The New York herald., 1922-08-15
BRIDGE DYNAMITERS
KNOWN, SAY POLICE
Arrests in as Hours Predicted
for Outrage at North
Bergen.

weehawlxen said yesterday he thought
ne knew VINO was responsible for the
attempt Sunday night to blow up9 a
bridge on the West Shore Railroad In
North Bergen, wreck q passenger train
and block traffic on both the West
Shore and Erie tracks, which cross at
the point where the explosion occurred.
Marcy declared several railroad
strikers had been seen near the bridge
half an hour before the Dumont local
ran over a bomb and was derailed with
injuries to a score Of passengers. The
Ave passengers who We're taken to
North Hudson Hospital for treatment
were able to return to their homes yes
terday morning.
The State police Department Of Jus
tice agents under Chief John Holmes Of
Newark and large force of railroad
detectives aided the local police in the
investigation. Arrests will be made to-
day, according to Chief Marcy, who be-
lieves two bombs each containing two
sticks of dynamite and exploded by time
fuses were set off, one on the eastbound
That the train was not blown off the
bridge with loss of life. Is considered
almost a miracle by the police. rhe
bombs appeared to have been. placed
under the rails on the steel bridge gircer
and not set off by the train, but by fuse,
which Is the way to explode dynamite.
The fact tina. the locomotive and two
cars of the Dumont local passed over
the bomb before it went off, further
supports this theory. Several persons
heard the explosion among whom was
John Serpico. president Of the Interna-
tional Fireworks Company. that has
factory near the bridge. Serpico was
sure the blast was dynamite. he said,
because Of the peculiar detonation.
Central Detective In Charge.
+ d. Roosa. OF Buffalo, took charge
of the investigation conducted by the
New York Central Railroad which oper-
otes the West Shore. His men and the
Bergen county police. under prosecutor
Pierre p. Garvan, examined every incn
of the tracks and the roadbed over the
bridge. Twenty feet of rails and about
ten ties were ripped from the roadbed.
They collected mass of evidence IN
the form OF debris which will be used
In case the perpetrators OF the outrage
ere brought 10 trial. One piece OF Steel
a foot long and weighing one and one
half mounds was found embedded In the
floor of the damaged car.
Tho fact that tha explosion occurred
scarcely stones throw from the Gran
ton shops suggested that It was the
work OF men on strike at that plant, cur
this was vigorously denied oy Albert
Lax. vice-chairman of the strike COM
mittee of the Weehawken and Gronton
shopmen.
Mr.. Lax said as soon as the committee
head of the explosion they started TO
check up every member OF their union
with the result thar complete alibi was
established for all but two or three.
He added that the committee had issued
strict orders against all FORMS OF vio-
lence. not only because 1t Is morally
wrong but on the principle that u
alienates public sentiment.
Furthermore. Mr.. Lax said. the
strikers would not do anything to en-
danger the lives OF the railroad tram
crews especially as they are looking to
~. railroad brotherhoods for aid to win
the strike.
chief Marcy thought the bombs were
made and set off by amateurs In ham
ding dynamite. 1t was their Intention,
he believed to destroy the bridge, so
that the wreckage would fall on the
E.rie tracks below and block that road
! +. we'll as the West Shore. That train
was nassing over the bridge when the
homh went off might have been a coin
cidence he said.
No Statement by Central.
Al the Offices OF the New York Gen.
tral II was said no public statement
would be issued until report was re-
ceiyed from the railroad detective force
under Chief Roosa. Capt Humphreys,
in charge OF the railroad police at Wee
bawken. said he thought the dynamiters
would be under arrest within forty-eight
hours.
The local strike committee had moth
ing to say in regard TO the West Shore
bomb. New Jersey Is outside the Ju-
risdiction OF the New York headquarters.
Members OF the committee. however,
expressed regret at an occurrence which
they felt sure was not blanable on the
strikers but on one or two misguided
individuals.
The Erie strike committee telegraphed
to b. NJ Jewell. president of the shop
mems union at Washington, protesting
against the "outlaw policies" OF that
railroad and stating under no circum-
stances do we desire peace unless all
TlEHtS anu PiiNht6Co att itstVitts
seventy-f've thousand maintenance OF
way men In this district waited anxi-
ously to hear from Grand President
Cradle OF their union In reply to their
demand for n strike call. As time
passed and no call came the prospects
OF these men joining the strike dimin-
ishad.
The railroad presidents committee.
back from Washington. refused TO dis
close what occurred at the White House
conference. 1t was intimated. however.
that President Harding would issue n
statement as to what was done and
where the Administration stands In re-
gard to future peace measures.
This statement. they hope. may lead
TO a successful settlement of the shop
strike. which is one and half months
cid to-day.
RESCUE THREE IN YOSEMITE.