Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-05
Robert. Steele, of Garner, Com
mits Awful Crime When Re
fused Money
BOMB KILLS SELF AND CASHIER
Many p.opl. Injured, Two Fatally
Interior Of Bank Wrecked and VAL
uabIe Paper. Oestroyed-steeIe De-
manded 5000, Which Was Refused
Him-A Pate,,t Medicine Vendor.

him-A Pate,rt Medicine Vendor.
phila dnlphia, Jan. 5.-Shortly before
noon today. an unknown man hurled
bomb in the Fourth Street National
bank. The resulting explosion tore the
bomb thrower to pieces and killed w. q.
McLear, assistant cashier. Several other
employees of the bank and number OF
patrons were injured. Two Of those
hurt may die.
The bomb thrower had demanded
money from President Richard II.
Rushton. When this was refused he
took the missile from under his coat
ana hurled It at Rushton.
A slight fire followed the explosion
Tenants in the building in which the
bank Is lc Gated fed from their offices
The polic. were quickly on hand and
placed the vaults and securities Of the
institution under heavy guard. Pres
ident Rusllton, after the explosion, was
very much excited and trembling like
4 leaf. H, told the following story:
The man who gave his name as g.
=. Williams, shabbily dressed, and Civ
ing no place Of residence, came into my
office and asked me to lend him 3d.
600. wa.i busy looking over some pa
pers on MY desk at the time and
paid but little attention to what the
man said. He sat there looking at me
very curio lsly until became suspici-
ous that he was 81 crank I asked him
to excuse me for a minute while
went into another office. As left the
man he arose and went over to the
cashiers window. noticed him talk
Ing to the cashier but do not know
what ne told him The explosion fol-
lowed nex'. I die not see the man
throw the bomb, hut have every rea-
son to suppose he. did throw it at my
cashier, William r. McLear, who was
killed outright. The explosion caused
great excitement amongst us all. The.
glass flew from smashed windows ana
fell in showers over us and four or f1ve
women were among the employees VINO
rushed for the door"
Later Rushton was overcome by the
seriousness of the tragic affair and was
sent home in carriage.
At the time Of the explosion all the
vaults were, open, the books We're piled
ON desks and papers of all sorts and
value were lying on the desks
preparator, to being put away for the
day. The explosion devastated the in-
terror OF tie big banking room. Glass
and wooden partitions we're wrecked
and leveled to the ground as tho a cy-
clone had swept thru the place. Desks
were ruined and iron bars twisted.
In fact there was hardly an object
left intact in the. room. OF all the
persons in the room at least six, all
clerks. were hurt, two Of them prob
ably fatally. Three of the injured
were sent to the hospital. The explo-
sion blew every one in the banking
room to the floor. For a moment they
were dazed many of them not know
lne what had happened and fearing
the building, which is an eight story
structure, was falling, made a rush
for the DOORS The escape of Presi-
dent Rushton was almost miraculous,
for the da mage was greatest in his
office. He does not know how he es-
capped but recollects going. up the sters
OF the building to a downtown club
dining orga 1ization, where he later was
found in a dazed condition.
Bomb Thrower May be lowan.
AS soon as the excitement of the
explosion had subsided policemen and
the uniniured clerks were set to work
searching the wreckage for all pa
pers It probably will take days before
the bank officials are able to tell how
many valuable documents in the banks
custody were destroyed, as the whole
place was strewn with torn bits of
papers. The detective bureau is at
work in an effort to identify the man
who was the cause of the tragedy.
The only thing found that probably
belonged to him was a bunch of twen-
ty-five keys on ring which was the
name "R. Steele, Garner, Iowa."
President Rushton described him as
tall, dark man, apparently a foreign
er. The form OF the bomb is not
known, as neither Rushton nor anyone
else saw it. A small piece Of tin box
was found among the wreckage, but
whether this was q portion Of the
deadly missile has not been determined
w. L. McLear, the dead cashier, was
a bout 45 years of age and had been
with the institution about ten years.
He was regarded in financial circles as
one of the ablest bank officials In the
etat& william crump. messenger.