Evening star., 1927-05-18
Demented Farmer Piles 500
Pounds of Dynamite in Gel
lar and Sets 1t Off With.
Rifle Shot.
PRINCIPAL Is KILLED
BY PRELI IMINARY BLAST
Children and Teachers of Lower
Grades Buried Under Tons of
Debris as Entire Wing of Big
Structure Collapses at Bath,
Mich.

Ey the Associated Press,
BATH, Mich. May 1S.-Investiga-
aion by State police late today into
the cause of two explosions, which
wrecked a consolidated district
school here this morning with an
estimated loss of life of 35 or more
revealed that the cellar of the build
ing was wired and contained more
than 500 pounds Of dynamite.
The investigation alss revealed, the
State police said, that Andrew hehoe'
Clinton County farmer. who was
killed in the explosion, had touched
off the charge by firing high-poW-
cred rifle into a box of the explosive
in the rear seat of his automobile.
Worked All Night.
Kehoe. the officers said, apparently
had worked during the night stacking
the dynamite in the building ana VII
ing the charges. Shortly attef tlIe
school sessions started he was seen
drivinp nm in front of the school. He
then strung a wire, the officers SAID,
from the basement of the building TO
the engine of his car. His fuses had
heen crlldely manufactured from rlf1e
shells. several of which were tound
near the shattered automobile.
Witnesses declared the principal
ran ont from the school building ap-
narently to attack Kehoe, When the
demented farmer turned ana tlted ms
rife into the rear seat. exploding the
dvpamite. The second explosion
wrecked the north end of the schooi-
house. burying children and teachers
under the tons of debris
state police were busy removing the
dynamite. which endangered the HVes
of bystanders and workers.
% Bodies Recovered.
Tventy.two bodies had been removed |
shortly after noon.
A short time before the explosions
wrecked the schoolhouse. the farm
home and barn of Andrew henoe,
near by, were blown up and destroyed
by fire. The body of kehoe, who was
treasurer of the school district and
who recently suffered financial re-
verses, was found in front OF the
school building.
The one teacher, Miss Hazei Neath
erbee of Howard City, was IN
charge of the third grade. The hrst'
third. fourth, fifth and sixth grades
suffered the greatest loss when the
walls crumbled, letting the ceiling on
The upper floors crash down on the
lower floors.
AS the bodies were removed from
the wreckage they were placed in
temporary morgue set up IN the
school yard while ambulanceS carried
the injured, the number of whom has
not been estimated. to hospitals IN
Lansing, 10 miles away.
Postmaster Is Killed.
The bystanders who were killed
were Glen Smith, postmaster, and
Nelson McFarran, a resident of Bath,
who were passing the school. NC
Jaarran was killed instantly and
Smith died in a Lansing hospital
from injuries received when both
legs were blown off.
Among survivors of the blast were
Miss Nina Matson Of St. lgnace,
Miss Leon Gutekunst of Ann Arbor
and Miss Bernice Sterling, teachers,
who suffered minor injuries and
shock.
g Miss Sterling. first-grade teacher,
described how she escaped from the
Nreckage.
The children in her charge, she
said. were playing in the room when
the explosion occurred.
without warning this terrific explo-
hion came" she said. Il saw the bodies
of my children hurled against the
walls or through the windows. Then
] don't remember much what happen
ed. The explosion stunned me and /
could not do much until help came.
Most of Class Buried.
Miss Evelyn Paul, another teacher,
described the explosion as IAN awful
crash" followed by the falling in of
the walls and ceilings. "a few of us
managed to crawl out, she said, but
j guess most of my class is still in
there"
Clare Gates, 12-year-old student,
described between sobs how he was
hurled through a rear window IN the
schoolroom where he was sitting. The
lads younger sister was believed to
be buried beneath the ruins.
state police probing through the
ruins of the structure this afternoon
found several unexploded charges of
dynamite concealed under boxes and
in corners. The explosives if touched
off would have leveled the entire build
ing, the officers said. Wide distribu-
tion of the dynamite, the State police
believe, probably resulted in saving
the lives of those who escaped.
w. u. IOllhIllls I1dtu deputy SLci All F,
was quoted as saying that kehoe re-
Gently had appeared mentally unbal-
anced, due to a mortgage falling due
which would have taken his farm
from him. Neighbors of the farmer
quoted him as saying that school
taxes were so high he could not make
payment on the mortgage. Kehoe S
Nifa has been in d hospital for sey.
eral months.
"zrel,ts Rush to Scene.
Scenes throughout the town, which
has a. population Of only slightly more
than 300, and at the school grounds
presented pictures Of great confusion
Reverberations of the blast were
heard in all parts Of the village and
horror-stricken parents of the chill
dren began a rush to the building al
most Immediately. Frantic mothers
attempted 10 push their way into the
ruins of the building as hastily re
cruited workers tried to dig their way
into the wreckage.
Fathers left their places of busines;
and their work and rushed to th
eccne.
4 stined cry or sob here an,
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