Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-26
DYNAM|TERs' PLOT,
LLEWELLYNS SAY
Police Learn Gas Had Not Been
Used in Buildings for
Months
COMPANIES MAKE NEW RULE
Lights viii Be Kept Burning in
Plants and Yards to Prevent
Crime
COMPANIES MAKE NEW RULE
CONTINUED from Page One,

and literally fell through the holt
blown in the floor into the offices be
low amid a WreCkage of timbers an6
furniture. He was treated at the re
cciving hospital for slight injury oI
the right hand.
Asbury declares his escape from
death was little less than a miracle
Though sitting in a chair directly il
the path of the explosion, he says none
Of the flying timbers struck him
.fted bodily from his chair, he wa,
let down fifteen feet to the floor below
with such suddenness that it was al
over before he had time to realize what
had happened The injury to his hand
was caused by a broken window pane
Officers of the company say an eff
fort WAS made to enter the plant II
order that the explosive might be usee
from the inside and damage more OF
the buildings. This was prevented
they explain, by the vigilance Of the
Watchmen, who have instructions 4
keep every entrance to the plant closeC
during the night. They say there are
indications in the rear of the main
building to bear out their belief that
an effort was made to force an en-
trance
Though only the southwest end OF
the plant was actually wrecked the
whole structure was shaken and every
pane pi glass III iItt NlllNl'No Siltl1
tered. Even the glass of extra thick
ness on the extreme north Of the plant
was broken and scattered over the
ground.
SCORES or WINDOWS BROKEN
SO severe was the explosion that win
dows in nearly every building within
two blocks of the LieWellyn, plant We're
shattered. All glass on the exposed
side of the Wilson & Hanson Fur
nishng company's buildings and the
Lacy Manufacturing company was
broken. But few windows in the John
son foundry and machine works and
the Commercial engine works were
left intact
Shortly after the explosion people
from all parts of the city called into
police headquarters, asking if some
great disaster had befallen Los An
gelcs. Several residents of Hollywood
and Glendale reported being awakened.
and people living nearer the scene of
the explosion said they We're so Sc
vercly Jared that they went into the
streets in terror.
THE report was so loud said one
woman, living fully a mile from the
Ilewellyn plant. that / was sure one
of my neighbors' houses had been
blown up. IT sounded like the boom
Of a nearby cannon"
Waterman Pcttingill was seated in
his chair on the second floor of the
California Industrial works at the time
of the explosion. Though he weighs
more than 800 pounds Pettngill de
clares he was thrown from his chair
to the floor and stunned. He was sta
toned about one and onc-half miles
from the LlcWellyn plant at the time.
The police stationed at central sta
ton thought there had been an eX-
plpsion within two or three blocks of
First and Broadway and an effort was
made to locate the source in that vicin'
ity. Lieutenant Murray declared the
explosion might have occurred across
the street, so far as the roar was con-
Cerned
In less than an hour all officers of
the LleWellyn company had reached the
scene but we're unable to reach any
conclusion as to the amount Of the
damage. President Reese LleWellyn
said an official statement as to the
damage could probably not he made
for several days. 1t is believed, how
ever, that 10000 Will cover the loss
TO the building and the contents.
Asked as to the possibility of the eX-
plusion having resulted from a leakage
Of gas. officers of the company said
this would have been impossible For
several months, they declared, there
had been no gas used in the plant,
though the mains have not been re
moved. The hole said to have resulted
from the explosive was found located
Two or three feet distant from the main
gas pipe into the plant.
The only thing in the offices unaf-
foctcd by the blast was the company S
steel safe, which was protected against
both fire and explosive by an encase-
meut Of cement. surrounded by the
Cebris of fallen timbers, the safe stood
upright, protected by its cement rein
torccmcut, though all support for the
cement had been torn away by the eN-
plosion. The report that an effort had
been made to dynamite the safe and
make away with its contents is not
given credcncc by officers of the com
pauy and tho police.
Chief of Police Galloway and Cap
tain of Detectives FIammer spent yes
terday morning investigating the cX-
rlosion. Both made personal inSpec-
ton of the wrecked buildings, paying
special attention to the hole believed
- have been burrpWed by the high eX-
plueiVe. Detectives iUgTaham, McCann.
Iitch and Roberds have been assigned
regularly to the case.
DECLARES EXPLOSIVE WAS USED
There is every indication that either
can't FlammcI. Tho idea Of the eX-
Iloslon being caused by gas or any
other accidental agent does not seem to
be plausible. 1t is yet too early to tell
definitely lust what explosive was used
but it is absolutely certain that the
explosion was not accidcntai'
Chief Galloway also expressed the
opinion that a high explosive had
caused the Wrockage. though he was
unwilling 10 make any official state
menU.
"Of course said Secretary John
LloWellyu, eve cannot now say abso-
lutely who is responsible for this busi-
ness. But we are certain that the eX-
plosion was planned and executed by
enemies of this company. That the
property was wrecked by a high eX-
plosiVo there is not the least doubt,
am willing TO say positively that This
is not the work Of non union men,
President Reese LleWellyn declined
10 make any statement Yesterday aft
crnoon, hut expressed the belief that
the explosion had been delibcrat aly
planned.
The police arc investigating closely
the report of William Vine, night
watchman at the Lacy manufacturing
company, which adjoins the LloWellyn
plant Vine says he accostol three sus-
picious looking men on tine railroad
tracks near the Lacy buildings about
6:10 O'Clock Saturday night. After
stopping the men he said one Of them