of detec-
tives and Coroner Jermon.
Steele was accosted in the corridor lead
ing to the Tradesmens National Bank at
2 o'clock Friday afternoon by f. f.
Walton, a special officer in the employ of
DeHaven & Townsend, brokers. He was
also seen lowering about the entrance to
the banking house of Robert NJ. Janney q
Co., in the Drexel building, few minutes
after he had left the Tradesmens Ma
tional. Walton said yesterday that Steele
was very nervous and that he kept touching
his breast, as though feeling for something
concealed there Continuing, Mr.. Walton
said:
by his peculiar behavior. He was walking
up and down the corridor, peering in at
the clerks at work. l know that it was
Steele, because l recognized his picture In
the Public Ledger this morning. l stopped
the and asked him what he wanted.
He replied in low voice that he had some
insurance policies which he wanted to dis
pose Of You had better go to a note
broker. them 1 suggested, because we do
not deal in such things here lie hung
around the building some time. l did not
confederate, but am sumo that he had
one, for chaps of that kind do not work
alone when thew in for bank rODOlnS.
Was Put Out of One Place.
Steele was also seen in front of Brown
Brothers & Co.'S. He entered the Equi-
table Trust Company offices and was asked
to leave by one of the attendants. Later
he went to E. B. Smith & Co.'S. He also
visited many other banks and trust COM
panies.
Although no one who could have been
his accomplice attracted attention while
Steele visiting the several banking
houses, Coroner Jermon has not abandoned
his effort to run down every clue that may
lead to the establishing of the fact that
such man does exist.
The coroner Is now running down clue
that may strengthen the accomplice theory.
He~entered into communication yesterday
with the authorities of Chicago, and re-
auested them to demand from Steele's first
wife the name of the person who tele-
graphed her the first message relatlv e 10
this city less than half an hour after the
man had met his fate.
The woman has refused to divulge the
name of that person. Her reticence, cou-
pled with the fact that no one here unless
it was an intimate friend of the bomb
thrower, knew of Mrs. Steele's where
abouts leads the coroner's detectives to be-
leve that the sender of that message was
the accomplice for whom they are search
ing
Looking for Man Who Knew Steele.
Mrs, Steele has also been asked through
the Chicago authorities whether she knows
the miner who met Steele on Friday
shortly after his arrival from Lynchburg,
Va, and who directed him to the New
Grant Hotel, where later, in his room.
complete bank burglars kit was found. Eff
forts are being made to locate this miner
in time to have him testify at the inquest
The coroner's men have only meager
description of the man. They have COM
municated with Mahanoy City, for which
place he is said to have started shortly
after the explosion in the bank, but the
police of that city have been unable to ind
any one answering to his description. An
inquest which was to have been held today
was postponed In the hope that the miner
and Mrs. Steele would be heard from. The
coroner said yesterday:
Much may depend upon the reply or
Mrs Steele. We do not wish to hurry the
inquest before we have arrived at the bot
tom of the affair. If there is another man
he must be found. l intend to have con-
ference with Capt Donaghy tomorrow, with
a view to learning all the facts that he and
his men have gathered concerning this ter
rible tragedy. If it develops that another
man had q hand in the job, or even if there
is a possibility that such is the case 1t
would naturally create a feeling of inse
curity among the banking men of the city
They can rest assured, however, that all
within the power of our department to sift
the mystery to the very bottom will be
done"
One of those who will testify at the in
quest will be William Wright. the office
boy who stood just behind Cashier McLear
when the explosion occurred. The lad was
the only one in the bank who saw Steele
with what appeared to be the bomb in his
hand. William, who has practically recov-
cred from the effects of his injuries, said
yesterday that the object held by the bomb
thrower glittered 1t is possible that this
object was not the bomb at ALL but the
metal picture frame which President Rush
ton says the man exhibited during the brief
interview in his private office. The detec
tives think that the bomb was wrapped in
paper and that 1t was not hurled at all;
that instead it dropped from the mans
hand while he was taking it from his
pocket preparatory to hurting it at the
vault or the paying tellers desk.
Bank Still Guarded
Police continued to guard the Fourth
Street National yesterday. Hundreds of
persons visited the institution with the
idle desire of viewing the scene of the
tragedy. They were prevented from
tering. Only those who had business there
were permitted to cross the threshold.
The board of directors held their annual
meeting but postponed action on the propo-
sition TO vote liberal sum OF money for
the widow of Cashier McLear. This matter
will be discussed Friday. 1t is under
stood that some provision for William
CrCmp the negro messenger, who was
blinded by the explosion will also be made
The cashiers position will be filed at Fri