Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-23
pAsrARpLY ATTEMPT TO WRECK
THREsHING OUTFIT AND
KILL CREW.
SIXTEEN LIVES MENAcEp
BY PERPErRAToR OF CRIME.
Fortunate Halt to Change Machinery
Results in Discovery Of Several
Sticks Of Deadly Explosive in Grain
Stacks on Pocahontas County Farm
Investigation Under way-Iowa
News Notes.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Rolfe, Oct 23.-By the merest chance
an explosion of dynamite that would
have wrecked a threshing machine and
probably killed several if not all of a
crew Of sixteen men was prevented on
the farm of -. N. Bendisen. three miles
south of Rolfe. Some conspirator had
placed several sticks of dynamite in
bundles Of grain which had been
stacked when harvested, and slight
delay in the operation of the machine
while the selves were being changed
led to the accidental discovery of the
explosive and probably prevented a
terrible disaster.
While c. Forrey, proprietor Of the
threshing outfit was changing the
selves in the separator one of the
pitchers picked up bundle, and see
ing something in the middle of. 1t,
pulled the object out, saying: "Look
here, Rasmie is raising cat-tails with
his oats" Everyone laughed at the re-
mark, and wanted to see his find. One
Of the first to see it said: 'ewhy, that's
stick Of dynamite" On closer exam
ination Of the stick it was found that
cap had been thrust thru it, in such
way that it could hardly fail to ex-
plode if it had gone into the machine
Work was suspended and a number
of bundles were then carefully ex-
amined near the top of the stack, and
Will Spangler found two sticks with
| caps In them in one bundle, and an.
other bundle contained one stick that
had two caps in it. The work was post
poned indefinitely.
| Investigation Under Way.
Messrs Bendisen and Forrey lodged
information with the authorities as
soon as possible and the time since has
been spent in an effort to discover who
had purchased dynamite and caps.
What they have been able to learn in
this direction will not be made public
until later on, but it is supposed that
they have learned enough to warrant
them in laying suspicion on some per-
son. The object Of the outrage could
Bendisen. else it would surely have
been committed before the threshing
had gone so far along. twenty-three of
Ills IWeuCy.elSlL STACKS OF grain nav.
ing been threshed. Mr.. Bendisen has
lived forty years in. the immediate
neighborhood OF his present farm, and
IS one Of the highly respected men Of
she Vicinity.
Mr.. Forrey, the owner Of the ma.
chine, has lived in the vicinity almos
as long as Bendisen, and they have al
ways been on good terms with eacl
other There is no rumor current a.
to any disagreement between Fore.
land anyone else, and yet the conclus
ion Is forced that the cowardly crim'
was planned for the ruin of his ma
chine. If the people of the district
who know the men escaping this aw
full danger. had discovered the perpe
TRAITOR yesterday it would have gon
hard with him, because they are al
Mortified and indignant over the das
tardly deed that might have resulted
in murder. No one could place fou
sticks Of dynamite in such proximity
without knowing that death and de
struetion must be the unavoidable re
suit. The whole county is excited owe
the affair, and 1t forms the topic o
conversation wherever one goes. MI
Bendisen and his boys are opening an
examining bundles of oats today, an
intend to do so with all the grain t
be threshed