The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1910-10-07
KewSDaOeI Office Blown Up
and q Killed.
fIENDS TRY TO SLAY OTHERS
Labor Troubles Blamed For Bomb
Horror and Other Plots to Murder
$500 Reward For Perpetrators.


: The police hope to force from
Michael Eagan a confession that VII
explain the mystery surrounding the
explosion al the Los Angeles tCal)
Times building, in which twenty-one
persons have lost their lives and che
finding of dynamite bombs near the
homes Of General Harrison Gray Otis
proprietor of the Times, and F. D.
Zeehandelaar, secretary of the Los An
Eeles Merchants and Manufacturers
association and personal friend Of
General otis.
While they have no direct evidence
against Eagan. the fact that he cannot
account for his movements on Friday
night and Saturday, and the fact thai
threatening letters were found 'on him
when arrested lead the police 20 be
Heve that he can tell important facts
In addition TO Eagan four others are
being held by the police pending an
investigation.
The city is seething with excite
ment. The city council met In special
session and appropriated $4,000 for
the purpose OF determining the cause
of the Times explosion and provided
reward OF $500 for the capture Of
those Responsible for the outrage
For twenty years following a quar-
rel with the typographical union and
the changing OF the Times 10 a nom
union paper. General otis has fought
unionism with every resource at his
command. He mas been ably seconded
in this fight 10y the Merchants and
Manufacturers association. whose sec
Rotary was the object OF frustrated dy-
namiting.
The original suspicion of the police
that the Times building disaster was
due to a heavy charge OF a high ex-
plosive was circumstantially confirm
ed by the finding OF the other bombs
and the statements of those persons
in the building or nearby at the time
of the explosion.
Il is almost certain that the explo-
0eion occurred in narrow alley that
separated the two buildings occupied
by the Times.
Foreman Graybill. Of the composing
Toom in which the full force of the
explosion was felt and where the
greatest direct damage was done, is
firmly of the opinion that it was due
70 dynamite in the alley. His state
ment is the clearest yet made. He
said.
Il was standing near the center OF
the composing ROOM when all at once
a terrific force from below seemed to
raise a section of the floor clear to
the ceiling. The upheava came be
tween two linotype machines. Frames
and broken timbers flew in all direc-
tons. The force of the thing was in.
describable Grant Moore, a machinist,
was directly over the spot where the
impact came through the floor. His
body was hurled against the ceiling.
e. A. Jordan head-setteT, and f. w.
WATSON. galley man. we're nearest
20 him, and they, too. were hurled
against the ceiling of the composing
room.
Every one of the typesetting ma.
.ehines was thrown and hurled in all
directions"
Il. The explosion was heard for miles.
AL windows in the vicinity of the
Times building, at First street and
Broadway, we're shattered. Between
Fifty and seventy-fve employees were
fn the structure at the time of the ex-
plosion. and until the whole list can
be checked over it will not be known
how many lives were lost.
The building was equipped with gas
fittings. and the force of the explo
zion, tearing these pipes into bits. re-
leased gas, which was instantane0usly
ignited No other cause but that Of
q dynamite explosion was advanced by
witnesses except one. a Western I'm
ion telegraph operator, William Fir
man. who declared that he detected
the odor OF gas throughout the build
ing earlier in the night and had called