Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-03
Expert Inquiry to Be Made
to Determine Nature and
Cause Of Strange Deed.
ONE ROOM WRECKED
Strange Letter Shows War
Crank Intended to Wreck
the National Capitol.

Washington. D. c., July 3.-The pub
lie reception room III the senate wing
of the capitol of the United States
was wrecked just before midnight
by an explosion probably caused by
a bomb or an Internal machine No
one was injured and today there was
only one clue, a letter received by
the Washington Times, an evening
newspaper, bearing a postmark timed
before the explosion, announcing that
it would take place.
The letter, although written June l..
was mailed last night at 10 o'clock,
nearly two hours before the explosion.
II was signed r. Pearce,n was type
written and indicated that the writer
had been waiting some time for an
opportunity to carry out MS plan
which he said, would be the exclama-
ton point Of his appeal"
The letter was at once turned over
to the police. Only one man of that
name is in the Washington city di-
rectory. A search was begun for him.
Letter Explains Explosion.
Officials at first were inclined to he
lieve that the explosion was caused
by spontaneous combustion or es-
Gaping gas but abandoned that line
Of inyesti cation and proceeded on the
theory that the explosive was planted
by q crank, seeking to create SEN
sation, or some foreign sympathizer,
seeking to register his disapproyal of
the policies of the United States gov
ernment.
The letter was rambling argu-
ment against exports of war munitions
to Europe
BY the way" said the writer. at the
outset of his argument. don't blame
this on the Germans or on Bryan. I
am an fashioned American. with
a conscience, if it is not sin to have
a conscience. Let each nation
make her own man-ki1ling machines.
Sorry I had TO use explosives (For
the last time I hope) It is the ex-
port kind and ought to make enough
noise to be heard above the voices that
clamor for war and blood money This
explosion is the exclamation point to
my appeal for peace" He closed his
letter with a proposal for referen-
dun on the question of war exports,
which he characterized "a colossal
American crime"
Part Of the letter was typewriter
and part with pen. The handwrit-
ing was apparently not that of an
educated person.
was under way today to determine the
cause of the explosion which wrecked
the public reception room on the SEN
ate side of the capitol late last night.
While the exact cause of the blast
could not be ascertained until after an
expert inquiry had been conducted it
was generally believed to have been
due to bomb or internal machine
Superintendent Woods places the dam
age at $500, but many believe it will
total much more
None of the employees of the capitol
was on duty in that part Of the build,
Ing at the time of the explosion and no
one was injured.
Room is Wrecked.
Piles of shattered plaster from the
frescoed ceiling and walls. broken /
crystals from the big chandelier, |
pieces of the immense mirror, glass |
from the windows and sp1intered wood |
work, Uttered the floor early today. !
Glass was broken and part of the |
naneling smashed in the door opening /
from the reception hall into the lobby !
running along the rear of the senate |
chambers. A heavy door opening into I
he vice presidents room, but which /
was blown partly open by the force of |
he concussion and the door leading |
nto the room of the sergeant at-arms !
IN the opposite side from tha of the t
vice president was damaged.
Guess at Motive of Deed.
Some officials of the capitol ex-
pressed the opinion that the explosion
night have been perpetrated by some
,ne as a protest against the policies
If the American government.
A preliminary inquiry having failed
o reveal the cause of the explosion,
Woods ordered that an
Investigation be undertaken today by
IN expert on explosives.
Don and Nellie are the names of |
laintily spotted twin fawns born re-
emily In the Butte, Mont, zoo" Nat
lralists say that the birth of twins to
. doe Is OF rare occurrence