The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-17
PROBABLY TIME
 BOMB. POLICE SAY

New 1ork, sept. l"-Ihe myste- York's financial district yesterday, causing the death of 31 persons and injury to 200 others, was probably caused by an internal machine-pos- sibly a time bomb-according to the investigators of the department of justice and the police today.
 Search of the wreckage near the scene revealed. according to a high official, who requested that his name be withheld, fragments of clock work such as is commonly used in making bombs Three pieces of curved metal were also found be- meath the surface of the pavement in the hole cause by the explosion. An other piece of similar metal was taken from the body of Robert Vest day, an IS year old messenger who was killed, according to Charles H. Norris, chief medical exa xaminer.
 The authorities said that the find ing of these bits of evidence virtual ly dissipated the theory held earlier might have been caused by a col l1sion with a wagon loaded with ex- plos1ve. Examination of the wrecked wagon revealed, according to the po- lice that 1t was what is known as a rack truck and that it was unlike ly that a vehicle of this type would be used to transport powerful ex- plosives. No permits had been grant
 
 These and other scattering reports chiefly occupied the attention of Wii-. liam J. Flynn, chief of the bureau of investigation of the department of Justice, who arrived early today from Washington to take personal charge of the investigation work of repa:r- ing the shattered windows and twist. ed fixtures 'in the stock exchange the offices of J. P. Morgan and Com pany. the Sub-Treasury and various nearby buildings began during the night and a close guard of police and soldiers from Governors Island was Kept throughout the district Mayor Hylan called a meeting of the board of estimate today to con- sider proposal by him to offer a re- ward of $10.ooo for the apprehension and conviction of the person responsi- ble for the tragedy.
 The various exchanges which were closed soon after the expolsion, an- nounced that they would reopen to- day.
 Two reported warnings that the ex- plosion was to occur figured in the investigation today
 One of these was a letter received by Lieut.. Arnaud of the French high commission, from a man known to have been former employe of the commission, who predicted, it was said, such an occurrence and warned the commission to close it's offices and send the employees home yesterday The other was a letter received two | days ago by George Ketchledge, an | employe of a brokerage house. from | Edward Fischer, in Toronto, Canada, who warned against remaining in Wall Street "after 3 o'clock on the l fifteenth" and ended his missive with good luck.''
 1 Efforts also were made today to as l certain the approximate amount of l bonds and other negotiable securities l said to have been lost during yester- days confusion. Special detectives and officials of surety companies were 1 exerting their efforts to this end It l was reported the amount of securities 1 lost was expected to run into several l hundred thousand dollars.
 Estimates of the property damage | run as high as s2.500,0Oo.
 l A large majority of the active members of the exchange were pres ent when the opening gong sounded | and business proceeded iii normal
 fashion with fair degree of activity. At the Sub-Treasury and essay offices which were directly in the line of the explosion, the days routine was taken | up without hitch, although extra guards were on duty as precaution- ary measure. The banking house of | J. P. Morgan and Company which
 suffered most in. the catastrophe also was heavily guarded by regular police
 and score of private detectives. All the windows on the main floor of
 the building which were blown in
 were were covered with canvass Most Of the clerical force of the
 banking firm were on hand but the interior of the building continued to l show the extent of yesterdays dis
 aster. Several of the Morgan part ] ners were early on hand but had
 nothing to add to their brief state
 ments of yesterday nor would they vouchsafe any theory as to the cause | or motive of the explosion.
 There were an unusually large at | tendance of prospective customers a: the office of the leading brokerage l houses and firms with out of town wire connections reported buying or l ders. All indications pointed to an | active day in the stock market l The banks opened as usual but l their messengers and runners who 1 usually carry large amounts Of vaIu- | able securities were escorted by husky guards as a preca utionary measure against the crowds in the | district.
 | Three of Victims
 |