The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-28
FormerAdjutant General Bulke-
ley Wells of Colorado
The Victim of Dynamite Bomb
at His Home.
ASLEEP ON A PORCH.
He Was Hurled Many Feet Out
Into the Yard.
Side of House Torn Out and
Scattered About.

1euurlue, COL, March 2S.-FormeT
Ad5utant General Buckley Wells mar
rowly escaped death or serious injury
at MS home here at an early hour this
morning, from well planned effort to
assasslnate him with dynamite.
Despite precautions against such an
attempt such as patrols and arc lights
ABOUT the house. stick OF dynamite
| or a prepared bomb was placed under
or near General Wells bed.
General Wells was sleeping. as WAS
his habit, on an outer porch of the
house and he was hurled with the
debris many feet from the wrecked
house.
The side of the house was torn COM
pletely out, hardly a stick of the bed
remained and fragments of wood were
scattered over the neighborhood.
Though badly shaken up and bruised
to some extent General Wells is said
to have escaped without serious in
jury. NJ
General Wells took leading part in
the suppression of labor troubles in this
state in 1904. and 1906, and was prorni-
nently identified with the recent pros
ecution of officers of the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners at Boise on the
charge of completely in the assassina-
ton of former Governor Frank
Stuenenberg. He has been active also
in securing the extradition from Idaho
or steve Adams to be tried here on
charges of murder in connection with
the miners strike in 1904. s
General Wells Own Story.
General Wells is general manager: of
the Smuggler Union mine and his home
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 thorough
| investigation relative to his alleged
connection with the explosion. The en-
| tire city and county police force are
working on the case and more arrests
are expected today.
I have formed no opinion concern
| ing the affair and perhaps will not I'M
| til the matter is fully investigated"
said General Wells. at is all strange
to me. I was in town last night and
| did not return home until midnight or
! Whereabouts. 1 noticed nothing out of
| the ordinary about the house and re-
| tired as usual on the sleeping porch
which / use almost the year around.
| THE next I remember was being
| awakened by a loud report and found
| myself flying through the air. I must
have been hurled against the roof of
| the porch. When 1 had fully regained
my senses I was buried under mass
| of wreckage, the bed having been re-
| duced to kindling and the porch badly
damaged.
eat first I did not realize what had
| happened. AS soon as I could extri-
| cate myself I made tour about the
| house, but saw no one. 1 then notified
| the sheriff by telephone. I could not
say whether it was bomb or 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 the dynamiters was found.
! The bomb or dynamite stick had evil
IDENTIFY been placed under the bed
| sometime yesterday and set off at the
| time desired by the use of clock work
| or a time fuse. Every nook and corner
| about the house and in the vicinity
| was searched in an effort to ind ma
chinery of some sort. and the failure
to discover anything of the kind has
| caused the officers to believe that an
| odorless fuse had been attached to the
| explosive. That Wells had most
| miraculous escape is evidenced by the
damage done to the room and Its con-
tents Every window was blown out,
| a huge hole was torn in the floor, plas-
/ ter was Jared from the ceiling and
/ side walls and nearly every window
| light in the house was cracked. The
/ wire springs of the couch on which the
! general slept were twisted and bro
| ken.
! General Wells predecessor or man
ager of the Smuggler Union mines,
| Arthur L. Collins, an Englishman, was
| shot to death at Pandora several years
ago. Steve Adams, the alleged accom-
pIice of Harry Orchard, the murderer
| of Ex-Governor Stuenenberg of Idaho,
| is now in Jail at Telluride awaiting trial
| for that crime.
| General Wells is a graduate of Har-
| ward university and is a prominent
clubman. He was alone in his house
| last night.
No Shut Down in No. IL.