The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-19
BOMB OUTRAGE
IS PERFORATED
ON COINS HOME
Terrific Explosion at Early
Hour Sunday Morning
Does Damage
SECOND ATTEMPT IN
VERY SHORT WHILE
Damage Confined to Outside
of Building and All of
Occupants Escape
Without Injury

One of the most daring attempts in
the criminal history OF Richmond c
send man and his family to their
doom vas committed early yesterday
morning, when a bomb outrage was
committed on the house of Attorney
j. s. Cohn,~l2 South Adams street
Mr.. Cohn and his wife were startled
from profound sleep by terrific ex-
piosion, and as he is said TO have re-
marked later 1t seemed as il the house
were going to pieces.
There WIS a sound OF shatterfne
glass and broken doors and as Of fall
ing timbers. Thoroughly alarmed,
Mr.. Cohn jumped from his bed anj
started out 10 investigate But Mrs
Cohn, fearing evidently fer his safety
begged him not to go out and he re-
manned at her side.
The defamation of the exploding
bomb aroused the neigh borhcod, and
few slept after hearing the awful ex-
piosion.
Reported TO Police
The matter was reported to poles
headquarters yesterday. and Detective
Sergeants Wiley and keliam were sent
to make an investigation They found
the front porch practically ruined, j
double front door had been SKATER
ed by the force Of the explosion
the inner vestibule door was half de-
molished, front window was smash
ed. the transom over the door WAS
broken, hole had been torn in the
flooring OF the porch and the iaEiet
work around that end of the porch
projecting towards the alley was bro
ken down. Shattered bits OF piece
OF gas pipe OF two-inch width and
two feet long and several feet OF
fuse were discovered by the detec-
ttves. One end Of the gas pipe was
plugged with a piece Of wood. The
other end was torn off by the expio-
sion The long fuse was FOUND near
by. Whoever committed tho DARING
outrage had placed enough fuse |.
time the explosion go that he coulo
reach a place of safety before t'e
explosion occurred.
1t was evident that the bomb has
been carefully placed on the poreh
next to the front door. How long II
remained there cannot be told, as the
fuse was 80 long that 1t must have
burned for some time before reach.
ing the cap In the bomb. The az
plosion occurred at about 2 O'Clock.
Alarms NeiEhborhood.
Remuneration. and alarmed neighbor:
poked their heads out OF their viii
dou-r to soc what had happened. But
m investigation was made until aftei
dawn. when mute evidences or the
shattered bomb and OF the wreekec
porch disclosed a fiendfsh attempt a.
wholesale murder Had the crimlna
been able 10 get the bomb inside ms
house. more serious damage wouie
have been inflicted. and personal IN
furv to Mr.. Cohn. his vile and en'le
might have resulted. As 1t was, ms
bomb was placed near the 'front.' door
evidently as near as the man dafa1
place IT..
The detectives believe that II wa.
loaded either with dynamite or white
powder The end which exploded W.,
shattered. the other end with the plua
OF wood remaining intact. The re-
manning part of the fuse which haf
not been burned was also found In
tact
Though the detectives appsarro he,
lieve that the outrage Was the work
OF some boy or boys. they have no
yet any definite clue az TO the PEE.
petrator OF the crime.
IL is said, however, that several
months ago Mr.. Gohn had trouble
with several boys who were playing
in front Of his house II seems thai
no asked them TO move to some other
part of the street on account of the
noise they were making. and that he
had to Summon the police to force
one Of the crowd to go away This
boy IL alleged to have threatened Mr.
Cohn with dire vengeance. even il
II took him "A year to do it. The
theory that one OF the young gang.
sters comInitted the serious crime viii
he worked out until tho detective,
are satisfied whether or not II Is Cor
rect -~'
Other Attempts.
Several other attempts to blow II;
Mr.. COINS house have been made al
OF them having been unsuccessfr.
Hardy more than a month ago
tin cup filled with gunpowder an,
stuffed on the top with rags was foun,
on the premises. long fuse iden;.
cal with the one found yesterday wa.
picked up. 1t had evidently burne,
out before reaching the cup Of pow
der. The other attempts are sal,
either to have been ill-timed or 4.
have failed on account OF poor fuses
When called on yesterday after
noon Mr.. Cohn declined to discuss tn,
matter. saying that he knew no NOR
than the police had learned. Thong,
nervous when talking Of the matte
with the police. he appeared yester
day afternoon rather inclined to max,
light OF II. saying that he preferred /,
keep his name out OF the papers
So far az Is known, Mr.. Cohn has n,
enemies who would wish to cNmm.
such wholesale slaughter as wits eyi