The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-09-18
FLYNN POSITIVE
EXPLOSION DUE
TO BOMB PLOT.
Officials Seek to Discover
0riginators
PALMER is COOPERATING
Drag Net Out for Driver OF Wrecked
Wagon Found at Scene Of
Disaster.

| that the explosion that killed 35 per-
sons and injured nearly three hundred
in Wall street Thursday was planned
| by anarchists, officials of the depart
ment OF justice headed by Attorney
General Palmer have increased their
efforts to trap the orginators.
William j. Flynn, head of the bur
eau of investigation, department Of
Justice. is the chief spokesman for the
theory that the explosion was brought
about by anarchists. The attorney
general corrobOrates this statement.
Primary Importance attached today
to the search for the driver Of the
delapidated wagon. fragments of
which were found at the scene Of the
explosion.
Department officials attach little
Importance to the detention of Ed
win Fischer in Hamilton, Ont
New York, Sept H. (By The AS
soclated PreSs) The exact cause of
the explosion, which, In the twinkling
of an eye yesterday noon transformed
Wall Street, near Broad, from scene
Of busting activity to one OF dreadful
carnage, rema us tonight a puzzle.
Oficia opinion as expressed by Will
liam j Flynn, Chief of the Bureau of
lnve stIgation OF the Department of
Justice and Fire Commissioner Tho
mas brennan, Is that the disaster was
CAUSED by time bomb loaded with
high explos We and reinforced with
metal slugs. The early theory that
the blast was caused by collision be-
tween an explosiye.laden wagon and
another vehicle seems to have been
dispelled by subsequent investigation.
although it has not yet been entirely
discarded by official investigators.
Chief Flynn, who arrived here from
Washington last night to take person
all charge of the federal invest cation
declared after leaving the J. p. Nor.
gan Offices late today that FROM evi-
dence obtained within the last few
hours II has been definitely estab.
lished that the explosion was due to
time bomb" He added:
The bomb was taken TO Wall street
in the wagon which was blown to
pieces. The internal machine was tim.
ed to go off at noon and apparently
was paced in the wagon by a person
who was with four blocks ofYWall
and Broad streets when the explosion
occurred"
Six more deaths since midnight
brought the death total tonight to 35.
The number of injured, including those
treated at the scene, in hospitals and
at their homes, was approximately
SOC Nearly 100 of these are still being
treated in hospitals, The property
damage Is variously est mated from
81 100000 to $2,500,000
Eight separate Investigations of the
explosion were under way tonight.
They were being made by the Depart
ment of Justice under the supervision
Of Attorney eneral Palmer and Will
liam j Flynn Chief Of the Bureau
OF Investigation; the New York Po-
lice Department, under the superyiS'
ion of Comm jssioner Enright and
Chief Inspector Lahey; the Fire De-
partment, the Building Department.
the September grand jury, the Medical
Examiners office and two private in
qurie3 by insurance companies and
j. p. Morgan and company.
The key to the puzzle apparently
lies in the Identification OF the r'ckety
old wagon drawn by an old horse
which was eft standing at the curb
in Wall Street near the United States
Assay office and across the street
from the Morgan Bank a few min
utes before the explosion The horse
was killed and the wagon blown to
bits in the blast The driver of the
wagon is believed to have escaped.
Federal and police authorities to-
night were centering their activities
on this phase of the case.
Every livery stable in the city is
being canvassed to determine wheth'
er horse and truck are missing,
Examination of the horses body dis.
closed that 1t had beon newly clipped
and shod. This and mark on the
horses shoe furnish the only clues to