davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Mystery i'm Blast
Conspiracy Called
Chemists Problem
Speaker Opening Exposition
at Palace Asserts City
Sh0uld Seek Scientific
Aid i'm Time of Disaster

Inc sixth annual Chemical Exposi-
tion opened at the Grand Central Pal
ace last night with an address by DR..
Charles H. Herty, chairman of the
advisory committee, who reviewed the
progress of the last five years and out
lined the problems confronting the
chemist. He declared that the serv-
ices of chemists should be imm ediately
used in the case of disaster such
as the explosion in Wall Street.
"The evidence which would de-
termine the cause of such Il disaste~
and trace its perpetrators Is largely
CHEMICAL he said. THE time to use
the chemist in such situation is i'm
mcdiately after the disaster.
I'm the New York section of the
American Chemical Society there are
more than 1000 chemists, among them
specialists in explosives, metallurgy
and cement No ono of these men,
no matter how prominent or how im-
mersed in his own laboratory could as
patriotic citizen decline an invitation
to serve on a committee advisory to
the city authorities in such cases.
Pl lovided with official passes through
the police lines they could be of in
valuable service through their special
knowledge. For such public service
they would desire no pay. There is
a civic asset hero which is lying
neglected and which can be quickencd
into dynamic aid by simple request
from the municipal authorities"
He urged his hearers to aid in in
huencing Congress to enact measures
to foster the growth of the dye in-
dustry in this country. He asserted
that in the last six months this de-
velopment had been greatly retarded
through the failure Of Congress to
act ut it's last session.
The exposition is the largest in the
history Of the chemical shows and oc-
cupies four floors at the Grand Central
Palace. 1t viii run for the entire
week. Each day an interesting pro-
gram has been arranged, together with
motion pictures illustrating every
phase of chemical industry.
One of the unique exhibits is that Of
the National .Anlline and Chemical
Company, which shows a party on the
porch of a summer resort. The figures
are all life size and attired in the
latest styles. Every detail in the ex-
hibt has been dyed with American
manufactured dyes. The whole pic
ture is brilliant with varied hues.
LeadlHR cheWlStS Will dlScusS lhe
fuel question to-day.
Colonel }. S. Dennis, assistant to the
president of the Canadian Pacific Rail
way Company, spoke at the exposition
The principal need Of Canada, he said
was the cooperation Of the United
States in colonization and capitaliza-
ton.
He described the great natural re-
sources of the Dominion, and said that
they could be released for the good Of
the world only b. capital and imm igra
tion. He predicted that next years
census would show that Canada had a
population Of $500 OU0. and said that it
could assimilate at least 100000 mmi-
grants a year. For them. he said, Can
ada had l90,000,0o0 acres of unoccu-
lied agricultural land, 30,0O,0 900 acres Of
it within fifteen miles of railway.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Wall St. Bomb Made
l From Piece of Pipe.
Asserts DIR. Hebde11
Two c'r Three Feet Long and
Fifteen Inches Diameter,
He Says; Black Smoke In
dictates TINT or Acid Used

The infcrna! machine which wrought
death and destruction in Wall Street
was contained in metal pipe from
two to three feet long and Is inches
in u.meter, filled with TINT or picric
aciG, according to an opinion expressed
- ~ .'~hn c. Hebden, a consulting
-, ,salar Il ii Maiden Lane.
o. lcbden outlined the results of
his investigation at the scene Of the
disaster in an interviey at the chemi
cal show yesterday. He laid particular
stress upon the practice developed dur
ing the war Of permitting unframed
men to handle and take part In the
manufacture of explosives, and added
this had even spread to the dye in
dustries.
~ got down to Wall Street about
A o'clock on the afternoon Of the en-
plos:on," he said, "and there met a
friend who is trained observer, who
had witnessed the disaster. ques-
toned him very closely as TO what
took place lie said the report was
rathe: a roar than q crash and tha;
it was followed BY black smoke. This
would indicate either INT or picric
acid, as both are cor,naratively slow
burning explosives.
Il then carefully examinej he ef-
fects of the explosion and compared
them with others | had seen in London
and Paris as result OF raids during
the war The pitting on the Assay
Building is contained in the radius Of
small circle, while that on the Nor
gan Building is much larger. From
this ! Judged the explosives were con
tanned in 4 pipe that lay horizontally
across The wagon,
"The pipe was undoubtedly blown
out at citkc: end before it burst in tn,
middle. This is evidenced by the fact
that the statue of Washington is pruc-
tically untouched and the damage UP
and down the street comparatively
small"
Dr.. Hebden superintcnded the manu-
facture Of 35O,o0o pounds of INT at
kingsport, Tenn, during the war with
out single accident. He said it would
have been easy for the plotters to have
manufactured INT in quantities of
five pounds at time in a small labora-
tory or picric acid in ten-pound quan.
titles.
He was emphatic in the expression
that none but competently trained men
should be employed in the manufac-
ture of explosives, under the direct
control Of chemist, so that all respon-
siblity could be fixed. In the dye in
dustry, he stated, inexperienced men
were being in many instances permit
ted to handle dangerous chemicals.
He declared that none but high ex-
rlos!ve could have caused the havoc
that resulted from the explosion in
Wall Street and added that if dynamite
had been used there would have been a
big hole in the street, despite the
three-foot air cushion beneath the
wagon. He stated that the fact there
was no such hole practically proved
that it was high explosive Of the
slow burning type.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21

