CHURCH BOMBED THREE TIMES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18043, 31 December 1926, Page 8

CHURCH BOMBED THREE TIMES.

DETECTIVE BELIEVES RELIGIOUS FANATIC IS AT WORK. (Special to the “Star.”) SAN FRANCISCO, October 30. For the third time in less than a year an attempt was made early yesterday morning to wreck SS. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church on Filbert Street, when a powerful dynamite bomb was exploded in the entrance to the edifice, which endangered the lives of nearby residents, and was felt for a radius of more than a mile. The bomb, which was the most powerful of the three that have damaged the church, tore a hole through solid granite steps and their reinforced concrete supports, shattered windows in the front of the church and in nearby apartment houses: wrenched two heavy steel doors out of shape; tore iron railing from its moorings: splintered wooden doors and wainscoting, and tore marble from the walls of the vestibule. Damage to the building will amount to more than 5000 dollars, it was estimated by church officials. NO CLUES FOUND. The identity of the bomber and the motive for his acts were as much a mystery to the police yesterday as after the two previous attempts to destroy the church. A complete investigation of the other two blasts, one on January 31 last, and the other on May 9, revealed no clues. Captain of Detectives Duncan Matheson said yesterday that he has become convinced that the bombmg is the work of a religious fanatic harbouring an imaginary grudge against the church or its officials. No other motive for such attempts to wreck the church has been found in all of the police investigation. There has been no evidence of dissension within the congregation, and no reports of any trouble with contractors or labour in the erection of the building, which was completed about two years ago. Matheson expressed the belief that the same person is responsible for all three bombings. The power of the bomb has been increased with each explosion. The first bomb, placed at the rear of the church, contained two or three sticks of dynamite, and the second was increased to at least five sticks. TWELVE DYNAMITE STICKS. Yesterday's bomb contained no less than twelve sticks, Matheson believes, and might have been made up of many more, judging from the damage. The last two bombs have been aimed at the front of the church, and have been placed against the doors in the main entrance. Pieces of fuse picked up after yesterday’s explosion showed that the person responsible allowed himself between five and ten minutes to get away before the blast came. The explosion occurred shortly after five o’clock, and brought hundreds of nearby residents hurrying to the street in their night attire. Six priests, including the Rev R. M. Piperni, 84 years old, pastor of the church, and Rev Oreste Trinchieri, administrator, were asleep m the rectory adjoining the church building, and were the first to summon the police to the scene. Scores of other calls also were made to the police and to newspaper offices by persons seeking an explanation of the blast. Three church attendants were sleeping in the damaged edifice, but the} wcie not injured. As in the two former blasts, yesterday’s bomb came at a period of celebrat/on at the church. Previously the bombs have been set early on Sunday morning prior to special services. Archbishop E. J. Hanna had taken part Thursday in services at the church, in which Rev Edward De Martini was ordained, and plans had been made for Father De Martini’s first solemn high mass to-morrow morning. The debris will be cleared away from the church entrance, and the mass will be held as planned, Father Tr.nchieri said yesterday. Capta.M Matheson yesterday assigned Detective-Sergeants Martin Porter and George Healy to renew the investigation of the bombing. Church officials also planned again to post a reward of 10U0 dollars for the arrest and conviction of the criminal, a reward which failed to bring results in the May bombing. For the past several months a special police patrol has been cn duty at the church as protection against new attempts to wreck the church, but this was removed only recently because of the caipenters’ strike and the “ terror bandits ’ emergencies. ' This patrol is to be renewed immediately, Matheson said.