Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-06
Miss Julia Brady, stenographer.

BY Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 5.-Two men
are dead, a score of others injured, two
of whom may die, and the wrecking Of
bank building is the result of a bomb
being dropped in the Fourth Street
National bank today by a man who
had demanded a loan of $4,000 for which
he could show no collateral.
The identity of the perpetrator of the
outrage is a mystery for he was blown
to pieces by his own engine of death.
The other man killed by the explosion
was w. S. McLear, cashier of the bank,
who had been talking to the stranger
and had refused his request.
The Fourth Street National bank is
city and occupies the greater portion
of the first floor Of the Bullitt building
on Fourth street between Chestnut and
Walnut streets in the heart of the
financial district.
The explosion was terrific and it
caused tremendous excitement in the
crowded building and street.
1t occurred a few minutes before 12
o'clock, at Il time when the bank is
usually filled with persons in hurry
to transact business before the bank
closes.
No one saw the unknown man enter
the bank except r. f. Shanbacher the
vice president, who was passing out of
the building on his way to luncheon.
He noticed the man was poorly dressed
looked like a Russian and carried a
small parcel.
The man walked straight back to the
rear of the bank and asked the clerk to
direct him to the office of the presi-
dent Richard Rushton. What took
place in his office is best told by the
president himself:
Il was very busy" said President
Rushton, when the man entered my
office and l asked him to be seated for
q moment. He was very poorly dressed,
had patches on his shoes and his en-
tire appearance made me a bit curious.
"While he was waiting for me to
finish the business had in hand at the
moment l happened to notice that he
looked at me very curiously. I asked
him his business and he gave his name
as G. Z. Williams and said he wanted
loan of $4,000. He did not look like a
man who could make a loan of that
amount and asked him for collateral.
Convinced He Was a Crank
He said something about an insur-
ance policy and that it would mature
in from one to five years. | was then
convinced the man was a crank and
decided to dismiss him al once, not for
a moment thinking there was any harm
in him. 1 told him at once that he
would have to see the cashier and di-
recteG him out in the banking depart
ment. AT the same moment / called
my colored messenger, William Crump,
to see that the man was quickly taken
out of the building.
"As | turned to continue my work
at the desk there was n terrific explo-
sion and | thought the building was
coming down. The man had hardly
time 10 reach the cashiers desk, the
explosion came so soon"
Cashier McLear was sitting at his
desk at the time and his body was
badly mangled
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. The
explosion devastated the interior OF
the big banking room. Glass and
wooden partitions We're wrecked, desks
were ruined and iron bars were twisted:
in fact there was hardly an object left
intact in the room At least six per-
Sons, all clerks, were hurt. two prob
ably fatally. Three of the injured were
sent to the hospital.
Explosion Creates Panic
The explosion blew every one in the
banking room to the floor and for q
moment they were dazed. Fearing that
the building, which is an eight-story
structure, was falling, many of them
made rush for the door, Mr. Rushton
among them.
The force of the explosion brought
tenants on all floors to their feet and
general rush was made to the ele-
vators and stairways In the mean
time an alarm of fire was sent in and
firemen were quickly ON the ground.
After President Rushton had recov-
cred himself he told of what had hap
pened and search for the bomb throw
er was made. At the moment 1t was
supposed he had not been killed, but
In the taking out of the body Of Cash