was killed. They assert that the
death horse had no sores on his shout
ders. Their position is strengthened
by. the evidence of George Bruno, an
ash-moving contractor Of 81 Thompson
Street. Bruno said six of his men
had been at the Morgan building at
11:4b o'clock that morning, and after
getting some ashes had gone over to
the Assay office.
When a brother-in- law Of Bruno's
inquired at the Assay Office at 1850
that morning If the men had been
there he was told they had just left.
The six men and Bruno's brother-in-
law were sure there was no wagon
near the Assay Office when they ar
rived there. They recalled seeing the
Ford car that was standing at the
Morgan bank curb.
John Fleckensten. of 379 Onder-
donk Avenue, who drives truck for
the Scharf Supply Company, yester-
day told Department of Justice Off
cials that it was his car that was seen
over the dead horse shortly after the
blast. lie said he had come up Broad
way and was going east on Wall
Street with several cars in front Of
him when the explosion occurred. He
was knocked down, he said, and when
he regained his senses he found the
front wheels of his car over a dead
horse. He didn't recall what cars were
in front of him or whether there was
a wagon in front of the Assay Office.
Thomas J. brennan, Fire Commits
sioner denied that any explosives had
been found missing within the city
limits. Despite his assertion that q
complete check-up on this point had
been made by his operatives, the Chief
Inspector of the Police Department de-
clared yesterday that his men were
still busy on this phase of the in
vcstigation.
There are indications that the au-
thorities are not anxious to reveal all
they know in this connection. Assist
ant District Attorney Taliey declared
earlier in the day that he had been
the foot of Wall Street had been re-
ceiving explosives for its work. The
name of this company was never men
toned in previous statements given
out by the Fire Department.
Other cleWs to the perpetrators OF
the crime are expected from the state
ments of four persons who yesterday
told the police that man came into
their stores on September 10 and asked
to see their sash weights. These shop
keepers are J. Ziegler, of Seventeenth
Street and seventh avenue, Jess
Kessler, 240 Seventh Avenue; B. Dull
chin, 1853 Seventh Avenue, and a Miss
Friedberg. This is considered par
ticularly significant in view of the
fact that the slugs found scattered
about the scene of the explosion are
known to have been cut from window
sash weights. A description of this man
was given to the authorities.
Alexander Brailovsky, the Russian
journalist who was arrested Saturday
night, was released yesterday. The
police offered to turn him over to the
Department of Justice. Chief Flynn
said he did not want Brailovsky and
declined to take him off the hands Of
the police.
Mr.. Lahey said that Brailovsky had
been turned over to two Department
of Justice operatives. who released
him.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Witnesses Tell
Grand jury of
The Explosion
twenty two Persons Are
Called for Examination
by Swann's' Aids; to Com
tinue the Inquiry To-day
Fischer Not ON the List
Court Warns Talesmen Not
to Divulge Proceedings;
Police Give Testimony

