Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-01-10
|OWAN HURLs BOMB
ROLLA STEELE OF GARNER
KILLS MAN IN PHILADELPHIA
HE HAD DEMANDED 5000
Was Refused andi Dropped . Bomb
Which Wrecked the
Bank.

Garner. Ia, Jan. e.-That RollA
Steele is the man who threw the bomb
In the bank at Philadelphia. causing
two deaths and injurhg nine Others
Is evidenced by the records Of his life
thoroughly Investigated here. His
father was q pronounced socialist OF
the most radical type. and. Il Is said,
during his life time taught the son tho
principles of the faith. Steele, Jr.s
q man Of large physique, over six feet
tall and weighed 240 pounds.
Failing In business here SIX years
ago he departed, with his family for
Chicago, having lived there ever since.
He was hard irinker and when a.
Garner man visited him there year,
ago found him living with his wife
and child In the poorer part Of the
city, without means and In poor cir
cumstances. II Is said he was Cd the
Chicago police force at one time.
Steele was city marshal OF Garner
for number Of years and was always
considered quiet, peaceful man.
though he never mingled with others.
His brother-in-law. Charles E. Good
year, was the only man he would con-
fide in and the two corresponded atrer
Steele left here.
Steele ran small implement wen
drilling and ice plant in Garner, but
lack Of management fore ID an assign
ment.
Philadelphia, Pa, Jan 6.-Two men
dead, score OF others injured, two
OF whom may die, and the Interior Of
bank in ruins is the result of a bomb
dropped in the Fourth Street National
bank here yesterday by a man who
had demanded loan of $1,000 for
which he could show no eollateralI
The identity of the perpetrator of the
outrage Is wrapped in mystery for he
was blown to pieces. Nothing is left
to tell who he was but a bunch of
keys found In fragment of clpthing.
plate on the key ring bore the name
of "R. Steele, Garner, La" The other
man killed was w. 2. McLear cashier
of the bank, who had refused the
strangers request.
TIE man who dropped the bomb
called upon Richard II. Rushton, pres
ident Of the bank, shortly before noon
and asked for a loan of $4,000. The
president quickly sized him up as ec-
centric and turned him over to the
cashier with the idea that the latter
would have him taken from the build
Ing. Before leaving Mr.. Rushten the
man showed him a picture of q wo!
man and child, with remark:
Amt they all right?"
few 51nrnaptc totor fbnra 49,
terrific explosion which shock I'd the
big building and completely wrecked
the interior of the bank. Cashier Mo.
Lear was instantly killed. Willial
Crump the colored messenger, at
tempted to seize the object which the
man was about to drop from his rails.
ed hand, but he was an instant too
lat. The messenger is badly man.
gled and If he survives his terrible in
juries he probably will be blind.
The Fourth Street National bank IA
the largest financial institution In the
city. Details as 10 what actually hap.
pened when the man left the Office Of
President Rushton differ, as no one
can be found who saw the man drop
the bomb. The door to the Office of
from that of President Rushton and
the man must have dropped the mis-
sile 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 to-
pieces.
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, prepara-
tory to being put away for the day.
The expiosion devastated the interior
of the big banking room. Glass and
wooden partitions were wrecked ana
leveled to the ground as though a
cyclone had swept through the place.
Desks were ruined, and iron bars
object left intact In the room. OF all
the persons In the doom at least six,
all clerks, were hurt, two probably
fatally. Three of the injured were sent
to the rospital.
After President Rrshton had recov.
cred himself he told what had happen.
ed and tie search for the bomb
thrower was made. At the moment Il
was supposed he had not been killed,
but in taking out the body of Cashier
McLear, and looking for others, Dor.
lions of body were found that plain.
ly indicated that the man had been
flo wn to pieces.
The escape of President Rushton
was almost miraculous, for the dam,
age is greatest in his Office The CELL
{n fo
blood, and under a pile of wreckage In
one corner of the Office was found the
head and shoulders Of the bomb
thrower as well as his cvercoat. Mr..
Rushton does not know how he es-
capped, but recollects going up the
steps Of the building to the Down
Town club, dining organization.
where he was later found in dazea
condition.
Not only is the entire interior of
the bank wrecked, but the large win.
dows looking out on side street were
blown out. The explosion scattered all
the books and papers of the institu.
ton which were not in the varlts at
the time Some of them were blown
out OF the windows and were returned
by those who found them.
Philadelphia, Pa, Jan with the
finding of the personal effects Of the
man who threw the bomb In the
Fourth Street National bank on Sat.
urday, killing Cashier W. z. McLear
and himself, there Is little doubt left
in the minds Of the police officials that
he was Rolla Steele, Of Chicago, and
formerly of Garner. Ia