The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-20
POLICE GAS BOMBS
DISPERSE RIOTERS
Inventor Demonstrates New
Method of Coping With
Mob Violence.
STOPS MOTOR BANDITS
Tear Gas Containers Used to
Drive Criminals From
Stronghold.
STOPS MOTOR BANDITS

Special Despatch to THE New York HERALn
PHILADELPHIA. July 19,-Gas bombs
that will end riots. drive outlaws from
buildings. stop burglars at their work
end the speeding flight of automobile
bandits. smoke out hiding criminals and
produce tears in abundance were demon
strated to-day to the Philadelphia Bu-
reau Of Police.
The demonstration took PLACE on Can
non Fall Farm, South Philadelphia. and
Major Stephen de Lanoy, formerly in the
United States Chemical Warfare Service,
conducted the affair. Introduction of the
tear gas into police use is the work OF
the Major, who has invented bomb for
this special use. 1t Is similar in some
respects to the deadly hand grenade.
1t resembles the bulb end of syringe
and has a piston shaped contraption
running down into the necl', A pin is
drawn, the head hit a sharp blow ana
the bomb cast. There is an explosion
of a small quantity of black powder in
the head of the bomb and the gas is
~--~N-
spreads in a dense cloud
Upon the bomb exploding all in the
immediate vicinity either must run OF
weep-and weep copiously.
Two hundred men from the Police
Bureau acted as a rioting mob. They
were led by Superintendent Mills. A
plot Of the average dimensions or
street intersection was staked OH. Across
that the mob came with hue ana cry.
h.
deadly grenades at the Germans-were
stationed to windward of the plot. Into
the middle ground in front OF thu on
coming mob they hurled twenty-five
bombs in rapid succession. There was
no more onrushing mob. 1t turned
into a throng of individuals, each
searching out a place where ne might
breathe without choking or weeping
Three times was the attack repeated
and each TINA the mob was con\frted
into docile herd.
The demonstration was intended to
show how a mere handful of men with
gas masks could dispense a mob Of
thousands Of rioters. Other men with
masks could have rounded up this riot
ers' and had them under arrest in a few
minutes. The rioters were too busy
getting the tears out of their eyes and
the sting out OF their threats and noses
to think of anything else.
The next stunt was the stopping of
automobile bandits, as personified by
Major de Lanoy and a member of the
traffic squad at the wheel.
In an automobile they whiZzed across
the field at fair rate of speed with a
side car motorcycle In pursuit. The man
in the side car had been provided with
three bombs. These he threw at the
machine. The first two missed. but the
third landed in the tonneau and thers
exploded. with the result that the driver
had to jam on the brakes and along
with the Major jumped out hurriedly.
Cannon Ball House next was invaded.
1t is an old stone building all of the
windows Of which have been without
glass for many years. Major de Lanoy
and some of the bandits were en-
trenched in the building. An attacking
force came upon them. There was
display of pistols. but the gas bombs
hurled through the windows soon ended
the encounter and the bandits emerged
shedding bitter tears for their crimes.
Major de Lanoy will go to Platts-
burg, N. Y, and on Thursday will
stage a demonstration of bandit gas at
the police training camp.