Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1920 — AUSTIN HOME AGAIN BOMBED [ARTICLE]

AUSTIN HOME AGAIN BOMBED

BOMBERS STILL AFTER FORMER RENSSELAER MAN IN CHICAGO. 4 The front page of the Sun Jay Tribune carried the following account of the bombing 1 of the residence of 103 Bellevue place, Chicago, formerly occupied by W. B. Austin, a resident of Rensselaer until a few years ago. It was the second time that the home had been bombed, the first occurring last summer, and is the outgrowth of Mr. Austin’s having rented his home on Grand Boulevard to a negro against the wishes of the Residents of that neighborhood. Invading the heart of the Lake Shore drive district, bombers last night for the second time attacked the residence at 103 Bellevue place, formerly occupied by Attorney liam B. Austin, banker, broker, and former president of the Hamilton club.

No one was injured, but a number of windows were broken, including those of the residence at 105 Bellevue place, occupied by Mrs. H. S. Whitmarsh, Miss Marie Stearns, and Miss Jeannette Stearns, and at 101 Bellevue place, occupied by James C. Jeffery. The explosion occurred soon after the dinner hour and within a few minutes the street was filled with men and women, dressed for the theater, whose names are familiar in society columns and the city’s blue book. It resembled a fashionable levee a la arc light. That the bomb was tossed from an automobile was the opinion of Captain Dennis Malloy of the East Chicago avenue station, who arrived with a patrol of policemen and detectives fifteen minutes after the explosion. The bomb struck near the second floor, between 103 and There no clew to the bombers. H. M. Pulsifer of 111 Bellevue .place and—H. R.—Ross—of —116 Bellevue place, who were in the street soon after the explosion, saw no one, they said. Mr. Austin, who lived at 103 at the time of the first attack, but has since moved to the Virginia hotel, said the bombers were evidently under the impression that he still resided there. He has subleased the place to A. L. Drum. He has never owned it, he said. It is owned by the Rotter Pglmer The first attack on the Austin house was the night of 1919, during the race riots. All the front windows were broken, but no one was injured. The explosive was a stick of dynamite, fitted with a time fuse, placed under the cement foundation of’ the front steps. At that time Mr. Austin stated he believed the attack was an attempt to intimidate him because he had rented property at 4807 Grand boulevard to colored persons. property had then been bombed twice. He offered a reward of ?1,tQOO for information as to the persons who had planted the dynamite under the Austin home. He obtained no results. An aftermath of the bombing came early last December, when George J. Williams, member of the South Shore Country club and of the Kenwood and Hyde Park Property Owners’ association, declared that charges of “conduct unbecoming to a gentleman” had been filed against Mr. Austin with W. F. McWhinney, secretary of the country club. , . . . , Mr. Austin, on being informed that the charges set forth that he “sold and ranted his property in Grand boulevard to colored persons,” admitted he had done so, but added that if “they expel me for that they will have to expel some of their best members, because 1 know of plenty who have done the same thing.” The charges were never prosecuted.