The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-06-12
WRECK HOMES OF
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Anarchists Try to Kill Attorney
General Palmer and Senator
Claude Swanson.
BOMB BLASTS IN 8 CITIES
Explosions Cause Five Deaths and
Much Property Damaee-RadIcaIs
Blown to Pieces by Own Infer
nal Machines-PoIice Fear
q Nationwide Plot.

q NaLIOnWIoS FIoIs
Washington, June "a terrorist
bomb plot, covering the entire east
tern section of the country, was at
tempted late last night.
1t was aimed against law enforce
iment officials and the bombs were
timed to explode simultaneously.
There were blasts in eight cities in
a belt extending from Cleveland to
Boston. Besides Washington, Cleve-
land, and Boston, cities in which bomb
outrages occurred were Pittsburgh,
Paterson, N. j.; West Philadelphia,
New York, and Newtonville, Mass.
West Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
were subjected to two separate ex-
blossoms.
Thus far the number of dead ap-
parentIy stands at five. Two of those
killed are thought to have been the
bomb throwers. Reports to the de-
partment of justice last night indi-
Gated two had been killed in Wash
sngton and three in New York.
Seek to Kill Palmer.
The Washington bomb was thrown
at the residence of Attorney General
A. Mitchell Palmer. 2132 r street.
Mr.. Palmer has been the leader in
the prosecution Of radicals. Previous
" he was enemy property custodian.
The lower part of the Palmer resi-
dence was wrecked. None of the fam
lily was injured, as all were on the
upper floors.
nh
the home of Senator Swanson of Vir-
ginia, next door.
The bomb, the police said, was con-
tanned in a suitcase filed with cloth
ing. The remains of this suitcase and
q handful signed 1.-THE Anarchistic
Fighters" printed on red paper, word
ed in inf1ammatory fashion, and serv-
ing notice Of intent Of its authors to
begin general war on society, was the
only clew available.
Dictionary Is Found.
An Italo-American dictionary was
found in the street near the leaflets.
From this and the fact that the dark
skin of portions of the flesh of frag
ments OF the body found, there is a
disposition among the officials to be-
lieve that perhaps Italian Reds were
responsible for the crime, though the
Italian-American, dictionary may have
been dropped as a ruse.
One or two persons near the spot
claimed to have heard two explosions,
but most people reported only one.
Representative Ira G. Copley of nli-
nois, who lives at 22O1 r street, also
had the front windows of his house
smashed. This showed the force of
the explosion, for Mr.. COpley lives in
the block between Twenty-second
street and Sheridan circle, while the
Palmer house stands in the block
lower down, between Twenty-frst and
Twenty-second streets.
Another Home Damaged.
The home of James r. Ellerson at
2134 r street, next to Attorney Gen
eral Palmer's residence, was almost as
badly damaged as that of Mr.. Palmer.
The neighborhOod, which was at
once roped off by the police on their
arrival shortly before midnight, is in
what is known as the west end of
Washington, between Du POnt and
Sheridan circles, where there are many
fine mansions, in which live officials,
army, and navy officers, society folk,
diplomats, and members Of congress.
When reports began to come in of
similar outrages in other parts Of the
country, Major Pullman, superintend-
ent Of the capitol police, sent special
guards to residence of cabinet officers
and other prominent officials.
Secret service agents studied intent
~ reports received here from other
cities, and when 1t was found that the
handbi1ls found in Washington cor
responded textually with others picked
up in Boston, their first opinions that
the plots were connected was con-
firmed, they said. They awaited eager
ly clews which might be picked up in
other cities.
Property Under Guard.
Washington is practically under mar
t1al law. a number of military police
and other soldiers who were available
quickly were pressed into service to
aid In guarding the property and in
patrolling streets where prominent per-
sons live.
A special detail has been placed
about the White House grounds, the
treasury, and in the war and navy de-
partments.
The situation is considered too dan
gerous a one for officials here and for
the nation at large to assume that the