Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-01

Los 'ESeles, Cal Oct. 1.-The build
ing and plant of the Los Angeles
Times, the greatest newspaper on the
coast, and Of which General Harrison
Cray Otis Is editor and principal own
er. was completely destroyed by an ex-
plosion and fire early today. resulting in
the death Of upwards Of twenty en-
ployes and financial loss Of nearly
a half million dollars.
The management Of the paper lays
the plan of the eXplo osion to labor un-
ions, with which organization the paper
had long been engaged in bitter war
fare 1t is charged that unknown part
les set off a charge Of dynamite in
bind alley which ran into the center Of
the building, completely wrecking the
interior and setting it on fire from roof
to basement.
Many Employees in Building.
Between fifty and seventy-fve en-
ployes were in the building at the time
and until the whole list of employees
can be checked over it will not be
known how many lives were lost.
Responsible heads of the paper, in
cluding Assistant General Manager
Chandler, had a narrow escape from
building a short time before the ex-
plosion.
Gas Adds to Horror.
The force Of the explosion broke the
gas pipes and released the gas, which
was instantaneously ignited in every
part Of the building.
No other cause but that of dyna-
mite explosion was advanced by wit
nesses excepting in the case of a
Western Union telegraph operator,
William Firman, who stated that he de-
tected the odor Of gas thruout the
building earlier in the night and had
called attention to it.
Two Suspects Arrested.
After the explosion the police ar
rested Harry Plake and William Irwin
as suspects. The police are without
clues as to the probable perpetrators.
ger Chandler, has not been found since
the fire, and 1t is thought that he is
among the dead.
Received Many Threats.
nf ha
declared that there is no doubt this ter
rible outrage can be laid at the doors
Of labor unions, that it was caused by
the use Of dynamite, and that an ex-
plosion of gas could not have caused
such a complete wreck. He says that
for years the owners of the paper have
been receiving threatening letters.
Twenty-Four Probably Dead.
Foreman Graybill, Of the composing
room, estimates that there were IFS
men ir the building, eighty-f1ve of
them in his dep 1rtment. He believes
that twelve of his men were killed and
that the fatalities in the other depart
ments were about the same number.
Manager Chandler is authority for
the statement that an attempt to blow
up the Times auxiliary plant in another
part of the city was made few min
utes before the explosion that destroy
ing the main office.
Editors Among Dead.
Among the dead are:
HARVEY c. ELDER, assistant city
editor.
CHARLES E. LovELACE, secretary
to Manager Chandler.
r. L. SAWYER, telegraph operator.
HARRY L. CRANE, assistant tele-
graph editor.
The city council today voted a $685.
300 fund for use in running down the
dynamiters F. ]. Zeehandelaar, Sec
retary Of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers Association, notified the po-
lice today that ac harge of dynamite
had been found under his house. The
police are investigating
No Doubt It Was Dynamite.
Chief of Police Galloway said today:
THAT the Times building was
wrecked by dynamite seems certain
from all that my men can learn. About
100 patrolmen and most of the de-
tectives are on duty at the fire. We