Shut Like Clams.

Rocky Mountain News, December 17, 1893

BOMBS ARE THROWN

ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP THE POLICE PATROL WAGON.

As the Police Patrol Wagon Was Moving Down Larimer Street Last Night, Some Dastard Threw Dynamite Under It—The Explosion was Fortunately Harmless, but it Created Intense Excitement—No Clue to the Perpetrator of the Outrage, Which is Supposed to Have Been Committed by Friends of Some Vagrants Under Arrest.

Last evening, about 9 o'clock, an outrageous attempt was made to blow up the police patrol wagon on Larimer street, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets. Three policemen, a prisoner and a News reporter narrowly escaped death. Just what the explosion was is not known, but it is supposed a small quantity of dynamite or giant powder was used. The act is attributed to some vagrant friends of men arrested during the day by the police and the sheriff's office. During the day over forty hobos were arrested and are now in jail. The police believe that some reckless friends of those placed in jail made the attempt to kill the police officers in order to intimidate the authorities. The explosion at once collected a great crowd, and the culprit escaped. There is no clue to his identity.

The Police wagon, about 9 o'clock, was called to Twentieth and Larimer streets by Officer Morrison, who had placed Louis Keppel under arrest. From Twentieth street the wagon drove down Larimer. In it was Officer Charles Clark, guarding the prisoner, Officer Carl Baker and a News reporter. Just as the wagon passed the Silver Moon restaurant, 1747 Larimer street, the explosion took place directly under the wheels. It is supposed that the cartridge was thrown from the sidewalk. The patrol wagon was nearly lifted from the asphalt pavement, and those inside were greatly jarred. The horses were badly frightened, but Driver Baker at once brought them to a standstill, and Officers Swanson and McIntosh, who happened to be near by and heard the explosion, rushed to the scene and attempted to find the dynamiter. Being Saturday night the street was crowded and it was impossible to obtain any information. No one could be found who had seen the cartridge thrown. Great excitement prevailed, and various theories as to the outrage were advanced. But nothing tangible could be discovered. Bits of brown paper were found on the pavement, but the paper was so trampled in the mud that powder marks were not discoverable. Several of the bystanders narrowly escaped injury.

During the day the Police and sheriff's officers raided a number of the dives and thieves' resorts in the lower part of town and both the county and the city jails are packed. These raids caused some hard feeling among the disorderly elements and threats of all kinds against the police were heard. That any outrage would be attempted no one imagined, but now the attempted murder is charged to some of the friends of the vagrants in jail.

Lew Blonger was standing but a few feet away in front of his place of business when the patrol wagon drove up and the outrage occurred. He states that there was quite a crowd of disorderly dressed men standing in front of the Silver Moon restaurant but he did not see the man who threw the cartridge.

The deed is not attributed to anarchists, as the police are sure there is no organization of the kind in the city. It was purely an attempt to kill a few police officers and intimidate the authorities.

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