Evening star., 1954-06-08
Police Center Probe
OF Library Bomb on
Nearby High School

Montgomery County police to-
day stepped up their investiga-
ton of a series of bombings that
have terrorized Bethesda Chevy
Chase residents, with the latest
and most powerful striking the
Bethesda Public Library.
A homemade bomb - the
most vicious" of five that have
been thrown in the suburban
Maryland so far smashed
through window of the library
at SOLO Moorland lane on Satur-
day night. Detective 1t. John P.
Leahy said.
The explosions damage was
not discovered until yesterday,
when Miss Elizabeth v. Gilley,
librarian, reported for work.
All available detectives at the
Bethesda police substation were
thrown into the investigation
last night. Detectives were ques-
tioning teachers. students and
parents at the nearby Bethesda
Chevy Chase High School.
Hope for Early Break.
Police declined comment on
their investigation, but they said
they hope for a break before
school closes.
The library bombing came less
than "a hours after a makeShift
bomb was thrown at a window
in the apartment of Miss Ann
Fullerton of 1923 Avondale street,
Bethesda. biology teacher at
the school. A rock was thrown
through the teachers window,
hitting the wall above the sofa
where she and two guests had
been sitting only seconds earlier.
The explosion at the library
was set at about 1890 pm. Sat-
urday, based on reports of a loud
noise heard by residents of the
area, police said.
The bomb consisted of a 1h-
inch pipe, four inches long. Cast
iron caps had been screwed on
both ends.
Police said the pipe had been
filled with black powder. A dy-
Mantle fuse had been taped orto
the outside with cellulose tape
and a hole had been drilled in
the pipe leading to the powder
Thrown Through Window.
The bomb was thrown through
the front window of the library
It exploded on the floor near the
opposite wall, some 80 feet away
One of the end discs was blown
20 feet and imbedded itself about
1h inches into a book. Other
fragments imbedded themselves
in the ceiling nearly 40 feet from
the explosion. Nearby library
shelves also were damaged.
Police said five windows were
broken by the blasts. The dam
age was estimated at 5000.
A note was found on the out
side of the building attached by
a piece Of twine to a rock. 1t
read in part, I'VE don't like the
term Crude bomb.'"
The term was used in the ac-
count Of an earlier bombing.
Police said anyone in the path
Of the shrapnel would have been
killed by the force. The concus-
sion alone would have knocked
a person unconscious in the Ii
brary, police said. The library
was closed.
Home Stoned.
The first attack made in the
recent series struck at Ray o.
Zimmerman, vice principal in
charge of discipline at the school.
His home was stoned and the
door and doormat set afire with
gasoline.
Other attacks more crude than
Saturday nights blast, occurred
at the Hot Shoppe on Georgia
avenue, Silver Spring, where q
can Of powder was set of, dam
aging an air-conditioning unit,
and at two residences, at which
small cans Of powder were ex-
ploded.
Throughout the investigation
police and school officials have
had difficulty in getting infor-
nation from any source.
Principal William @. Pyles on
Saturday said parents and stu
dents "clammed up" after public
disclosure of the attack on Mr..
Zimmerman'S home.