New Britain herald., 1924-04-18
His Home Partly Wreck ed By Bomb Shortly After Midnight Few Minutes Later And He Would Have Been There.
Outrage Follows Receipt of Two Anonymous Letters Threatening His Life for Dry Activities.

Buffalo, x. l., April lS.-The Rev. l.. E. Ii. Smith, pastor of the On- tario United Presbyterian church and dry crusader for Buffalo church or sani2a'' ons escaped by few minutes bomb explosion which wrecked his lome shortly after midnight.
 Rev. Mir. Smiths family was not Il home. A series Of threatening etters had caused them temporarily abandon the house and for more han q week they had been living with neighbors. The pastor returned o his home several days ago, and Vas on the point of leaving his ,hurch office when a telephone call informed him that his house had been wrecked. Had the explosion been delayed few minutes, the minister would have been in the house as he planned 10 sleep there.
 Probably Time Bomb.
 Police combing the ruins, today failed to find any fragments of the bomb or evidence 10 indicate the exact character of tho explosive. Po- lice Captain William II, Milan. who aas at tho scene directly after the blast, eNpreS ld belief that time bomb had been planted. The force of the explosion was so powerful, Captain Milan said. that a person hurling the bomb from the middle d the street would have been tnockcd flat.
 The pestibule of the house was flown back into the living room. oak oorsills were splintered and founda- ion stones were hurled out of place. i"lises sdioining also stfrered. All sindoAs facing the smith house were 'hnttored, and occupants sleeping in ,ront rooms were thrown from their beds and showered with broken glass. The explosion was felt throughout the block.
 Received Threats.
 Two anonymous letters reeeiN cd by ihe minister had set. April l3 as his last day" On one occasion, Rev. smith said. he had gone to a place manned in one of the lattcrs at a time appointed. Two men were there, he said. but they walked away. The letters have been turned over 10 the police. They were written on a good grade Of paper, in pencil. and showed no illiteracy.
 Rev. Smith has been engaged in investigation of liquor and vice con ditions in the city for several months. Recently his work was endorsed by the Buffalo council of churches. Evidence collected by the pastor has been the basis of several dry raids made by federal agents, and the clergyman has taken part in many of the raids. Tine anonymous letters, he said, followed soon after his &C., iivities were made public.
 Accused Is K. K. K. Member.
 Tn recent controversy between Rev. smith and Mayor Frank x. Schwab. the mayor charged the pas for with being a member of the Ku klux Klan. Rev. Smith declined to affirm or deny the assertion. The Buffalo newspapers received a letter the next day. purporting 10 come from the klan, stating that Rev. Smith was not a member, but that his work was endorsed by the klan.
 Mayor Schwab had charged that Rev. Smith had been leader Of group of hooded men who. he said, interrupted a meeting which the mayor was addressing. The purport- cd klan letter declared the meeting 10 have been a "closed meeting" of the klan with the mayor the only person present who was not a klan member. Mayor Schwab denied he had addressed klan meeting.