South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-23
Great Emotion Precedes Purchase
OF "Tear Bombs by Safety Board
Crying Need for New Police Weapon Clearly Evnced at
Demonstration of Bomb City Hall-Crowd
Assemblies to Watch Use of Device.

Davies. president of the board Of
public safety. shed Corious tears last
night at the city hall, surrounded
by Sheriff Lew Duck. Glenn Smoger
and Dan Pyle. also board members
1t was a pathetic scene but not Of
a political character. II did not
indicate a reconciliation nor ala It
mark the close OF love feast Of
any nature.
The weeps were the result OF the
smashing Of a tear bomb" against
the floor Of the city Jail with the
chief, the members of the board of
public safety the night police squad
and detectives and a number Of
others present in the Jail at the time.
The bomb was thrown by Stuart
Bartram, representative OF the
Lewis-Hughes company makers OF
the tear bombs. which are coming
into general use as an adjunct TO the
equipment of metropolitan police de-
partments. Mr.. Bartram was here
yesterday TO demonstrate how to
use the device and to illustrate it's
effects.
Move Toward Exit.
A score of people were assembled
in the city hall jail when Mr.. Bart
ram tossed the globular contrivance
against the Jail floor. The bomb.
thin copper covered missile the size
Of a baseball and Weighing IN the
neighborhood Of a pound, exploded
and a mis- commenced to dfffiUse it
self about the jail There was no
apparent odor but the tear ducts of
all present were soon affected. The
lungs too, Of many, objected 10 the
inhalation of the gas. Within a few
moments there was a general move
ment of those present toward the
exits. IIandk erchiefs We're in gen
erael use and tear-fned eyes testi-
fed 10 the success Of the expert
ment.
The tear gas was contained in three
small bottles paced in the copper
grenade. When this grenade Is
hurled and strikes an object, the
bottles burst and the grenade sep
arates into halves, allowing the gas
10 escape.
There is no question but what the
bomb will prove NOSE effective In
cases where criminals have BARR lead
ed themselves in a room or an in
sane person is holding officers or
others at bay.
No one can remain long in a room
in which the gas ia circulating. once
within range of the tear gas, the
eyes begin to water and it is physic-
ally impossible to refrain from weep
ing as long as one remains in the
neighborhood of the mist zone.
Mr.. Ba-tram also explained the
working of his cOmpany's latest
burglar proof system which is op-
Grated By electricity. If a door or
window is forced open when the ap-
paratus IS attached, the bomb will
automatically drop. filling the room
with gas and making it impossible
for any one to enter the building
with the intention of carrying any
thing away. A representative Of
Colip Bros, local electricians, who
have charge of installing the burglar
proof system for this city, was on
hand to give a demonstration of the
latest device but the gathering was
unwilling to shed any more tears and
were satisfied to listen TO the ex-
PLANTATION.
VIII Purchase Bombs.
The safety board members and
Chic Lane held a consultation after
the demonstration and decided to
purchase a dozen Of the bombs to
have in readiness for any emergency
which might arise. Sheriff Lou
Duck also minated that he would
request the county officials TO sup
ply like amount for his office.
Prof. Lewis. the inventor of the
tear bomb, was in charge Of the
u. s. Gas Division during the World
war and at that time perfected the
invention of the deadly 'Lewisite'
gas. which the government refused
TO use because they considered it too
destructive In lecturing TO a gath
ering of chemists. after the war was
closed. Prof. Lewis stated that his
attention was first attracted TO the
destructive possibilities of the gas
now known as "LewiSite," when he
came across a graduating thesis
written by Father Nieuwland, at
present head of the department Of
chemistry ar Notre Dame.
The formula presented by Father
Nieuwland in his thesis for his grad
uation from the Catholic University
Of washington, D. c., was expert
mented upon by Prof. Lewis and was
not fully developed until almost the
close Of the war. when the two men
were both connected with the gas
division in Washington.