The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-04
BANK BLOWN UP.
Bomb ExpIodes in Basement OF
the First National.
The Largest Financial Institu-
ton in Kansas City.
ONLY THREE INJURED
Although the Office Was Full
of Customers and Clerks.
Shock of the Explosion Felt
All Over the City.
FOLLOWED BY PANIC.
People in the Building Rushed
Frantically Into the Street.
Basement Windows Hurled
Across Baltimore Ave.
Although the Office Was Full
of Customers and Clerks.
Shock of the Explosion Felt
All Over the City.
FOLLOWED BY PANIC.
People in the Building Rushed
Frantically Into the Street.
Basement Windows Hurled
Across Baltimore Ave.

Kansas City, Mo, Jan. A Domo
was exploded in the basement of the
magnificent three-story marble build
ing of the First National bank at the
corner of Tenth and Baltimore, in the
business center. a few minutes after
the noon hour today and caused mucn
damage The force of the explosion
was terrific. Three persons were in
jured, none it is believed fatally There
is no cIew to the person who placed
the bomb and set it off.
The Injured.
Ebert Ward. negro porter in bank;
condition serious.
Logan Wilson, bank clerk, rendered
unconscious; will recover.
]. Donaldson, bank clerk, cut py
falling glass; not serious.
John F. Pelleter, superintendent OF
the fire insurance patrol, who was in
the banking rooms at the time the
explosion took place and E. +. SWIM
ney, president of the bank are
authority for the statement 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 commission of the act
The bank was crowded with custo-
mers at the time, these together with
the employees perhaps numbering two
hundred and fifty persons. A panic
ensued and there was a wild scramble
for the street door.
Building Cost 81, 100000.
The First National bank building
was one of the most beautlful struc-
lures in the city. It was only finish
ed last year. and cost close to $1,000
600 The main floor was occupied
by the bank, which is the largest fin
ancial institution in Kansas City The
two upper stories are Occupied prin-
cipalIy by real estate and law firms
Investigation developed the fact
that the bomb had been placed in
toilet room in the northwest corner or
the basement 20 feet from the main
vault The toilet room was 18 by 20
feet square and separated from the
adjoining room by a three-inch plas-
ter partition. This partition was sup
ported by a steel post. The bomb
struck this post with such force that
it bent it a foot out of position;
wrecked the partition and the plumb
Ing and sent a cloud of dust up the
wide stairway leading to the banking
rooms Half a dozen basement win
dows with the steel rods protecting
them were blown out into Baltimore
avenue and across the street. The
building was shaken as if by an
earthquake and its force may be APP
preciated from the fact that 1t was
felt in all parts of the city.
Paying TcIIer's Story.
Mr.. Pelletier who was standing at
the paying teller's window when the
explosion shook the building, said:
Following the explosion there was
a great volume of smoke and dust,
which poured up the stairway into the
banking room. The bank was I'M
usually we'll field with people,. At
the moment of the explosion the
crowd turned and rushed for the
south door, leading into Tenth street.
/ called out in a loud voice for quiet,
shouting that there was no danger,
and rushed for the stairway. When l
smoke was pouring up the entrance
way. CROPPED my way down the
stairs and at the bottom found Ward.
the negro porter. 1 carried him up
stairs, where others took care of him.
and returning to the basement, was
soon able to make an Investigation.
The smell of powder and the hole in
the basement made by the explosion
made it certai nthat the explosion had
resulted from bomb being set off.
There was no trace of the bomb
thrower and as yet we have been I'M
able to find any tangible -clew to the
manenr in which he planted the mis-
sile.'
Logan Wilson, another of the injured,
was in the basement at the time. He
was blown clear across the basement
and probably through the partition, a
distance of 20 feet. When picked up
he was unconscious. He was removed
to the emergency hospital and so far
has been unable to give an account of
what happened
J. Donaldson, the third person in
1ured was working in his cage in the
banking room. He was cut by glass
that had fallen from a chandelier. Ev-
eryone concerned is at a loss to find a
motive for the explosion Vice Presi-
dent Alternately of the bank suggested
that the bomb might have been placed
by a disgruntled depositor unable to
withdraw his funds during the recent
stringency. John Hayes. ex-chief Of
police, who visited the scene, said the
explosion undoubtedly was caused by
dynamite. This theory was supported
by Alex Henderson. assistant chief of
the fire department. Others advanced
the idea that the explosive was a COM
bination of dynamite. gunpowder and
nitroglycerine. although no fragment of
the supposed bomb has been found. All
agree that the explosion was not caused
by gas.