Several persons were before the Sep.
tember Grand Jury yesterday to tel
what they know of the Wall Street ex-
plosion. twenty-five witnesses waited
in an ante-room while the jury dis
posed of other business matters The
questioning was in charge of Assistant
Dristrict Attorneys Talley and Rytten.
berg. Mr.. Talley spent most of the
day examining witnesses he intends to
call before the jury.
This statement was p'ade at the office
of District Attorney Swami:
"The District Attorneys Office will
cooperate to the fullest extent with
the United States Secret Service and
the detective bureau Of the Police De-
partment of New York City in their
efforts to obtain information that will
lead to the conviction of those re-
sponsibe for the outrage which re
suited in such appalling loss Of life
These agencies are now engaged in an
effort to collect evidence and to run
down the guilty persons. They must
to large extent necessarily work in
secret in obtaining evidence.
The District Attorney will place al
their disposal all the facilities of his
office and every process of the law al
his command. The presentation OF
the matter to the grand jury will nee
essarly have to be deferred until their
investigation has reached stage
where IT. results are in such shape
that the evidence they have collected
VIII be available for presentation"
Will Not Call Fischer
-, among the twenty two witnesses in
the grand jury room were Wilbur b
Fuller, superintendent of the JERSEY
City trucking division of the L. |. du
Pont De Nemours Powder Company:
Gilbert c. Smith, of git Broadway ;
John Mieklejohn, CT PAT East Fitty-sev.
enth Street: Durham Beldon, of II
South Third Street, South Orange, own
Ell of the wrecked auto; Henry Wasser-
man, an eye witness. of 80 Mescrole
Street, Brooklyn.
Mr.; Talley before going into the
grand jury room said he did not in.
tend to call Fischer.
When the jurors appeared before
Judge William M. Wadhams he warned
them not to speak to reporters or d.
vulge to outsiders what they were
doing.
foiicemen are Questioned
Every stationary policeman on traffic
duty from Wall Street TO City Hall
Park, on Broadway, has been ques.
toned by the representatives of the
District Attorneys office. All said thew
did not notice Du Pont explosive
wagon pass them on the day of the
explosion.
Several witnesses will be heard to-
cay: 1t is expected that Samuel B.
Wellington, president of the West
Indies Trading Company, of 80 Cort-
landt Street, who was injured by the
explosion and who told Of having seen
three men acting suspiciously In the
neighborhood Of the disaster few
minutes before the explosion, will tell
MS story to the grand jury.
After the hearing of witnesses to-
day the grand jury will hear only such
persons as arc sent to them by the
FuIlce Department and other agencies
conducting Investigations
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Last of Blast Victims
identified as L. w. Kehrer
Was Chauffeur i'm Search of
Work When Killed, His
Mother Declares

The last of the explosion victims
was identified yesterday as Elmer
Wallace Kehrer, twenty-onc years old,
of 422 South Fourth Street, Brooklyn.
The identification was made by his
mother, rs. Olive Kchrer, who said
her son "a. a chauffeur out of work
and was in '~Arch of employment when
he was killed.
The body hca been at the Morguc
unclaimed since Thursday night. On
Sunday the police became interested
in it on the theory that the unknown
man might have had some connection
with the death wagon.
On leaving his home Thursday
morning kehrer told his wife and
mother that he was going to the Penn
sylvania Station here to look for work
on freight train. He said he might
be gone three or four days That is
why 1t did not occur to them that he
might be among the victims of the ex-
plosion, his mother said
Mrs: Irene Kehrer, his widow, was
not allowed to see the body at the
Morgue. They were married eight
months ago. In that time Mrs. Kehrer's
father. mother and brother have died
or influenza. Before she met her hus-
band she was engaged to u soldier
who was killed in the war.
Blind Strike for More Paw
LONDON, Sept 20. The blind has
kot makers Of London struck to- dav for
an increase in wages.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Broker Saw Three
Men Fleeing From
Scene of Explosion
Wellington, Injured in Dis
aster, Says Two Were Ges.
ticulating Wildly to Third
Just Before the Blow-Up

