BOMB IN MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20520, 22 March 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOMB IN MUSEUM.

DISCOVERY UNDER CHAIR.

• PRICELESS INDIAN ART. WARNING BY TELEPHONE. A home-made bomb of a dangerons character was found in the British Museum recently, hidden under a watchman's chair outside tlie Indian Room. A fuse was attached which had less than an inch to burn when the discovery was made, and had the bomb exploded it might have blown to pieces the. Buddhist Tope of Amaravat, a priceless collection of bas-reliefs which were presented to the museum many years ago by Colonel Mackenzie and Sir Walter Elliott. Scotland Yard was informed, and the •bomb was taken to Tottenham . Court Road police station, for an investigation. Superintendent Parker, who is in charge of the Special Political Branch of Scotland Yard, was called out to take charge of tlie investigations. Half the officers attached to the special branch were also sent for by telegram and telephone, and received instructions to begin their inquiries immediately to try to discover two Indian students who were seen in a restaurant in' Solio on the clay of the discovery, and were later seen near the British Museum.

The wanted men's names were _not known, but the informant who spoke to the British Museum authorities on the

telephone in the name of " Ali Khau" described them as Hindus. The bomb is said to have contained ammonal, a high explosive with a wide range. The experts who have examined it are of tlie opinion that liad rit exploded great damage and certainly loss of life would have resulted. A high authority at the British Museum, however, stated after the discovery that he* believed the whole affair was a hoax. Earlier in the day, an Indian student, telephoned to the museum authorities and informed them that he had heard a number of Hindu students plotting to wreck the Indian galleries. The galleries were promptly closed to the public, while police and museum officials made a thorough search. * *I" . The bomb, however, was eventually discovered by a Mr. F. Biggs, of Brighton, who sat. in the chair under 'which the bomb was concealed. Seeing what lie took to be an ordinary parcel wrapped in newspaper, he informed an attendant, who called a policeman. The policeman, knowing of the search which bad been taking place that afternoon,' placed the package in a bucket of water. The bomb was wrapped in a piece of foreign newspaper.