Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-07-07
NATIONS CAPITOL Is SHAKEN
By Bomb Placed in Senate Wing.
Damage Only Slight.

Washington. July 3.-Thc public
reception room in the Senate wing Of
the Capitol Of the United States was
wrecked Just before last midnight by
an explosion, probably caused by a
bomb or an Internal machine. No
one was injured, and to-day there
was only one clue. a letter received
by the Washington Times, an even
ing newspaper here, bearing a post
mark timed before the explosion, an
uouncing it would take place.
The letter, although written June
!, was mailed last night at 10
O'Clock, nearly two hours before the
explosion. 1t was signed "R.
poarCc," was typewriter and indi-
Gated ihat the writer had been wait
ing for some time for an opportunity
10 carry out HI, 'lan, which. he said.
would be the exclamation point Of
his career"
Officials, at first inclined to be-
licvc the explosion was caused by
spontaneous combustion or escaping
gas, abandoned that line Of investiga-
tion and proceeded on tho theory
that the explosive was planted by a
crank seeking to create sensation
or some foreign sympathizer seeking
10 register his disapproval Of the
policies OF the United states govern
mcnt
Against Exports of Arms.
The letter was Il rambling argu-
ment against exports Of war muni-
tins to Europe.
BY the way" said the writer at
the outset of his argument. "don't
blame this on The Germans or on
Bryan. | am an old-fashioned Amer
lean with conscience. if It IS not a
sin to have a conscience. Let
each nation make her own man-kill-
ing machines. Sorry had to use ex-
ploSiVes. (for the last time. | trust).
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 in my appeal for
peace. He closed his letter with a
proposal for a referendum on the
question Of war exports, which he
characterized "A "oiussal American
crime"
Part OF me letter was typcwl itten
and part was written with a pen. The
handwriting apparently was not that
OF an unCducatcd person.
Pcrpctrated by Crank.
\ %mcnt of a chloride Of silver
Try cell Wa, found in the CAPITOL
grounds about 90 feet from the
Sourc" Of the CNplt sion. Prof. Mon
roe said it might nave been used to
explode an internal machine.
"The only theory | have of this af-
Iar,' said superintendent Woods, lis
lhat it was pcrpctratcd by some
crank. There was no gas in the
building to explode. There could
nave been no sewer gas explosion,
FOR | explored the cellar and there
was not The slightest trace OF sewer
gas"
Piles if Shattered Plaster.
Piles OF shattered plaster from the
frcscocd ceiling and walls. broken
crystals from tho big chandeliers.
pieces ii the immense mirror. glass
from the windows and splintered
woodwork Uttered the floor early to-
day. Glass was broken and part of
the panclling smashed in lho door
opening from the reception hail into
the lobby running along the rear OF
Nenai" chamber. A heavy door ODen-
ing into the Vice Presidents room,
out Whlch had not been opened for
many years. was blown partly open
oN thc force Of the concussion. and
the door leading into the room of the
Sergcant-at-arms. on the Opposite
SIDE from that Of the Vice President,
vas damaged.
me explosion was heard for many
blocks away anu guards in all narts
Of the Capitol and excited persons
from some distance came running IN
see what had happened.
While no one was injured, Watch
man Jones, who was seated at the
Senate entrance door, almost imme-
diately beneath the wrecked room.
was almost lifted from his chair by
the force Of the explosion. Watch
men in the far end Of the building,
long city block away, thought the
dome of the Capitol was falling in or