Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 119, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1904 — WRECKED BY DYMANITE [ARTICLE]

WRECKED BY DYMANITE

T. J. MCCOY’S HOUSE ON MCCOY AVENUE Was Shattered at Ten O’clock Sunday Night by a Big Olast of Dynamite. For the first time in its history Beneselaer has been the soene of dynamite outrage. At a few minutes before 10 o’clock last Bunday night, Oot. 16th, there was an explosion which was probably heard by every person in town who was not then asleep, and by many whom it waked from sleep. It shook and jarred every house, and those near the soene of the explosion, very terrifyingly so.

It soon beoame know to many in the vieioity that Thoa. J. MoOoy’a Qne residence, on McCoy avenue, was the scene of the explosion. A considerable number of persons, especially those living near, gathered at the scene of the wreok soon after it happenned but the great majority of our oitizens did not hear what and where the explosion was until the next morn* ing. There was no one staying in the house, though Mrs. MoOoy, who has been having their goods packed for removal, was staying at Alfred McCoy’* house, in the adjoining lot. She and the other inmates of the house thought the explosion was in the house they were in, so loud did it bound. Evidently some persons had entered the basement through a window on the east side, md had plaoed there a large oharge of dynamite. The force of the explosion blew out entire east side of the house. The lower part of the wall being blown out first, this left the wall still standing leaning against the house,

The west wall of the house was blown off the foundation, and the north wall also pushed out. The large and beautiful front poroh is wreoked, and ready to fall by a touoh almost. Every window in the first story is broken, and nearly every one in the second storyIneide.the house the wreok is fearful, Specially the first story and nearly as .bad on the seoond. The attic story is praotioally untouched, except the piotures and other artioles on the wall were shaken down, A fine billiard table in the story is unharmed.

Most Of the furniture chinaware, etc, had been securely packed in barrels and oases, and probably iB but little injared* A fine piano in a room adjoining the one over the explosion was turned over, but whether or not muoh damaged has not yet been ascertained. Both the front and baok stairs were wreoked. The condition of the house, bad as it appears on the outside, seems much worse on the inside, and is undoubtedly & oomplete wreok, so far as the possibility of repairing it is oonoerned.

As to the perpetrators of this outrage no one at present seems to have any opinion; that it was the aot of some misguided person who lost money in the bank failure and did the aot for revenge, is the natural aud universal supposition. Whoever did it probably placed a large charge of dynamite in the spot, with .a long fuse and then made his esoape by the baok way m fresh tracks of a person, evidently running fast, were found aoross a tennis oourt in the rear of the house, At the time we go to press

bloodhounds from Chalmers were expected to arrived on the 3:30 p. m. train. The building in its present condition is unsafe for anyone to enter, and the public is therefore properly being prevented from entering it. This lawless aot of vengeance does no one any good; tends to give our city a bad reputation, and will leave only an unsightly pile of rubbish, where stood a beautiful structure that was an ornament and thus a benefit, to the whole oity. ABOUT 60V. VAN SANT

Gov. Van Sant of Minnesota, who speaks here next Tuesday night, is a man of national note for still another reason besides his ability as an orator. It was he who started and bore the brunt of the great fight against Pierpont Morgan and the rest of the great financiers, in preventing the merger of the two great continental railroads which cross Minnesota. The Northern Pacific and the Great Northern. It was the most celebrated and most successful fight ever made against great corporations, in this oountry. It is understood that tbe governor will tell some of inside facts of this great case, in his speeoh.