Omaha daily bee., 1908-01-05
DEED LACKING
Bank Officials Inclined to Charge Act
to Crank.
POLICE WITHOUT DEFINITE CLUI
Piece OF pipe Believed TO BE Part
of Bomb Found in Basement-
Damage 10 Building
100000.

D
the explosion in the beautiful marble build
/ ing Of the First National bank here this
/ afternoon was caused by dynamite or
| some other high explosive A piece Of
I pipe. believed 20 have been part Of
bomb. was found late today in the wrecked
basement.
A motive Is lacking but the bank officials
/ and the police incline to the belief that
| the exposion was either the work Of
crank or that a bomb had been secreted
! in the basement by would-be robbers for
future use and had been touched off pre-
mRturely.
| No arrests have been made and the police
are without definite clue upon which
TO work Joseph Pech, a Hungarian car
penter OF this city. one of the ten injured,
was taken TO the police station this even
| ing and questioned by the police. No
charge was preferred against the man. He
satisfied the police that he had no con-
/ nection with the affair, and was soon re-
leased. Pech, said he was passing the
building and was cut by flying glass
The loss is placed at $4,000. confined al
most entirely to the basement. None Of the
/ injured is fatally hurt and the injuries Of
/ only two are considered serious. The list
| follows:
Ebert Ward. negro porter, cut and
Logan Wilson, bank clerk, blown across
George w. Evans. member Of wholesale
/ drug firm of Smith and Evans, cut by
/ flying missiles while walking on opposite
side of Baltimore street.
! Val Jean Brightwell, clerk, cut on head
and face
and Mexican Trust company, with offices
across the street from bank. cut on face.
r, NJ Klspmeyer, bank clerk, cut on head
Joseph Pech. carpenter, passing building
at time of explosion. teeth knocked out,
r. w. Cole. knocked senseless by concus-
sion.
J. Donaldson, bank clerk, cut by glass.
Charles Grant bank clerk bruised
Cause of Explosion.
| John r. Pelletier, superintendent of the
fire insurance patrol, who was in the
banking rooms at the time the explosion
took place. and E. r. swinney, president
OF the bank, are authority for the state
ment that the explosion was the result of
a bomb set off by some person unknown
TO them. At first it was supposed to have
resulted from leaking natural gas. Neither
was able to, give any cause for the com
mission OF the act
The bank was crowded with customers
at the time of the explosions these with
the employees probably numbering go per-
sons. A panic ensued and there was a
wild scramble for the street door.
The First National bank building was
one Of the most beautiful structures in
the city. 1t was only finished last year
and cost close to 100000. The main floor
was occupied by the bank, which is the
largest financial institution in Kansas
City. The two upper stories are occupied
| principally by real estate and law firms.
Bomb Near Main Vault.
Investigation developed that the bomb
had been placed in a toilet room in the
northwest corner Of the basement twenty
feet from the main vault The toilet room
was lsx9O feet square and was separated
from the adjoining room by three-inch
plaster partition. This partition was sup
ported by steal post The bomb struck
this post with such force that II bent It
q foot out of position; wrecked the parti-
tion and plumbing, and sent a cloud Of
dust up the wide stairway leading to the
banking rooms. Half a dozen basement
windows with the steel rods protecting
them were blown out into Baltimore ave-
nue. and across the street The building
was shaken as II by an earthquake and
its force may be appreciated from the fact
that It was felt in all parts Of the city.
Mr.. Pelletier who was standing at the
paying tellers window when the explosion
shook the building. said:
Following the explosion there was
great volume Of smoke and dust, which
poured up the stairway into the banking
room. The bank was unusually well filled
with people. At the moment Of the explo-
sion. the crowd turned and rushed for the
south door leading into Tenth street, I
called out in loud voice for quiet, shout
ing that there was no danger. and rushed
for the stairway.
Iajured Man Rescued.
when l reached the stairway powder
ana smoke was pouring up the entrance
way / groped my way down the stairs
and at the bottom found Ward and the
negro porter. ! carried him upstairs. where
! others took care OF him. and returned TO
the basement and was soon able TO make
an investigation. The smell Of powder and
the hole in the basement made by the
explosion made il certain that the explo-
sion had resulted from a bomb being set
off There was no trace Of the bomb
thrower ana as yet we have been unable
TO find any tangible clue 10 the manner in
( which he placed the bomb"
| Logan Wilson. another OF the injured.
was in the basement al the time. He was
| blown clear across the basement and
probably through the partition, distance
/ Of twenty feet. When picked up he was
7 unconscious He was removed 70 the
emergency hospital and 30 far has been
unable to gives any account Of what hap
pened.
J. Donaldson, another person injured.
was working In his cage in the banking
room. He was cut by glass that had fallen
from a chandelier Every one concerned IL
al a loss 70 find a motive for the explosion
Vice President Abernsthy Of the hank sug-
q ~
placed by a disgruntled dep0sitor unable
/ TO withdraw his funds during the recent
stringency, John HSyes sx-ehief OF police.
who visited the sceVe. said the explosion
undoubtedly was caused by dynamite. This
theory was supported by Alexander Hen
derson. assistant chief OF the fire depart
ment. Others advanced the idea that the
explosion was a combination of dynamite.
EAR naNdsE aRd RiiERHlYpSEin.S