Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-29
NINE OWNER
is BLOWN UP
BY A BOMB
BULKELEY WELLS OBJECT OF
ASSASSIN
Former Adjutant General of Colorado
Narrowly Escapes Death-Home
Wrecked by Explo-
sion
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
TELLURIDE, Colo. March 2S-
Former Adjt. Gen. Bukley Wells mar
rowly escaped death or serious injury
at his home at an early hour this
morning from a well planned effort to
assassinate him with q dynamite bomb.
Despite precautions such as patrols ana
electric lights about the house, a stick
of dynamite or a prepared bomb was
placed under or near Gen. Wells bed.
Wells was sleeping, as was his habit,
on an outer porch of his house. and he
was hurled With the debris many feet
from the wrecked house. The side of
the house was torn completely out,
hardly stick of the bed remaining,
and fragments of wood were scattered
far and wide. Wells was only slightly
injured.
Gen. Wells took leading part in the
suppression of labor troubles in this
state in 1904 and 1905 and was prom
inently identified with the recent prose-
cution of officers of the Western FEEDER
alton 'ot Miners at Boise on the charge
of completely in the murder of Governor
Steunenberg. He had been active also
in securing the eXtradition from Idaho
of steve Adams to be tried here on
charges of murder in connection with
the miners strike in 1904.
Wells is general manager of the
NIuuSSlcI"C CilOll 1Illle, ana his llolllSi
where the explosion occurred, is located
on that property at Pandora, several
miles from town.
The general appeared in town this
morning with his head bandaged, but
otherwise apparently none the worse
for his experience.
One suspect has been arrested and is
held in the city Jail pending a thorough
investigation relative to his alleged
connection with the explosion. The en- =
tire city and county police forces are
working on the case and more arrests
arc expected today.
Il have formed no opinion concerning
the affair and perhaps will not until
the matter has been fully investigated,
said Gen. Wells. TT Is all strange 70
me. l was in town last night and did
not return home until midnight or
thercabouts. / noticed nothing out OF
the ordinary about the house and re-
tired as usual in the sleeping porch,
which use almost the year around.
Awakened by Explosion
1.-THE next l remember was being
awakened by loud report and found
myself flying through the air. / must
have been hurled against the roof of
the porch. When / had fully regained
my senses l was buried under a mass Of
wreckage, the bed having been reduced
10 klnullllS ana the poIch pdulS udlli-
aged.
AT first 1 did not realize what had
happened. AS soon as 1 could eXtIicate
myself l made tour about the house,
but saw no one. [ then notified the
sheriff by telephone. | could not say
whether it was a bomb or a stick Of
dynamite that was placed under the
bed"
When news of the explosion reached
Telluride the sheriff with a corps of
deputies hurried to the scene. The
neighborhood for miles around was
thoroughly secured. but no trace of
dynamiters was found. The bomb or
dynamite stick had evidently been
placed under the bed some time yester-
day and set off at the time desired by
the use of clock work or tino fuse.
Every nook and corner about the
house and in the vicinity was searched
in an effort to find machinery of some
sort, and the failure to discover any
thing of the kind has caused the officers
to believe that an odorless fuse was at
tached to the explosive.
That Wells had a most miraculous
escape is evident from the damage
done to the room and its contents.
Every window was blown out. A huge
hole was torn in the floor, plaster was
iarred from the selling and sidewalks
and nearly every window pane in the
house was cracked. The wire springs
of the couch on which the general slept
were twisted and broken.
Gen. Wells predecessor as manager OF
the Smuggler- Union mine, Arthur L.
Collins, an Englishman, was shot to
death at Pandora several years ago
Steve Adams. the alleged accomplice of
Harry Orchard. the murderer of Steun-
enberg. is now in jail at Telluride
awaiting trial for that crime.
Gen. Wells is a graduate of Harvard
university and is a prominent clubman.
He was alone in his house last night.