Gilpin observer., 1909-02-04
HOUSE DYNAM|TED NEAR RUSSELL GULCH
Mrs. Maria Zamped and Two Children Have Miraculous
Escape from Being Blown to Atoms While Sleeping
Early Wednesday Morning.

Mrs. Maria Zampedri and two chill
dren literally came within an inch
of being blown to atoms Wednesday
morning at 4:3O o'clock. The mother
and two children, who have been
OCCUPYING the house of Medestra
Paola at the mouth of Leavenworth
gulch on Quartz hill for several
weeks had a hair-breadth escape
from death. Parties unknown to the
woman or the officers attempted to
blow up the building with the use
OF dynamite. One charge, which ap-
parently was a light one, and was
placed under a window in the kitch-
en-, exploded and tore out one side
OF the room. The charge which was
intended to make the work of de-
struction complete and make the
tragedy most narrowing one had
1t exploded, failed to fire. This last
charge contained three sticks of
dynamite wrapped in a newspaper
and placed on the roof of the house
Immediately over the room in which
Mrs. Zampredi and children were
sleeping. The fuse which was to
ignite the powder burned to within
one inch Of the cap. Had this
amount of dynamite exploded togeth-
er with that placed under the
kitchen window there wouldn't have
been enough Of the house left tc
fill cigar box.
The stick of powder which did
explode wrecked more or less every
com in the house. Every window in
the Paola house was shattered and
windows in the houses in the vi
cinity of where the explosion oc-
CURED were broken and furniture was
toppled over. The detonation was
heard very distinctly by several in
Central and awakened most of the
people Of Russell Gulch.
The perpetrators Of the dastardly
deed are not known but an effort is
being made by Deputy District At
to.ney Byron and Sheriff Bolsinger
to get clew to work on. Mrs. Zam-
pedri suspects her husband. Fred
| Zampedri. She told the sheriff and
I an Observer reporter yesterday that
she had intended to make her liv-
ing by keeping boarders. Her hus-
band heard of this she claims and
through jealousy had threatened to
dynamite the place if anyone went
to the place where his wife was
staying to board. Mrs. Zampedri says
he made this threat a week ago to
Paole Battiste, who had remarked
that he was going to take his meals
with her. The husband processes his
innocence and was greatly worried
after he heard of the occurrence. He
knew nothing about the explosion he
claims until after o'clock yesterday
morning, when someone told him
Of the attempt which had been made
to kill his wife and two children.
Mrs. Zampedri gives other reasons
! for suspecting her husband. She
says when she was living with him
! he repeatedly made threats that he
would kill her and numerous times
she asserts she was compelled TO
| flee from the house and seek refuge
at the home of her parents. Fam
pedri. according to the woman, fire.
quently remarked that he was not
the father of the children, which
would make her believe that he
would as soon take their lives as
her own.
The domestic life OF the Fam
pedr1's has been very unhappy ever
| since they were married four years
ago. Twice Mrs. Zampedri has had
her husband arrested for cruelty and
some weeks ago she left him and
went over to the home of Medestra
Paola. Two weeks ago she was
arrested with Paola at the instance q
the husband. for living in an open
state Of adultery. They were given
preliminary hearing before Justice
Of the Peace Mccullough and both
were bound over to the district court
! The woman managed to furnish bond
but Paola being unable to was plac.
ed In Jail.
Mrs. Zampedri Ia 81 years of age
Is OF Austrian birth and is quite
attractive. Her husband is also ar
! Austrian and has conducted sa
loon In Russell Gulch several years
The children born to the unhappy
couple are both babies. one being les
than two and half years OF age
| and the Ynunger ona hninU loss fhnr