Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1920 — STILL AFTER W. B. AUSTIN [ARTICLE]

STILL AFTER W. B. AUSTIN

Residence Lately Occupied by Him Bombed Second Time. Sunday's Chicago Tribune had the following front page article concerning the bombing of a residence on the fashionable Lake Shore drive recently occupied by Our former townsman, W. B. Austin: 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 William B. Austin, banker, broker and fonmbr president of the Hamilton club. No wne was injured, but a number of windows were broken, including those of the residence at 105 Bellevue place, occupied by Mrs. H. 8. 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 thw theatre, 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 Capt. 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 101. There was no clew to the bombers. HL 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 th® 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 Potter Palmier eState. The first attack on the Austin home was on the night of June 16, 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 cementfoundation of the front steps. At that time Mr. Austin stated he believed that the attack was an attempt to intimidate him-because be had rented property at 4807 Grand boulevard to colored persons. That property had then been bombed twice. He offered a reward of sl,000 for information as to the bombers of the Grand boulevard property and SI,OOO for Information as to the persons who had— planted the dynamite under the Austin home. He obtained no results. An aftermath of the bombings 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 rented his property in Grand boulevard to colored persons," admitted be had done so, but added that if "they expel me for that they will have to expel some of their best members, because I know Of plenty Who have done the saline, thing.’’ The-' charges were never prosecuted. .