The San Francisco call., 1907-01-06
BOMB KILLS TWO;
WRECKS BANK

PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 5.-TwO men
killed. a score OF others injured, two
Of whom may die, and the Wrec5ing
of a bank building are the results
of bomb being dropped IN the
FOurth-street National Bank here to-
day by a man who had demanded a
loan OF $4,000 for which he could show
no collateral The perpetrator Of the
outrage was blown to pieces by his
own engine of death. The other man
killed by the explosion was ". S. Nc
Lear. cashier of the bank.
Among the most seriously injured
are. william Crump, private messen-
ser TO the president Of the bank,
nangIed and may die. William Wright,
bank employe, may die; Thomas b.
Rutter Linsdale. Pa. fractured skull,
Frank Lab0ld. A. j. Dominica and c.
r. Horton. three clerks: Miss Julia
Brady stenoErapher.
The Fourth-street National Bank is
the largest financial institution in the
city. and occupies the greater por-
tion Of the first floor of the Bullitt
building. on Fourth street, between
Chestnut and Walnut. in the heart Of
the financial district. The explosion
was terrific and caused tremendous eX-
cfternent in the crowded building and
0n the street. lt occurred few min
ttes before y o'clock. ~ p time when
the bank Is usually filed with persons
ga a hurry to transact business be-
core the bank closes
no one saw the unknown man enter
The bank except =. +. Shanbacher the
vice president. who was passing out Of
the building. He noticed the man was
poorly dressed. looked like a Russian
and carried p small parcel The man
walked straight TO the Office Of the
president. Richard Rushton.
II was very busy. said President
Rushton tonight, when the man en-
tered I asked him his business. and
he gave his name as O. I. Williams
and said he wanted a loan OF $4,000. I
was convinced that the man was a
crank and ordered him out. H. moved
away. and as / turned to continue my
work at the desk there was a terrific
explosion and / thought the building
was coming down"
Details as to what actually happened
when the man left the ofhce Of Presi-
dent Rushton differ. as no one can be
found who saw the man drop the bomb
Cashier AIcLear was sitting at his desk
at the time and his body was badly
mangled. Portions OF the bomb throw
ers body were found that plainly in
dicated that he had been blown TO
pieces.
The only clew to the identity Of the
homb-thrower was a bunch Of keys
found in a portion Of his clothing, at
tached TO which was q plate inscribed
'R Steele. Garner, Iowa" At the time
Of the explosion all the vaults were
open. books We're piled on desks and
DaDers Of all sorts Of value were lying
on desks. The explosion devastated
the interior Of the big banking room
Glass and wooden partitions were
wrecked. windows shattered, desks
were ruined and iron bars were twist
ed: in fact there was hardly an object
left intact in the room.
DIES MONIES, Jan. 5.-Robert Steele.
the man who bears name identical 70
that found upon the name plate OF the
Philadelphia bomb thrower. left Gar
ner six years ago. Upon his removal
to Garner ten years ago he was en-
gagged in drilling wells. Later he es-
tablished a machine shop and inciden-
tally sold patent medicines, going about
over the country in an open wagon with
his wares. He was elected to the Town
Council OF Garner in 1898 and the fol-
lowing year was married. Three chill
dren were born.