The Washington herald., 1909-08-01

rage az the Coliseum annex. an Incident
which was perplexing. inasmuch as the
big auditorium is only used Tor large
affairs and exhibitions. But the elcplO-
sicn occurred on the night previous 20
the big annual orgy. the First ward ball
which Is given 10 supply the political
Golfers OF Alderman "Hinky Dink'' Kenna
and Alderman ''Bathhouse John Cough
lin. The bomb was just a little int!rnation
70 the First ward aldermen that political
interference and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. police
investigat tiOns were not wanted. It was
merely little warning. The Coliseum
annex. used as an open bar for the bail,
was only partially wrecked. whereas the
main building. wherein the saturnalia Is
held, was left unchanged
On December IS, the saloon OF John
Morris was dynamited. and then things
cooled down for i've months. This years
outrages began on May 81. with the
wrecktne OF the Southern Whist Cuba
club not devoted exclusively 10 the game
OF whist. TFlo explosion streW-ed gamb-
Ing paraphernalia into the street and
the alley, and made an almost totaI
wreck Of the building. On June q, the
place Of Manning & Bowes was dynamite
ed Then came the last and boIdest
attempt the dynamiting OF the Chicago
Telephone Compauy's exchange IN the
heart Of the downtown section.
Bomb 81 the Climax.
Bomb 81 the climax OF the gamblers
war. rent the loop district Of Chicago at
L o'clock Sunday night, June q. Up 10
that time in the warfare the police looked
on indulgently: Il was a gamblers fight.
and. well, let them fight Il out among
themselves. OF course. an investigation
followed every explosion. but that was
to m0llify an inqurIng public An in
cident Of the outrage shows the police
attitude Five minutes before the ex-
plOsion Assistant Chief Schuettler was
sitting IN his Office talking with a news
paper reporter about the bonib-throwing
and the chances Of capturing the throw
ers.
You're sitting UP pretty late tonight.
aren't you. chiefT' said the reporter, jok-
ingly.
sure" replied the police official. laugh
Ing. I'm Just waiting for the next bomb
70 be thrown"
He had no more than spoken when the
terrific explosion shook the building.
Il guess I was waiting for that" he
cried as he grabbed his hat and ran 10
his automobile which stood II front OF
the city hall At first Chief Schuettler
was inclined 10 lay the explosion 70 gas
a convenient explanation from the police
point Of view. But an inspection OF the
damage preCluded that explanation
] admit was wrong about this explo-
sion.' said he after inspecting the wreck.
Dynamite did this work, and Il was q
pretty big charge. too
We'll, what is the police department
going 20 do about it?' he was asked
The chief hesitated a minute and then
replied:
Were going 10 get the man or men
that did this II we have 70 put every
man in the department on the case. This
thing must stop or the whole city VIII be
blown up We have tried TO catch these
bomb-throwers before. and even now we
have some pretty good clews which may
lead 10 their capture Whether JheJ1 are
the same ones who did this tonight
cannot say"
Fourteen Are Hurt.
The big explosion injured fourteen per
sons. one perhaps fatally. IN adjoining
7 buildings. and damaged property 10 the
extent OF si5aOO0. The dynam,ler placed
the bomb which the police estimated at
twenty-five pounds OF either dynamite or
nitroglyCerin. al the bottom OF man
hole !n Calhoun place. known IN the old
T lllS as eA4nulcl1 Al4c9s JUST ~ +-Aa
rear Of the big Chicago Title and Trust
Building. 100 Washington street in which
the central telephone exchange IS in
stalled
The police discovered that three large
telephone cables had been cut through
before the bomb was exploded This
circumstance left no doubt that the tele-
phone company was the object OF the
outrage. The chief was asked about
this
rs q not a fact that a certain clique
Of gamblers were refused telephone con-
nectiOn by the company" he was asked.
I don't know anything about that"
he replied How should I kuow2 II
they've had any trouble with the gam
/ blers I never heard anything about T.
( For a week there has been a great pO-
lice hubbub in Chicago The police de-
partment really has eXerted itself beyond
/ its wont 10 discover the perpetrator OF
the outrage They dragged the criminal
+ sections Of the city and finally arrested
an ex-COnvlct. Charles Meyer. as the
4 dynanaiter. Meyer was questioned and
"sweated" for several days, but nothing
tending 70 solve the riddle was obtained
( from him. At the present time the po-
I lice department is about as much ''up IN
! the air" as ever. When and where viii
/ the next bomb be exploded? And VIII
I It do greater damage than the last2
/ These are questions that entire popu-
lation Of Chicago IS asking. The police
can't tell. the gamblers wont tell, and
4 there seems nothing 10 do but 20 wait
and see