BOMB BY POST.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144360, 26 March 1914, Page 7

BOMB BY POST.

CONSIGNED FROM SYDNEY. OUTRAGE IN MELBOURNE. An outrage at the Lands Department, in the new Treasury Buildings, this morning, caused injury to three people, ami groat consternation throughout tho many offices in the building. TV hen tho morning mails wore delivered they included a addressed to a member of tho Closer feotlloinent Board. IV hen tho package was opened, there was immediately a deafening explosion, and jieilets and lead wore showered about the room. Tho following wore the injured:—

Frederick Ice, closer settlement commissioner. Abrasions ou right liip from pellets; also shock. Thomas liastie, closer settlement commissioner. Deep gash over right eye; also shock.

Reginald Gordon Jones, junior attendant. Scratches on hip and side; nil h}>. An examination of the shell of the bomb .disclosed that it was made of wood of the same i-hiukne.ss as a cigarbox. Tiie wood was covered with strawhoard, and the oilier covering was glued to the inner wooden lining. There was a crudeness about tho workmanship which indicated that tho maker was not a carpenter nor a homely man with tools. The box measured Gin. long. -Hu. wide, ami about Nn. deep. The remains of a brass cartridge, paves ei urasi, anil a wire spring were round. The package had the address stamped upon it with a rubber stamp made of movable letters, such as is often oven in a business office, and it bore three twopenny stamps. Tuero is no doubt that it was posted in Sydney, and must have come to Melbourne by yesterday’s mail train. A .small primed label was pasted on tho brown paper covering containing tho following intimation, to whim. however, tho police attvuh no importance: Important : Should there bo any complaint respecting the contents oi this packet, please refer to our agents, Messrs. Towns and Co., Sydney, Mal-bCah Co., Itngland. Apparently the brown paper was used on some other parcel, and the sender thought it would bo a piece of grim humour to enclose his. bomb in it with such a label.

It had all tho appearance of a wedding cake packet. “Hero is a pretty present I’ve got for you,” said Captain Jenkins, secretary to the Closer Settlement Commissioners, as ho handed the packet at 9.20 a.m. to Mr. Lee, after sorting the mail.

Mr. Loo looked across to Mr. Hastie, and remarked, “I wonder what the deuce this is.”

lie cut tho string, and was fingering the brown paper covering when the explosion occurred. Tho explosive material, which is supposed at present to have been dynamite, was operated by a hammer spring and percussion cap. Consternation reigned in the Government offices. Tho report was .so loud as to be hoard in all parts of ; lie large building, and the room was soon crowded with officials.

Tho room was paitly wrecked, a window boing broken, tho chandelier glasses shattered, and tho walls and ceiling liberally spattered with little brass bullets, such as might bo made from the casings of cartridges. Drs. Janet Craig and JOlison Fitzgerald were brought from tho Education Department, and two stitches were put in. Mr. Hastio’s wound over the eye, and the doctors agreed that he had a lucky escape from losing the eye. Mr. Lee complained of pains in tho thigh, and was greatly upset by tho shock.