The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-17
Internal Machine in Load of
Explosives the Cause.
Property Damage From ExplO-
sion to Run Into Millions.
ARE RECONSTRUCTING BOMB
Experts Are Aided in Man Hunt
by Scientists.
Man Who Gave Warning Cap
tured in Toronto.

New York, Sept. 17.-Partly revised
lists today showed that thirty-six per-
sons had lost their lives in the explo-
sion in Wall street yesterday. APP
proximately 200 persons were injured.
besides scores who received only slight
cuts from flying glass
Three names were s1liftc- this morn
ing from the list OF injured to the
death column. They were John Dono-
hu. a Brooklyn accountant; John w
Weir and Miss Margaret Fisher, of
Brooklyn. They died in hospitals.
Positive of Bomb Plot.
william J. Flynn. chief of the bu-
reau of investigation, department Of
justice, declared this afternoon that he
was positive that a bomb had caused
the explosion in Wall street yesterday
which besides taking a toll of 56 lives,
and injuring about geo persons
caused property damage running into
the millions.
There is absolutely no doubt that 1t
was a bomb" said Chief Flynn. AN
important development in the last two
hours has convinced us Of this The
bomb was apparently placed by per-
son who was within four blocks of
Wall and Broad streets when the ex-
plosion occurred"
Hunt for Driver.
Certain at last of the cause of the
explosion. federal agents and city
police increased their search for the
driver Of a wagon drawn by one horse
which was blown to pieces No trace
of him has yet been found.
Chief Flynn made his announce
ment shortly after Fire Commissioner
Brennan had reported to Mayor Hylan
his belief that a bomb was responsible
for the disaster and the police had
begun to swing to the bomb theory as
opposed to that of a collision between
a powder wagon and an automobile.
It Was Time Bomb.
The theory of the investigators that
a time bomb was placed on the wagon
and that the driver hurried from the
scene just after arranging for the ex-
plosion to occur at noon.
Six expert chemists attached to the
bureau of mines of the department OF
the interior arrived at police head
quarters this afternC on from Wash
inston and assisted in reconstructing
metal fra agments said to have been
part of a bomb.
The explosion, according to the Of
ficial Investigators apparently oc-
Cured in a horse drawn, covered
wagon at a point almost opposite an
entrance to the L. S assay office"
The investigators found that the
wagon had red running gear. There
were no markings on the harness
other than to show that it was for one
horse.
Have Parts of Machine.
The small pieces Of window weights
with which the Internal machine had
been loaded had been fused by an in
tense heat, indicating they had been
cut into slugs by a high-powered gas
burner.
Referring to the theory that the ex-
plosion had been caused by collision
of an automobile with a powder
wagon, Commissioner brennan said
that only two concerns are licensed to
convey explosives thru the streets of
New York and that all of their wagons
and motor trucks had been accounted
for.
No blasting powder, dynamite or
INT was delivered by either concern
to any of the four places in the down
town district where blasting is being
done, the report stated
One Suspect Found.
Edward P. Fischer. a former en-
ploye of the French high commission
in New York who was detained by the
police in Hamilton. Ontario, today
after he is alleged to have sent two
postcards to friends here from To-
ronto, warning them not to be in Wall
street at o'clock Wednesday, the
18th. will be brought to New York to
testify before the September grand
jury. This body today was ordered to
inquire into the disaster.
Shortly before word of Fischer's de-
tention was received. a representative
of the district attorneys office left for
Toronto with subpoena for him.
The theory that the combustible
which caused yesterdays explosion
was T. n T. has been discarded by
investigators, according to an an
nouncement by Chief of Detectives
Coughlin today.
A close examination of the neigh
borhood Of the explosion by the fed
eral mine experts. resulted in differ
ences of opinion regarding the exact
nature OF the explosion. While most
investigators believe a bomb was used.
others adhere to the theory that an
accidental collision caused the blast
To Know Tomorrow.
Chief Flynn said it would not be
1E~r-