The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-18
BOMB WRECKS
RESIDENCE OF
GOV. STEPHENS.
California Executive Escapes
Attempt to Take His Life,
However Alien Foe Is
Blamed.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Dec. 18.-
What is believed to have been an at
tempt to kill Governor William D,
Stephens by means Of powerful ex-
plosive bomb at midnight last night
resulted in the wrecking Of the execu.
tive mansion, the entire rear end of
the building being blown out. The
governor and Mrs. Stephens, as well
as the household servants, were asleep
at the time and all escaped injury.
Two men were seen fleeing from the
house Immediately after the explosion
Tha detonation of the explosion was
heard all over the city and windows
were broken by the force of 1t two or
three blocks away It was believed
that from twenty to twenty-five sticks
Of dynamite were used.
Asleep in House.
Governor and Mrs. Stephens were
asleep In the wing of the house ad-
joining the spot where the explosion
occurred, but beyond a nervous shock
they were unharmed.
The attempt occurred Just as the
guard was being changed. H. Claussen,
one of the watchmen. was the first on
the scene, having passed the spot but
a few minutes before the explosion oc.
CURED Claussen said he was certain
there was nothing unusual occurring
on the grounds. He expressed the
opinion that the explosive was thrown
from. an all> which runs along the
rear of the L use at distance OF
about forty feet, from the porch under
which the ehor0a cat nff .
A hole several feet in depth and at
ground beneath bay window at the
rear of the structure and the entire
wall up to the second story was blown
away. TIE entire neighborhood was
aroused and a crowd was on the scene
few minutes after the explosion oc-
CURED. There was scarcely house
in the block which was not affected.
Fro.Germans Blamed.
A clew as to the perpetrators was
given to the police by Rev. Frazer
Langford. pastor OF church. who re-
ported that four months ago man
was noticed lurking about the execu.
tive mansion and that he continued to
haunt the locality until week ago,
when he disappeared. The police are
Of the opinion that the attempt was
made by pro-Germars.
According to my judgments" said
Governor Stephens. "the bomb was
thrown from the alleyway about forty
feet 10 the rear Of the mansion. and
did not light as far under the house
as its owner had Intended. I am
strengthened in this statement by the
fact that the back kates were both
locked as usual and the watchman had
visited the basement just a few min
utes before the explosion occurred.
He says that when he passed the
steps. he turned his flashlight on the
place where indications prove the
bomb was placed and at that time
there was nothing there.
Governor Was Calm.
The governor was probably the
calmest of the group that surveyed the
wrecked mansion and when his calm.
ness was commented upon by the po-
lice he merely state that the shock
had not at all disturbed him.
Detectives searched downtown
rooming houses without success for
man said to have been seen in the
neighborhood of the mansion at an
early hour In the evening.
William D. Stephens became cover.
nor of California last spring when
Governor Hiram w. johnson assumed
his duties as United States senator.
Previously Stephens resigned as re-
preventative in congress at the solicit
tation of Governor Johnson, who ap-
pointed him lieutenant governor to
succeed the late John NJ Eshleman
dA
a series of patriotic actresses in south.
ern California, dealing largely with
the duties of Californians in support
ing the national government during
the war.