The San Francisco call., 1908-05-27

Continued from Page 1, Column
force OF the explosion went downward.
up and to all sides. 1t was believed at
first that the windows were open. but
investigation showed that they had
been closed and that the explosion
threw the easements several feet.
The roof of the corner house where
the bomb was placed was drawn In to-
ward the floor and the floor was pitched
down toward the ground, three feet
below.
LAY BOMB. IN BEST
The plotters selected the most ex-
pensive of the three houses, which
were in one of the new and fashionable
residence districts on high ground
overlooking the lake. BY placing the
bomb in the extreme northwest corner
of the house which is higher up on. a
rise of ground than the front of the
structure, the force of the detonation
was turned toward the two adjoining
residences erected by Gallagher. This
not only demolished the house In which
the bomb was laid, but resulted In the
wrecking of the other dwellings by
concussion.
The corner dwelling was valued at
SO. 900 and the other two at $4,000 each.
The houses stood on valuable property,
and though there were only few resi-
dences within hundred yards, these
were elegant places.
George F. Neece, a decorating con-
tractor, lived across the street, to the
west, and Isabelle Fletcher, leading
lady at Ye Liberty theater had just
bought a home across Belmont street,
and to the east of the Gallagher houses.
Both the Fletcher and Neece homes
stood on the side away from the ex-
plosion, so that the serious damage
which might have resulted was ayerted
from the slope of ground.
WINDOWS ARE SHATTERED
In the Fletcher house windows were
broken. In the Neece home pictures
were thrown from the walls and the
place was shaken. Farther away, in
Van Buren, avenue, lives DR.. Harry p.
Carlton, president of the board of free
library trustees A window was broken
in his place, and small articles were
shaken to the floors.
Other fine homes nearby were shaken.
but there was no serious damage to any
but the Gallagher houses. This is ex-
planned by the fact that the windows
of houses around there were closed.
1t is thought by the police that the
shutting up OF the house where the
bomb was set was part Of the plot, as
by confining the dynamite the greater
destructiveness would be assured.
The detonation of the explosive was
heard in many sections of the city, CIV
ing assurance that a charge of ex-
plosive at least as large as that used in
the Schenck explosion was employed.
Owing to the wreckage 1t was impossi-
BILE tonight to find any parts of the ex-
plosive.
FLEE INTO VACANT LOTS
| BY entering the house from the rear
in Belmont street the dynamiters had
the advantage of darkness There are
no houses on that street above the
Gallagher place. the Fletcher home at
the corner being below them toward
the lake 1t is presumed that the es
cape was made across the vacant lots
to the north of the shattered homes.
When the call was rung into the po-
! lice station Sergeant of Police Brown.
| in command of the night force, made
for the scene Immediately in the police
automobile. He was accompanied by
policemen and established the police
guard.
The police are convinced that, as in
the Schenk home outrage, Gallagher
was the target. In the former dyna-
hitting the night of April 22, the lives
| of Gallagher, his wife and his rela-
tives, the Schencks, were imperiled, be-
sides the destruction of the dwelling.
Tonight Gallagher's property was the
/ object of attack. Captain of Detectives
Petersen asserted tonight without quail
| ification that. in his opinion, the dyna-
mating of the dwellings tonight was
not unexpected by him, in view of the
circumstances attending the first ex-
plosion. He said
STARTS FOR SCENE
II was in East Oakland when I heard
! the explosion and 1 Immediately sur
missed that it had occurred in one of
| the Gallagher houses. 1 started in that
direction at once and on my way was
picked up by an automobile, so that l
reached the house a few minutes after
1t was wrecked.
Immediately after the explosion a
man was seen running away from the
scene and 1 believe that he was one of
the persons who perpetrated the out
rage. / have notified all the members
| of the local police to arrest every sus-
| picious character in the city, and the
| San Francisco police have been asked
4 to cooperate in the attempt to appre-
hend the dynamiters.
II have been expecting this occur
renee ever since the Schenck home in
| Nineteenth avenue, in which 9allagher
| was living. was dynamited The house
| that was blown up tonight is wrecked
just as badly. In fact, it is a total
wreck inside. In my mind there is no
doubt that this is the second step in a
desperate and determined plot to de-
stroy the life and property of James
: L. Gallagher.
Il cannot say now what course the
| police will pursue in following up this
| outrage, but every possible precaution
| to prevent the escape of the criminals
| from the city has been taken"