New Britain herald., 1927-05-19
DEATHS TOTAL 43
 IN SCHOOL BLAST S7 Children and Six Adults
 Victims Of LunatiC KILLED OWN WIFE TOO

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 Was First Victim-Nfay Have Had
 Acconlplice.
 Bath, Mich., May 19 R-with 37 of it's children who yesterday romped through its streets, and six adults lying still In death, this lit- tie village of some 800 persons was just beginning today to comprehend the full horror of the maniacal dyna- hitting yesterday of it's consolidated school. Forty three others were ser- iously injured; no one knows the number of minor injuries.
 Included in the dead is Andrew kehoe, revenge maddened farmer, treasurer of the township school board. who mined the school with dynamite and gunpowder and blew hdmself into eternity after watching the blast tear the north wing of the school to pieces and hurl the bodies of its little pupils through windows and walls.
 Killed Wife First.
 Mrs. Andrew kehoe, wife of the maniac, was the first victim of his fury, it was established today, Parts Of her body were found in the ashes Of one of the outbuildings on the kehoe farm. Her skull was crushed, leading to the belief kehoe killed her before casting her Dody into the building to be burned.
 The discovery was made by Roy Cole. a deputy sheriff.
 Fate Saved Town
 Only 9 stroke of fate prevented destruction of the entire village.
 Investigation showed that Kehoe, angered because of school tax lev jed against him and nursing his op- position to the erection of the build ing three years ago, had carefully mined the basement. installing an elaborate system of electrical wiring connected with 9 time clock. His plans called for destruction of the entire structure, with it's more than c6o pupils and teachers. One of the wires he so carefully installed be- came short circuited and the elec- tric impulse failed to complete its course. It was this failure that pre- vented the killing of more than 150 more pupils in another part of the building.
 Three Explosions
 There were three explosions. The first occurred early yesterday morn ing at Kehoc's home, about mile west of the village. destroying the house, barn and wagonsheds. All ap- parently were wired to the same timing device.
 The second blast was that in the school building. It came at 9:4S a. m., only a few minutes after classes had been assembled. The time has been fixed definitely because all the clocks in the wrecked wing stopped at that minute. The third blast came in kehoe's automobile in front Of the school about 30 minutes later. Kehoe was sitting in the car. Emory F. Huyck, superintendent of schools, was talking with him. one foot on the running board. Glenn 0. Smith, village postmaster, and Nelson Nc Farran, an aged man, were standing on the sidewalk few feet away. Suddenly a terrific blast came from the machine. The bodies of Kehoc and Huyck were blown to bits. Me- Farran was killed outright and Smith so badly injured that he died in a hospital soon afterward.
 kehoe's car was torn to pieces. The rear wheels and differential were hurled across the road.
 Part of the framework was wrap ped about a telephone pole Is rods down the road and on the other side of the street.
 Two Versions.
 There are two versions of the ex- plosion in Kehoe's car. One was that he fired rife into a load of powder in the tonneau. The other that he set off the blast by touching a but ton in an electric circuit while sit ting in the car. No one actually saw the explosion.
 Besides kehoe, Huyck. Smith and McFarran, the other adult killed was Hazel Wetherbee. a teacher.
 A state investigation was under way today to determine whether Kehoe was alone in the crime, and also the source of the large quan- tity of explosive.
 Accordingly to Charles Lane, state fire marshal, the electrical wiring leading to the dynamite and powder charges planted in the school build ing was so ingeniously done that he stalled by one person. Enough un- exploded dynamite and powder was found to i'll small truck, and Lane expresses doubt that Kehoe could have gone into the schoolhouse, night after night, with small quan- titles of the explosive, as would have been necessary, had he been alone.
 Was Clycrly Concealed.
 An hour before the blast Kehoe. with Bert 6etluff, the village black smith. and member of the school board. inspected the building and re- ported everything all right Dynamite had been cleverly conceal ed in floors. Frank Smith. janitor of the building.
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