Samuel B. Wellington. Of 66 West
Eighty fourth Street, saw clearly,
though casually, three men who were
running in evident anxiety from Broad
and Wall streets just before the cx-
plosion Thursday and told what he
could remember of the occurrence last
night.
Mr.. Wellington is president Of the
West Indies Trading Company, of 80
Cortlandt Street. and was on the way
to his Office from that of an attorney
at 81 Wall Street. Walking west in
Wall Street he noticed that it lacked
Just two minutes Of noon. Two men
who looked to him as though they
came from the lower East Side were
standing near the curb beside the
Morgan Offices in Wall Street, calling
and gesticulating TO companion OF
like appearance who was standing near
a wagon across the street.
Come on!" the two called. Hurry
up Get out of this"
They started at jog trot down Wal
Wellington said, and their dilator,
companion followed them. The wagor
by which he had been standing had 4
brown canvas cover, Mr.. Wellington
declared. but his recollection was thai
there were neither curtains nor panels
between top and sideboards.
The horse hitched to the vehicle wa,
sway-backed roam, whose anatomica
construction was piti]essly revealed by
recent clipping. MIR. Wellington
idle thought on looking at the animal
was that it would not make MANY more
journeys. He thought the equipage II
strange one TO be in that part Of the
city and suspected from the haste OF
the three men to get away that they
had been up to no good there.
II looked back over my shoulder" he
said, 'as I walked toward Nassau
Street, expecting TO see them chased
by policemen. From the way they
acted, thought possibly they were
bond thieves who had robbed mes
senger or a bank"
The crash came as Mr.. Wellington
reached Nassau Street. He was
knocked fiat, but escaped without seri-
Gus injury. He could not describe
any Of the three men, he said, but had
sized them up as foreioners.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21

CONTINUED from page one)
ing disaster in Wall Street" Mr.. Talley
SAID Fischcr's latest version ran, al
first fixed the time as 10 O'Clock in the
morning. This 1 did when | beheld a
ten OF hearts while walking on the
street. Later | changed it to 10 o'clock
at night after | had beheld u ten Of
spades in similar manner. Then it oc-
Cured to me that there is no time but
Greenwich time and | interpolated be-
tween the two Indications, thus setting
the time at from 2 to 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. How knew it would occur
on the 18th l do not know. 1t just
came to me-"
Fischer repeated during the exarli-
nation by Mr.. Talley great deal Of his
belief in things occult previously mar
rated to the authorities at Hamilton
while he was held there
Sister Asked Commitment
Mr.. Talley said ne had learned yestcr-
Say that Fischers sister. Mrs, Pope.
had called on Assistant District Attor-
! ncy Lorenz Carlino September to
ask that her brother be committed to
an institution, as he had been acting
queerly for some months. The com
mitment had not been made, he said
/
country.
81 believe" Mr. Tarey said in con.
clusion, "that the man is a Harmless IS
mental Detective"
1t was announced yesterday that the
former tennis champion had been in
vestgated by Department of Justice
| operatives in 1917. when he became
| irsistent that President Wilson grant
an interview at which Fischer would
unfold a plan to end the World War
then in progress. The report of the
,, agents at that time was that the man
was mentally unbalanced. but harm
less.
One Of the mans eccentrictes is
, to wear the heaviest clothing in the
warmest weather. On the way to the
border from Hamilton Sunday night
he said to the retinuc of officials ac-
companying MN:
Wears Three Suits for Goodness
"l have on three suits now. wear
my tennis suit for underwear. When
want to rIay all | have to do is re-
move my outer garments. The other
two suits ] wear because I have found
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Man Kills Wife and Self j.,
Students Witness Shooting i'm
trons Of High School

WORCESTER, Mass. Sept. 90
Clarence A. Shays. twen:y-three years
cid. shot his wife in front of the
High Scnool Of Commerce here to day
and then shot himself through his
head. Both died later.
The shooting was witnessed by
students at the High School, who were
changing class rooms. Miss Jennie
Woods, sister of the dead woman,
was with Mrs. Shays at the time. The
police say the shooting was the cul-
mination of series Of domestic
quarrels.
Mrs. Shays had been ordered by her
husband to leave the house and was
on her way downtown with her sister
when met by Shays. He pleaded with
her TO return home, and when she re-
fused he tireo a bullet through her
left eve.
The Shays were married last July.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Sare FransciscO Warned
Of Wall Street Blast

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 90
Duncan Mathewson, captain Of
detectives here, announced to-day
that he was in possession of the
name of man who was declared
to have predicted several days be-
fore the New York bomb explo-
sion that there would be "big
explosion" in Wall Street ION
the 18th.
Mathewson said his informant
was disabled soldier, and that
the man he named had been a Y.
M. C. A. worker in Russia.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2o.-A very
severe earthquake was recorded to-day
on the seismegraph at Georgetown
University. The disturbance began at
1858 q. m. and continued until about
1880 p. M, with the greatest intensity
at i0:A0 q. m. 1t was estimated that
the disturbance was about $500 miles
from Washington.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Indicted for S27. 600 Thief,

