Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-08-07
GASOLINE BOMB
DESTROYS HOME
oscar Lawler, Former Assistant
u. S. Attorney for Interior
Department Probably Fatally
Burned in Los Angeles
TRAPPED IN HOUSE
Residence Bursts into Flames Almost
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. LAWYER Ii Badly
Burned-Oscar Layvler, Jr., Rescued
by Passers-by

Los Angeles, Cal, Aug. 3.-Oscar Lawler
former assistant United states attorney
for the interior department, was probably
fatally burned and Mrs Lawler was
badly burned when their home was
destroyed early to-day by what the police
believe to have been n gasoline bomb.
Shortly before three O'Clock this morn
ing, according to information gathered by
the police, a man driving an automobile,
stopped in front of the Lawler residence
in an exclusive residential district. He
dropped something. leaped into the car,
and rapidly drove away.
An explosion followed almost imme-
diately The house burst into flames. Mr..
Lawler, his wife and one child were
tripped within. William Lacy, an iron
master. and Ed Pulford, who were driv-
ing past the house, seized Il ladder and
rescued Oscar LAWYER, Jr., five years old.
Mr. Lawler dragged his wife to win
dow and in the midst of flames. lowered
her from an upper story until her feet
touched an awning over window on the
ground floor. Then he leaped to the
ground.
They were removed to a hospital.
Two other Lawler children, Charles
and Jane, were visiting at the ranch of
Dan Murphy, the oil producer. at Pebbly
Beach.
A thorough investigation by city,
county, state and federal authorities
led to the belief that the bomb was
placed between two five-gallon cans
filled with gasoline, or some other
highly inflammable liquid Experts
working or the case found fragments
of the bomb sufficient to reconstruct
it, They said it had been made of a
piece of iron pipe about ten inches
high and six inches in diameter. Two
discs of metal had been placed as
ends, apparently held in place by two
bolts passing through both ends and
the pipe itself. They also found the
two five-gallon cans that had con-
tanned liquid
= The Lawler home was a large brick
and frame structure in the fashionable
Wiltshire district in the west part of
the city.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lawler were sleeping
On porch in the south side of the
house opening from a second floor
room and screened from the street
by an angle of the building. Miss
BESSIE Mills. nurse, and oscar Law
Ter, Jr., were sleeping on a porch at
the rear, or east end of the house.
When the explosion came a sheet
of flame rushed up the side of the
HouSe, ulIeCtIS DtlOW lle DofCH oCCu-
pied by the LAWYERS and cut off escape
toward the outside. Mr. Lawler and
his wife went into the house and tried
&c make their way to their son. They
were cut off by smoke and flame. Mrs.
Lawler tainted. Mr.. Lawler carried
her through flames to the front of
the house and dropped her to an avn
ing over the front window, whence
she rolled to the ground. He then
leaped after her. The young son and
nurs, were rescued By neighbors. An
other son and daughter were aw ay
from home
Physicians attending Mr.. Lawler and
wife announced tonight his chances
for recover were about even. Mrs.
Lawler. they said, would recover.
Mr.. Lawler served as United States at
torney-general for the interior department
for two years beginning May l, 1909. He
resigned and returned here to practice
law He was n special prosecutor of the
alleged dynamters whose trial at Indian
apois few years ago attracted interna-
tional interest. He also served locally
as an investigator and prosecutor of men
accused of similar crimes.
1t was found that the force of the ex-
plosion was so great that shreds of metal
which fitted into the larger pieces of the
bomb were scattered a thousand feet
away.