New Britain herald., 1915-07-03
ONLY ONE CLUE TO
CAPITOL EXPLOSION
Washington Times Received Let
ter Telling It Would Take Place

the capitol of the United States vas
wrecked just before last midnight by
an explosion, probably caused by a
bomb or an Internal machine. No
one was injured. and today there was
only one clue, letter received by the
Washington Times an evening news
paper. bearing a postmark timed be-
fore the explosion, announcing that
1t would take place.
The letter, although written June
nearly two hours before the explosion.
Il was signed "R. Pearce." was type
written, and indicated that the writer
had been waiting some time for an
opportunity to carry out his plan
which, he said, would be The ex-
ciamation point to my appeal for
peace"
Turned Over to Police.
The letter was at once turned over
to the police. Only one man of that
name Is in the Washington city di-
ectory. A search for him was be-
gun.
1 >
ment against exports of war NUM-
ton to Europe. by the way" said
the writer at the outset of his ar
gument, don't blame this on the
Germans, or on Bryan. ! am an old
fashioned American with conscience
| IL it is not sin to have conscience.
| $3.50 let each nation make her own
| man-killing machines. Sorry hsu
| to use explosives (for the last time, /
| hope. 1t is the export 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
Proposes Referendum.
He closed his letter with propo-
sal for a referendum on the question
| of war exports, which he character
| lied "A colossal American crime
| Part Of the letter was typewriter
| and part was written with pen.
The handwriting was apparently not
| that of an uneducated personn.
! Oflcials at first inclined to believe
| the explosion was caused by spontan-
| eous com bustion or escaping gas.
| abandoned that line of investigation
| and proceeded on the theory that the
| explosion was planted by crank,
| seeking to create sensation or some
| foreign sympathizer, seeking to reg
| lister his disapproval Of the policies OF
| the United States government.
| Prof. Monroe Investigating.
Professor Charles Monroe, expert
| on high explosives, from the federal
| bureau of mines, was called In and
| began an investigation with Supt. Ell
lott Woods of the capital building,
4 himself a scientist.
A fragment of a chloride of silver
dry cell such as is used in explosive
apparatus, was found in the capitol
grounds about 100 feet directly north
of the window in the senate reception
room where the explosion occurred
Professor Monroe made a minute
examination and stated that it might
| have been used to explode an internal
machine.
TT is entirely probable that this
cell was thrown by the force of the
explosion last night to the spot where
| 1T was found this morning" said
Superintendent Woods. THE only
theory 1 have of this affair is that it
was perpetrated by some crank"
One Policeman ON Guard.
M. D. Louthan, chief of the capitol
police, before he knew of the pub
Iished letter had declared it was pos
sible for man to have entered the
capitol last night through some of the
windows. There was only one police
man en- guard last night in the senate
wing. At the time Of the explosion
- ca u fy,r
his rounds, and was in the rotunda.
The only other man in the senate
wing was Watchman Jones who was
seated near the main door on the
floor below.
Ten minutes before the explosion
Officer Gum had been in the recep-
ton ROOM" said Louthan, ''and he had
closed one of the windows because of
strong draft blowing through. The
other windew was open.'
After examining the chloride of sill
yer cell, Prof. Monroe and Superin-
tendent Woods went to the scene of
the explosion to search for traces of n
bomb.
Great Havoc Done.
Piles of shattered plaster from the
frescoed ceiling and walls, broken
crystals from the big chanelier. pieces
of the immense mirror, glass from the
windows and splintered woodwork lit
tered the floor early today. Glass was
broken and part of the panelling
smashed in the door opening from the
reception hall into the lobby running
along the rear of the senate chamber.
A heavy door opening into the vice
presidents room. but which had not
hAon &nnnnad for MANY WAS
blown partly open by the force of the
conclusion, and the door leading into
the room of the sergeant-at-arms on
the opposite side from that of the vice