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 20.-An indirtr.,a
charging embexzlement Of s27 800 ~
the funds os the United Rsslwavs CIV,
pany. the local streetcar oresn.zation Su.4
has been returned against James W,s
Samuel, former assistant secretarv .u ";
treasurer Of the company, it wss sr1 anu
nounced at the Circuit Attorrs~ns,.. ~s.
Office to-day. Samuel had bean AZ,
ployed by the company for twensy.f;vs
years. 'S
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21

to laugh about it. The millions in an
come taxes collected by his ofiee are
turned over to the Federal Reserve
Bank, he said. No large sums are kept
in the Custom House.
Collector Edwards's chief concern
yesterday was to boost the morale of
his employees. He feared some Of
don't think the Custom House sould be
blown up" he said, "but l don't want
to argue that point or put it to a
trial."
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21

that the more heavily one is dressed
the cooler he will be in hot weather."
Toward the end Of the examination
yesterday Fischer appeared to lose his
usual good humor and said to a group
of newspaper men:
"You fellows aren't going to get a
word out of me. Not word! Now if
you want to do me favor just beat
it," 1t was the first time he had
shown signs of irritabiIity since his
detention in Canada
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Explosion Victim Ends Life
Clerk, Who Suffered Shock.
Leaps Ten Stories Into Street

Leaps L EN- StOrles HntO Street
Frederick M. Carpenter, credit clerk
in the National City Bank, Exchange
Place and Hanover Street, who suffered
severe shock as result of Thurs
days explosion, ended his life yester-
day by jumping ten stories from the
roof of the bank to Exchange Place.
His body struck the sidewalk close to
several persons who were passing.
Joseph Bokee, his father-in-law, said
that Carpenter suffered nervous
breakdown several weeks ago and had
returned only recently from vacation
given him in consequence, when tine ex-
way to lunch when the crash came.
He was thirty-two years old and
lived with his wife and son at 81
CrOoke Avenue Rrooklvn
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
German Defrautled T.. S

CHICAGO. Sept. 20 = Theodore
Schudde, German. arrested at the
Presidio, San Francisco. several weeks
ago, pleaded guilty TO day TO obtaining
$1,000 from the government under
false pretenses while posing as Lieu
tenant Arthur K,ncaid, an American
army officer Judge George Carpenter
sentenced him to three years IN
Lcavenworlb penitentiary.
New-York tribune., 1920-09-21
Skipper Adams Reiuses to Run

BOSTON, Sept. 20. Charles Francis
Adams, skipoer Of Rasolute in her re-
cent sncccssful defense nj The Ameri-
cas- Cup, to-day anntune j that he
e'ou'h NOT accent place az candidate
for Presidential elector on the Demo
cratic ticket 10 which he was elected
by the stAte convention Of the party
ut Springfield Saturday.
Arizona republican., 1920-11-11
STATE MAY APPEAL
 MULE CASE VERDICT

That the state will appeal from the decision of the superior court of Yava- pal county was the opinion of state officials yesterday, who testified in the Tony Johns" mule case which resulted in the Aubrey Investment company be- ing awarded a Judgment of S17,947.44 against the state,
 The amount is practically the claim in full made by the investment com pany, of which Tony Johns is presi- dent, for mules which the state claimed were too old for use, and equipment which also was refused The contract was entered into by the commission of state institutions under the Hunt ad- ministration and the investment com pany whereby the state came into pos session of the property which it later offered to return and which the former owners refused to accept.
 The original claim, it is understood was $22.50O. s300O of which was paid l by the commission out of the 75 per cent road fund of Yavapai county. During the trial of the case it devel- oped that part of the equipment to be delivered to the state had not been | turned over but was held in Conti- mental in Pima county Counsel for the state objected to the right of the old commission to pay for equipment being used in Pima and Maricopa counties out of the 75 per cent fund of Yavapai county. The attorney for the investment company then offered to exclude the roller from the list of equipment, allowing $500 to the states credit.
 Dr. R. J. Flight, state veterinarian stated that he examined the mules in 1917 and found many too old and in- firm to work He and Dr. Ramsey later made examination of the mules with the same result According tc the testimony some of the mules never have been in use by the state since tho day they were received from the in vestment company. A large percent age of the 40 died and a few were soIo the state securing $152 for six mule: for which the investment compan. asked S200 apiece. Most of the equip
 ment that was included in the contrac
 is stored in the state highway yardi
 and has never been used.