Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-07
St. Paul Cathedral IN Lon
don Marked for De-
struction Today. i
VERGER in DISCOVERY
Package Is Found Located Near
High Altar-Attempt Also
Made on Newspaper. -

London. May 7.-An attempt to
wreck the ancient St Paul cathedral
by bomb early today is attributed
to militant suffragets. The verger who
conducts sightseers through the mas
sive edifice was making his rounds at
s this morning when he heard a tick
ing sound near the high altar. Upon
investigation he found hidden a heavy
parcel done up in brown paper. He
Immediately placed it in water and
handed it over to the police, who
found suffrage newspaper wrapped
up with a bomb A similar bomb-like'
package was found on the steps of a
newspaper office in Fleet street, and
a tin canister believed to contain ex-
plosives was picked up on the steps
of a wholesale drug establishment
near st. Paul's.
FILLED WITH SLUGS. =
The bomb from the cathedral was
examined at the police station and
later at the home office by government
experts. The bomb was painted black
and contained two detonators attach
ed to an electric battery. 1t was filed
with slugs OF hard substance resem-
bling coal. There is no doubt, the po-
lice say, that it was placed in position
by militant suffragets or persons in
their employ.
The general public is admitted 10
the choir of the cathedral between IL
am. and p M Tho cathedral was
closed entirely at G last evening and
1t appears certain the bomb was de-
posted before that hour 1t was found
beneath chair beside the bishops
throne.
Plain clothes policemen have been
on duty at st. Paul's several weeks
for the purpose of preventing suffra-
get outbreaks, but they observed moth,
ing wrong last night. Several parts Of
the cathedral, usually open to the pub
= lie, were closed today
FIENDIsHLY POWERFUL. :
Small, but fiendishly powerful" is
the police description Of the bomb
| found near the high altar of ST Paurs
cathedral When the machine was
/ taken to pieces it was discovered it
/ had been timed to explode at mid
| night, but a arrangement of the clock
work retarded the explosion. Appar-
emily this accident prevented untold
damage to the cathedral. Brass
screws. nails ard metal slugs were
found among the contents.
There were no arrests and il is
doubtful if the police have any clues.
The placing of bombs this morning
made it appear the militant suffragets
had entered anew on their havoc
working campaign. following the de-
feat of woman suffrage in the house
of commons last night
The defeat of the woman's suffrage
bill in the commons last night is gen.
orally attributed by the morning news
papers to the women them5elves-the
militant ones, whose law-breaking tac-
tics have alienated the sympathies Of
suffrage supporters.
ARSON SQUADS Busy.
Sufragst arson squads" were also
busy early this morning They burn
ed down the pavilion on the cricket
field in Bishops park, Fulham, in the
west end Of London, and set fire to an
unoccupied house at .Finchley, in
North London. Suffraget placards and
quantities Of chemicals were found in
the vicinity of both fires. Another
mysterious fire broke out in timber
yard at Lambeth today. the fourth of
this kind within a few days. The fire
was extinguished before much damage
was done.
BILL DEFE iTED.
London, May 7-The fate Of the
Dickinson woman suffrage bill was
sealed last night by more than fifty
Irish nationalists, who voted against
1t. The bill, whereby it was sought to
enfranchise 6,000000 women, was re-
jected in the house of commons by
vote of 266 to PIG.
Whether there is any chance that
the present parliament will pass bill
OF more limited character is doubted.
Possibly the nationalists fear that il
they allow a women's franchise bill to
pass the second reading II will lead
TO parliamentary struggle which may
end in dissolution of parliament be-
fore the home rule bill becomes a law
The debate of the day proved that
tho militant policy of the suffragets
had done the cause great harm as far
as parliament was concerned.