White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-03
M|SCH|EvOUS ROWMES
TAMPER WITH POWDER

| Malicious mischief which narrowly
escaped resulting In a serious explo-
sion and from which loss of life as
we'll as damage to property might
have followed was performed by some
boys at point In the McDonald-Ely
canyon Immediately west OF the city
of Ely some time between the hours
of 10 o'clock in the morning and 2
o'clock In the afternoon last Friday.
An attempt was made to break
! into the place where the Campton
Commercial Company stores its pow
der
approximately five tons of the ex-
plosive material was in the storage
place, which is somewhat in the ma
ture Of a dugout, the front OF which
is protected with logs and heavy
planks as well as large iron door.
which Is always kept securely locked.
The discovery of the mischief was
made by Alvin Peters, an employe of
the Campton company. when he went
to the storage place to get some pow
der with which to fill an order.
Arriving at the place he found
some of the planks torn Off, the big
iron door pried back and rock
placed between the door and the sill
to hold 1t open as far as possible. A
| fire had been built near the door and
some boards leading from the fire
pushed in through the opening made
/ by prying back the door, so that the
fire might lead directly to the pow.
der. After eliminating the danger as
far as possible Peters rushed 10 the
store OF the campton establishment,
on Aultman street, where he in
formed other employees of his dis
eoyery. Sheriff Nicholson was noti-
/ fed and in company with II. II. Ste
yenson Of Campton's hardware de-
partment Immediately went 10 the
scene and made an investigation.
IL was discovered that the guilty
parties had procured some pieces of
iron In what was formerly used as a
blacksmith shop when mining oper-
ations were belg conducted there.
and with THESE they endeavored to
pry open the big iron door. Evident
ly failing in this they did as much
damage as possible by the tearing off
of planks and driving nails into the
keyhole of the lock.
The damage was evidently done by
boys OF an age sufficient to warrant
their being brought to a strict ac-
counting for their vicious acts. 1t
required considerable strength TO pry
back the big iron door from the con-
dition in which it was found by the
sheriff and the Campton official.
One of the boards leading from the
fire into the place where the powder
is stored had burned to the extent of
| seorching one of the boxes of pow
der and several smaller pieces of
wood were found in a charred condi-
tion inside the door
The time during which the mischief
was performed is fixed by the fact
that the porter of the Campton store,
n Japanese known as Harry Camp
ton. went to the storehouse about 10
o'clock in the morning and took out
some powder. which he delivered to
Joe Data of Riepetown. II was
about o'clock I'm the afternoon
when Alvin Peters. after making
some deliveries at Lane City. on his
return trip to the store went for more
powder and discovered the danger
then existing.
When Harry took ont the powder
in the morning he noticed three boys
on the hill near the storage place
He further noticed that they had with
them a dog but he did not know who
the boys were. Other parties also
saw three boys in the vicinity and
furnished a description of them.
The explosion of five tons of pow
der at this point would have
shaken buildings throughout the city
of Ely and might easily have resulted
in the death of anyone who hap
pened to be travelling along the Lin
coin highway i'm that immediate vi
ciniiy at the time.
The fortunate termination cf the
AFFAIR can perhaps only be considered
rs an act of providence, and If the
guilt of the parties responsible for
the vicious deed is eventually estab-
lished they will doubtless he severe
ly punished.
Sheriff Nicholson and City Marshal
Jackson have heen working on the
case and have learned that four boys
were in the vicinity of the powder
house Friday Their arrest will in
all likelihood take place today or to-
morrow.
Fred Stundcn an Arrival Last Wight
Fred Stunden. who recently ac-
cepted the appointment under the
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