People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1893 — A DYNAMITE BOMB. [ARTICLE]

A DYNAMITE BOMB.

It Is Thrown Into a Sailor's Boarding House In San Francisco—The Building Wrecked and Five Inmates Killed—Another Badly Hurt. San Francisco, Sept. 25.—One of the worst crimes in the annals of this city, resulting from a long-standing feud between union and non-union sailors, was perpetrated Saturday night Shortly after midnight the southern part of the city was shaken by a terrific explosion. A dynamite bomb had been fired in front of a water-front boarding house filled with non-union sailors. The front of the building was blown to atoms. Six of the inmates were horribly mangled, two of these instantly killed and three others died from their wounds. By whom the bomb was fired is not definitely known, but the owners directly charge the deed upon some members of the Seamen’s union. One of the union men by the name of John Terrell has been arrested. The boarding house was kept by John Curtin. It was Curtin’s custom to secure berths for his patrons on ships employing non-union men. In this way he incurred the enmity of the sailors’ union. Less than a week ago his place was entered by a crowd of union men led by John Terrell Curtin was threatened, and when the men left his house they told him the house had only a short time to exist Saturday night all the inmates had retired as usual and the house was quiet when the explosion occurred, shaking the city for blocks. The entire front of the boarding house was torn away, carrying the front of an adjacent structure with it Men were thrown from then beds across the street. The room where the explosion took place was ripped to atoms. A black hole with smoldering beams about it showed where the bomb had torn its way. Four groaning victims lay in the street near by. Beside them lay two corpses, stripped of nearly every bit of clothing. An ambulance was soon on the scene and the victims were quickly rescued from the debris and taken to the hospitaL Three of the men* who were wounded died Sunday, making the total fatalities five.