The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1917-06-28
IS
UNDIRC0vERED
EXPLOSION APPARENTLY AIMED
AT LIFE OF GOV. COOKE
BATTLES DETECTIVES
INJURED MAN LOSES EYE
W. j. SQUIRES MAY BE BLIND IN
LEFT EYE AS RESULT OF
FLYING GLASS

Leavenworth, Kan. June 90
Although Chief of Police John T
I Glynn and Sheriff w. H. Courtney
have both been working on the case
steadily for twenty-four hours, nc
important clue has been discovered
pointing to the identity of the per-
son who attempted to kill Governor
S. G. Cooke of the Soldiers Home by
the explosion of a dynamite bomb
beneath his library window Sunday
night. William j. Squire of Kansas
City, Mo-, son-in-law of Governor
Cooke, will probably lose the sight of
his left eye as result of the eXplOs-
ion. He was the only one injured.
The theory on which Mr.. Glynn and
his assistants are working is that the
crime was that of some disgruntled
veteran who is or has been a member
of the Home. Among the thousands
of men living at the Home there are
always a few who imagine the Lave
serious grievances against the official
of the institution. Many of this class
are weak mentlly and might deter
mine to seek revenge for fancied
wrongs by an attempt of the kind
made Sunday night.
Sunday night Mr.. and Mrs. Cooke
and Mr. and Mrs. Squire and their
young daughter were alone in the
governors residence, which is sit
uated directly north of the band pa
villion. All the servants were out.
Everyone but Mr.. Squire, were in bed,
He sat reading in the library, with
his back to the windows. This room
is on the north side of the house, in
the center.
At $3.50 O'Clock a tremendous eX-
plosion occurred wrecking the library
billiard room and parlor, which oc-
cupy the north side of the lower floor
Mr.. Squire was hurled to the floor
and rendered unconscious. Flying
glass and splinters were imbeded
deep in his body and a wide cash was
cut in his head. His left eye was so
seriously injured that it is likely it
will be blind when the injured man
RECEIVERS.
Nearly every pane ofglass in the
house was broken, and several win
dows in nearby residences were shat
tered. The explosion was hear
plainly in Leayenworth. 1t apparent
ly was caused by the detonation OF
several sticks of dynamite and pos
sibly some black powder. The bomb
was placed on the sill of one of the
library windows. The masonry foun-
dation beneath it was blasted to bits.
Could Not Follow Trail
Governor Cooke and his family
rushed downstairs Immediately and
discovered Mr.. Squire lying uncon-
scious on the floor. He bled cop
iousiy before being taken to the hos
pital. Governor Cooke called Chief
Glynn and asked him to take charge
of the affair. An investigation was
begun Immediately, and bloodhounds
from the state prison put on a trail
picked up near the librery window.
The trail was soon lost, however,
among the hundreds of tracks made
by the curious, who rushed to the
Home after the explosion.
Governor Cooke says it has been
one of his habits to sit in the Ii
brary during the evening. This leads
to the belief that some enemy saw
Squire sitting there, with his back
to the window, and thought him to
be the governor.
In 1897 similar explosion oc-
Cured in the same house, which was
then occupied by Col A. j. Smith,
who was governor then. No one was
badly injured, although Mrs. Smith
suffered from the mental shock.