BOMB FASTENED WITH HATPINS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13069, 8 May 1913, Page 3

BOMB FASTENED WITH HATPINS.

LONDON, April 15. An attempt to blow up part of the Bank, of England by means of a bomb yesterday afternoon was frustrated by a defect m the machine., At about 3 o'clock, an ordinary milk can, sealed down, was found hanging to the railings of the Bartholomew lane entrance to the bank. The attention of a constable was called to the object by a scavenger. The constable removed the can, from which smoke was issuing, and took it to a fountain outside the Royal Exchange, where it was plunged into the water. It was afterwards taken to the police station, where it was found to contain about a pound of blasting powder, an electric battery with wires attached to a time fuse, and s6me hatpins. The elaborate and ingenious mechanism which had '"■ been set going had stopped. It is not yet known when the machine was timed "to explode, as both hands of the watch connected with the battery had been removed. The bomb was handed over k> the Home Office officials for examination." A close search of the bank premises was made without any further discovery. If injury to the bank building was seriously contemplated the place was ill-chosen. It is unlikely that the thick walls of the bank would have been seriously damaged by an explosion at this point. The bomD, however, was placed exactly opposite Bartholomew lane, at tho entrance to the Stock Exchange, and if it had exploded at a busy hour of the day it might have caused serious injuries/ to pastTers-by or even loss^of life. A strong police patrol was placed on duty outside the bank last night. No arrests have been made, i ./hen the bomb was first found people at once jumped to the conclusion that another suffragette outrage had been perpetrated. So far, nothing 1 has bren discovered to aiford absolute proof of this. A few hairpins were found m the milk can, but no. suffragette literature was left on the spot. A newsboy, whose stand is m the neighborhood, tolls a story of a well-dressed woman purchasing a newspaper from him the other day and telling him that he would have the surprise of his ljie one day if bo always stood on the same spot.