Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-09
AFFIDAVIT OF
4 SALT LAKE GIRL
Mrs. Mel Cummings Describes
The Explosion in the Brad
ley Home.
LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE.
Was Most Terrible Noise She Ever
Heard in Her Lifc--She and Her
Husband Exclaimed: "It's Gas"

Boise, July 9.--The reading of depo-
sitions covering the Bradley explosion
in San Francisco. claimed by Harry
Orchard as one OF his crimes. but dis
puted by the defense, as the result OF
gas leakage, again occupied the entire
morning session of the Haywood trial
today. When court adjourned at noon
Atty. Darrow announced that the read
irg would require all of the afternoon
session, There viii be an interruption
Immediately after recess, however, to
enable the defens to call witnss whom
Mr.. barrow declared would have inn
portnnt testimony to give. Recess was
ordered until 1880 p. m,
With the prospect that another full
day would have 70 be given
over to the reading of the San Francis
co dispositions covering the explosion at
the apartments of Fred. w. Bradley IN
that city IN November, 1904, there We're
few spectators In court this morning
when the trial of William D. Haywood
was resumed. Senator Borah, who oil
yesterday divided the task of reading
with Atty. Clarence Darrow OF the de-
tense. was indisposed this morning odd
the prosecutions portion Of the buruen
fell on Mr.. Hawley.
The day began with a continuance of
the testimony OF j. r. Reilly. who lived
at the Bradley apartments in Washing
ton street. Reilly declared he had
passed the apartment house but few
minutes before the explosion and saw
4 Japanese servant cleaning the stoop
and vestibule. He did not believe 1t
vas within the range of possibility for
anyone to have placed bomb there in
the manner indicated by Orchard In the
time which elapsed between his passing
and the report of the explosion. Or
chard testified that after placing the
bomb he boarded a street car and got
out Of hearing before the explosion oc-
Cured.
The next deposition taken was that
of Mrs. Charles Pichard, who as Mrs.
Crow had been employed by the Brad
1eys as cook, She told of having
smelled gas in the house for several
days prior to the explosion and had
called up the gas company to complain
OF 1t.
Mrs. Crow denied absolutely that she
had gone to the theater with orchard
as he testified. She declared that he
told falsehcod when he testified to
that effect.
The witness declared the explosion
was more like a thud than a sharp
report
LUCY A. CUMMINGS.
Atty. Darrow next took up the DISPOSE
ton of Mrs. Lucy A. Cummings who
occupied one of the flats in the build
ing with the Bradleys. She described
the explosion as the most terrible
noise she had ever heard in her life.
The witness and her husban were at
breakfast at the time and both Jumped
TO their feet exclaiming; IT'S gas"
10 no 1aalr oh ~,
for some time. Asked If she heard
one or two explosions. Mrs. Cummings
said there was Just "one big noise"
Rushing into the hall she smelled gas
but no powder The witness did no:
know. however. whether exploding
dynamite smeiied like ordinary powder
or not.
Mrs Josephine Linforth. wife of the
owner of the apartment house. made
one of the affidavits read today. She
told OF the excitement OF the Japanes
servant who had been cleaning the
front stoop just few minutes before
the explosion occurred.
John j. Eckleman, member of the
San Francisco fire department, who
was with the company responded to a
fire alarm following the explosion
at the Bradley house told of smelling
gas strongly when he arrived at the
scene. The explosion was not a sharp
report. as he remembered it. but
loud roar
Several other members of the fire.
department gave testimony similar TO
that OF Eckelman. One of these. John
W. Parry, said he had had consider
able experience with Dynamite explo-
slons and they differed in sound and
effect from that at the Bradley
apartment.
All of the tiremen said they heard
but one explosion. Parry declared
that the explosion AT the Bradley
apartment was louder than most gas
explosions he had heard
Joseph Vincent De La Veaga, an at
torney OF San Francisco who occupied
the apartment directly under the
Bradleys. told In his disposition of
having smelled gas III the vestibule OF
the house six or seven days prior to
the explosion.