The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-28

officers, William Montgomery, Ross
Graham, Stewart Coleman and
Frank Throndson, at the Traugott
store, and two others, Charles AK
and John McVey, at the Federal
Jewelry Company, two doors west'
where the alarm was set of by I'M
pact OF the explosion"
The tangled mass Of facts be-
fore authorities was complicated by
the fact that officials said they
had found the A. D. T. wires cut at
point outside a Skylight of the
Traugott store. This might have
caused the signal just before the
explosion.
Beside the skylight was padded
brick, found Monday morning, and
sharp piece of cement, to which
was attached'a string.
Some officials believe that after
the clothing was soaked with gaso-
line a man, whom flremen said they
saw run from an adjoining enclos-
ure, had climbed to the fire escape,
cut the wire with the cement, hold
ing 1t by the string so as to escape
electric shock, broken out the sky
light with the padded brick and
dropped the match or torch which
set off the gasoline fulne blast.
Some officials believe the frebugs
we're ignorant of the power Of gaso-
line fumes and merely had intend
ed to set the place on fire. This
theory included the supposition that
Libowitz was inside and either was
to have gotten out before the torch
was dropped or figured he would
have time to leave after the fire.
started.
Man Found Ablaze
Libowitz was found about twenty
feet from the rear OF the store,
clothes and hair af1ame, with indi-
cations he had been blown out with
the rear wall.
Despite the fact that he had a
key which fitted the front door Of
the Traugott store he has insisted
in his brief talk with detectives
that Traugott had given him the
key because he kept his trunk in
the store and sometimes desired to
reach it at night and that just be-
fore the blast he had been walking
in the alley when some one struck
him on the head.
Records of the Traugott store we're
held in the fire marsharS Office.
Sussman was summoned to the arson
division office again by Deputy
Marshal Harry E. Gates, while pa
pers in strong boxes removed from
the safe were examined.
Approximately 5000 in cash was
found in safe in the rear of the
Traugott store Monday afternoon,
and about $50 in a cash register.
G. L. Pugh, representative of the
National Board of Fire Underwriters,
joined in the investigation today.
Situation Complicated
The situation further was COM
plicated by statements of firemen
from Engine House 13, first to the
scene.
Hearing the explosion and seeing
the reflection of the blast, H. j.
Keppel, captain of Pumper COM
pany Is, called out his company.
The fire engine drove up Capitol
a half block to Pearl st. and found
its way blocked by a gray Auburn
sedan. parked at the curb with its
rear end protruding into Pearl st.
Keppel raced up the sidewalk and
told the man seated at the wheel to
drive away from the f1replug.
"1e didn't move Keppel said,
land in turning the corner the truck
caught the rear fender and bumper
of the parked car, throwing it up
against the curb. The man jumped
out and ran"
While Keppel was connecting the
hose Lieut.. John Doyle and William
Miller found Libowitz in the alley,
his clothing ablaze, pinioned face
down under a heavy door.
Doyle saw a man jump fence
about two doors west of the Trau-
gott store and run.
The parked Abun, it later de-
veloped. belonged to a man who was
at the Indiana Theater with his
wife