Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-01-12
THREW DEADLY
BOMB IN BANK
Assailant and Cashier Killed and
Many Others Injured
WAS REFUSED LOAN OF $4,000


Philadelphia, Pa. Jan. with the
finding OF the personal effects OF the
man who threw the bomb ia the Fourth
Street National Bank on Saturday.
when refused a loan of $4,000. killing
Cashier W. 2. McIear and himself.
there is little doubt left in the minds
Of the police officials that he was Rollo
Steele, OF Garner, Ia
The dead are: William X. McLear,
cashier; Rollo Steele the bomb throw
er
The injured are: Thomas b. Rutter.
discount clerk. fractured skull. con-
cussion of the brain and lacerations
Of the face William Crump. colored.
messenger for President Rushton. hor-
ribly mangled by fragments OF bomb.
eyes partially blown out. scalp nearly
torn OF and chest and arms badly cut:
William A. McAney. lacerated face and
scalp; Miss Julia Brady. cut about
face and hands; Frank L.aboe. lacerat-
ed car; Harper Mercer. slightly cut
about face and neck: William Wright.
scalp wounds; Harry Beck. lacerated
scalp; Eugene McIlhone. ruptured ear
drum and laceration OF face and scalp:
Angelo +. Dominica. shock and contu-
sions: c. II. Horton, head cut: j. T.
Albert Hosbach. badly cut about face;
Halburt Smith. lacerated arms: AT
thur McNichol. cut about head and
face; Jay McNichol. cuts OF face and
arms; Albert Troebler. lacerations OF
face and ear nearly torn OF: Horace
Kriebel. cut about fac eand neck: Rob
ert Robertson. thrown 20 the floor by
force OF the explosion and severely
shocked; w. u. McAleer, contusions
and cuts OF face and scalp.
The bomb thrower was found TO
have slept Friday night at the Grant
House. a hostelry on the outskirts of
the Tenderloin. freQuented mostly by
respectable working people. The man
registered as ]. II. Steele. Of New York.
He arrived az the hotel about o'clock
on Friday night and engaged 5O-cent
room. lie carried a grip. which he
refused 20 allow the colored porter TO
carry 10 the room.
William J. Crump. the negro mes
senger in the bank and body guard OF
President Richard II. Rushton, OF the
institution. who is the most seriously
injured. was operated on His condi-
tion was such a few hours after the
explosion that he was reported dead.
but he rallied, and the physicians op-
Grated in an effort TO save his eye
sight though his eyes will never re-
gain their normal condition.
Crump was visited after the opera
tion by his brother. Thomas. Of Rich
mond. Va. through whom he gave an
interview. He said that his recollec-
ton Of what occurred comedies with
the statement that was made by Pres
ident Rushton regarding the affair. ex-
cept that when he started to escort the
bomb thrower out of President Rush
tons Office he walked him past Cash
Ter McLear's desk. Crump says the
man was apparently making for the
door, and he permitted him to go on
alone. When the messenger turned to
go back into Mr. Rushton's Office he
saw that Steele had stepped back TO
McLears desk. It was then that Crumo
remarked 20 Mr.. Rushton: THAT is a
persistent man" He says he started
toward Steele when the explosion oc-
CURED. He remembers nothing more.
Mr.. McLear was sitting at his desk
when the bomb exploded The force
OF the explosion picked him bodily
from his chair, hurting him over the
top of it into the rear of the Office.
His face and trunk were mashed into
a pulp almost past recognition. His
arms were torn from his frame. and
only his legs showed no effects Of the
explosion.
The small counter over which the
bomb throweT had beer leaning was
wrested from its fastenings and the
splinters. hurled against him. dismem-
bered his body. tearing it into shreds
and hurting it with great force In ev-
cry direction. The two legs were torn
apart. the arms broken and the flesh
cut into ribbons, the torso mashed into
a jelly and east against broken pieces
OF iron grating. and portions of the
skull scattered over the entire recep-
tion room. a shovel was used to col
lect the scattered pieces.