TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16371, 20 June 1927, Page 11

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

FIGURES IN DARK

OCCUPANTS’ ESCAPE ,

MELBOURNE, June Hi

A terrific explosion this morning hurled a two-storied house at the comer of Dryburgh and Haines streets, North Melbourne, to utter ruin.

The occupants had left a few minutes before the explosion. ■ There is no doubt in the minds of the police that the house was deliberately blown up. Rags saturated with kerosene, and revolver bullets, were found in the ruins. The tenants of the house were David Primer and bis wife. r l lie explosion occurred at 4.30 this morning. Neighbors, disturbed by the terrific noise, rushed from their houses. Bncics and fragments were hurled 200 yarns along tho streets and the. pavements in the vicinity . were littered with glass. The charge had left a gaping hole in I,ho centre of the debris where the foundations of the house had been. _ Edward TJorker, who occupies the house next door, told a graphic story of the explosion. He actually heard men laying the charge. He saw them hurry* ihg away. “Generally T go to the market about 4 o'clock,” "he said this morning. “At 2.30 a.m.. when I was thinking of getting up, I heard a tapping next door. I could not n ake it- out-. There were also, at. intervals, rumbling sounds. The tapping continued throughout. Just, before the time came for me to go my wife stopped me. She would not let me leave. She said, ‘Them was funny business going on next door!’ “Stic made me promise to slay. Then suddenly there was an explosion. Then there was another, and several more. J. thought it was an earthquake. I ran outside to look. I’ll never forget what I saw. You know how houses and ships are blown up in pictures? That is what happened. There, was a- great burst of colored light. The ground' seemed to tremble under me.

MASS OF SMOKE AND FLAME. “The whole house was hurled into the air in a black and colored mass of smoke and flame. The neighbors came rushing out of their houses.. All of them were in their night attire, ’leri’ified, they thought that the whole street had beeii blown up. Bricks rained down, and crashed in the street over my head. My wife fell as she attempted to get out of bed, find she was injured. She is still unable to get. up.” “As I came out of tlie door psiore the explosion,” Dorker, added, “I sawtwo figures hurrying away in the darkness. I don’t know whether they were a man and a woman or two men. Immediately after the explosion the whom thing -burst into flames. The fire brigades were called' in time to save the fire from getting into my house.” Fortunately a store-room divides Dorket’s house from that which was blown up. The walls were blown out of tho store-room. The occupier of the house Inis for a fortnight been going about with his arm in a- sling. He told the police that a fortnight ago lie was alone in the house, when three men came in. They followed him to the store-room and beat him unmercifully. They then fan away through the gardens. . Ever since lib has been anxious tor the safety of liis little girl, who is five years old. Yesterday lie decided to send her away for a few days until ho became reassured. Slio went yesterday -afternoon. After the explosion ope of the neighbors ran to Victoria Markets, where t-lid Primers, mail and wife, bad . a fruit stall. They both came to the scene and went away almost- immediately. Since then the police have not been able to locate them. The man, they were told, had gone out as usual with bis intit lorry.

ONLY REAR WALL LEFT. Nothing remains of the. house ««d furniture hut broken -bricks and minutely-splintered wood. .With this is mingled twisted ikon from the bedsteads, tom. clothes, ripped cushions, and crockery. There is nothing standing but the rear wall. The pile of saturated rags- suggests to the police that if the charge had faileu Hre would have done the work, the whole affair is shrouded in mystery. A man who was standing for the whole afternoon in the vicinity of the housb on tlie day! on which the assault was said to have been made on the occupier noticed nothing untoward. He did not see atiy men escape. There were no calls fot help. ■ The assault was said to have been made early in the afternoon, in broad daylight-, blit Primer was unable to give any description of the men to the police. Constable McCormack, who was on duty nearby, did not notice anything unusual until he heard and saw the .explosion. In the opinion ol the police the charge was laid deliberately, bo that it, would blow towards the street Instead of towards the house next door. 'The police believe they know the names of the persons* responsible. Primer was one© a> clerk m the. I nnm Minister's Department. His principal ditties were coding and decoding confidential cables. Latef lie rented a stall at Viktoria Markets, and set up as a greengrocer. He supplied well-known clubs and hotels in the citw The property is owned by a man named Somerville, who is at present in England. Whether the house was insured is not known. _