South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-03
BOMB IN
RECEPTION ROOM
Of SENATE WING
Explosion Causing $1,000
Damage to National Capitol
Is Laid to Crank-InStitute
Rigid investigation.


working on the case along all lines
and will continue our investigation
until the facts have been obtained.
/ The explosion was due in my opinion
10 bomb placed in the reception
room under the old telephone switch
board by a crank 10 create sensa-
tion."
] This statement was made early to-
I day by Elliott Woods. superintendent
of the capitol. after several hours Of
examination of the damage done to
I the reception room Of the senate wing
Of the nations law-making temple by
an explosion shortly before midnight.
! The damage was confined to the re-
/ ception room and will be less than
\ $1,000 according to an estimate to-
day by Supt. Woods. None of the
employees of the building were near at
the time of the blast and no one was
hurt.
A thorough examination was made
I by Mr.. Woods of the foundations and
other portions of the senate side of
the building, but he found no struc-
tural injury
Damage is Superficial.
Mr. Woods added: The damage is
superficial and can, l believe. be re-
paired at a cost inside Of a thousand
dollars Just what the motive for
this crank was or what he hoped to
accomplish by the explosion Of the
bomb in the room at such an hour is
only conjectural''
Capt LaughtOn, chief Of the cap
ital police. agrees with Supt. Woods
that the explosion was caused by a
bomb placed by a crank hours before
it went off. The reception room was
open 10 visitors during the day but
was closed early in he evening. Of
licials stated that it would have been
easy for some one to have entered
the room with the crowds Of visitors
and placed the internal machine be-
hind the telephone booth
Capt IaughtOn stated that six
months ago a man in st. Louis wrote
a letter TO Vice Pres't Marshall while
congress was in session, threatening
to blow up the capitol unless legisla-
tion favorable to organized labor was
enacted. The cal tain said he made
an investigation a. the time, when the
letter was turned over TO him with
the assistance of the pos ,office in
spectors.
we finally arrived at the conclu-
sion that it was the work of a crank
who had no connection with organ
lied labor" he said
Put Room Under Guard
Soon after the explosion the room
was put under guard and no one per
mitted TO enter and remove any pos
sible clew. The room presented a
desolate scene when daylight came.
The telephone switchboard. which has
been out Of use for some time. was
private telephone booths nearby.
Walls and wainscoating were demOl-
ished and crushed mirrors and splin-
tered wood was spread several inches
deep over the floor
The great mahogany doors Of the
United States district committee room.
which opens into the reception room.
were dashed into splinters. Carved
doors leading into the office Of the
sergeant at arms of the senate met
similar fate and the windows in
both rooms were shattered. Down /
a corridor at the main entrance to
the senate wing near the battery of
elevators and a long staircase, the big
double doors were sprung and the
large transom glass dashed TO pieces /
on the capitol front
Thrown From Chair.
+. G.. Jones of the night watch. on I
duty at the night of the explosion. /
said he was thrown violently from a 7
big arm chair into the middle OF the 1
corridor. He continued:
II regained my feet bewildered. !
hardly knowing which way 10 turn. |
The men ON duty came running from /
every direction. As soon as we could I
recover from the effects of the shock I
we started an Investigation.
I'VE quickly saw that the eXplO- ]
sion had been on the upper or main /
floor of the senate wing.
There was smoke coming from the |
direction of the senate chamber /
through the reception room. When !
we reached tho reception room where /
the explosion took place, il was filled /
with a black, binding smoke with the {
smell of powder clearly indicating that i
the explosion was due 10 that cause. /
After the smoke cleared away. We /
entered the room and found the wreck \
OF things in there. as YOU have seen. |
\ short time after we entered the \
room. Supt Elliott Woods. who had i
been in his office making some eNper-
iments. came hurrying 10 the scene OF /
the wreck with several members OF 4
his staff. Chief of Police Laughton /
was among the first men 20 get 10 the
wrecked room after the smoke had :