
“The red-handed anarchistic dynamiter who has been working his own free will in his attempts to destroy property, got in his most destructive piece of work thus far last Saturday night. A keg of powder and a few sticks of dynamite were recklessly exploded in the portal of the Second Presbyterian church, corner of Eight and North Waller streets. One would think this beautiful edifice, scoured by fire and visited by other unfortunate disruptive forces might have been spared by the midnight communist. That four partly successful attempts to blow up buildings in this city should be made within the last three weeks it cause for much alarm, and that the perpetrators of all these acts of destruction and violence should continue to work their nefarious plots at pleasure without molestation does not reflect much credit on our police system. The officers are awake now and on the alert. They are making an honest effort, as well as they know how, to run down the crazy miscreant. Meanwhile the city is at the mercy and awaits expectantly the destruction of any of the churches, public buildings, or even homes.”

“The attempt to blow up the Second Presbyterian church was made Saturday night. The explosion a few minutes before midnight was heard all over the city. Many thought a boiler had let go at the Burgess, and it was only a few minutes after the report before the streets were filled with people, anxiously questioning one another what it all meant. It was soon determined that the explosion was in the upper end of town, and it was not long before a crowd of two hundred or more had gathered about the church. The smoke was so dense that it was several minutes before anyone could see what damage was wrought. Officer Mcfarland, of the Sixth ward, was standing on the corner of Tenth and North Waller as the time of the explosion. He was about the first man to arrive at the scene. Henry Winter, son of Charles Winter, the shoeman, who lives almost directly across the street from the church, was the next to arrive on the spot. Neither saw anyone about the church. A big crowd soon collected from all directions.”
Plan of Ground Floor, Second Presbyterian Church

“Showing windows wrecked by the explosion. W-windows broken. X-where powder and dynamite were placed. Five windows in the second story are also badly shattered, making in all, fourteen broken. Damage to building will amount to $250 or more.”

“It did not take long to find out the cause of the explosion. A shattered powder can and several unexploded sticks of dynamite were picked up in front of the entrance to the Sunday school room. There is a court space of some twenty feet square in front of his door and between the two wings of the building facing Eight street. The niche to the east side of the door is about three feet square. No more suitable place could be selected to place the explosives. Had the powder been properly placed and confined in this niche, the force would have been sufficient to blow a hole in the foundation and wreck the walls. The loose powder exploding above ground produced a powerful concussion, breaking the glass in fourteen windows opening in the enclosed court-way and cracking the heavy cathedral glass in two windows on the east side of the building. The cornice of the door was moved out of place an inch or so, and a small area of plastering knocked off inside the vestibule. The damage to the building will not exceed $250. Services were held in the church yesterday as usual, the windows being covered over immediately with muslin. Collections amounting to $276.75 were taken up at the morning service to defray the expenses of repairs.”
“The officers at once began active search to find out the party who had placed the powder and dynamite. There was no clue or trace about the premises on which to work. The powder was in a green rifle powder can, holding 12 1/2 pounds. Two sticks of dynamite six inches or more in length were picked up a few feet away from the can. The paper was torn off, but the dynamite had failed to go. An examination of the doors and windows showed that no attempt had been made to get inside the building with the explosives.”

“In casting about for somebody to place under arrest, the police picked on a young fellow named William Lloyd. He was one of the first to arrive at the church after the explosion and was very active about the place. He was over officious with information, and it was concluded to take him in custody awaiting further investigation. He was locked up at the station house and held until today noon, when he was released.”
“Those who know Lloyd and his ways do not believe him guilty. He is always talking a great deal. He came here from Chillicothe last winter and worked in the Drew-Selby shoe factory for awhile. Lately he has been taking orders for shoes about town for the Warner, Stark & Warner factory. He loafs about the saloons a great deal and is always blowing about himself. He is only 21 years old and resides with his parents at 137 Fifteenth street. In appearance he is tall, light complexion and weighs about 135 pounds.”
“The police claim to have had him under surveillance for several days and were spotting him Saturday night. Ever since the first attempt to blow up the school building, he has besieged the mayor’s office importuning to be employed as a detective to work up the case. He has a badge from some Indianapolis detective agency.”
“The officers claim to have had him under their eye Saturday evening until after eleven o’clock. He attended the show on the old fair grounds, after which he went down to Jake Lambley’s saloon on Gallia street. From there he went to Jim Hall‘s saloon on Twelfth street with Cleveland Stevenson, a painter. It was in Hall’s saloon that the officers last saw him, an hour or so before the explosion. Mike Heid, of 229 East Twelfth street, says he met Lloyd and Stevenson at Hall’s, and after taking a few drinks, the three started down Twelfth street. As they reached the corner of Twelfth and North Waller they heard the explosion, and all three started in opposite directions. He went around by John street and followed the crowd up Eighth to the church. He never saw Lloyd after leaving him on the corner.”

“Immediately after the explosion, a daughter of Mr. Winter’s, looking out of a window, in full view of the church, saw a man run from the opposite side of the street and go down through the Robinson property toward Gallia. Other people also claim to have met a man going down Gallia street soon after the explosion. He was not recognized.”
“The absence of any known motive makes work for the police particularly puzzling. There seems to be only one theory. Someone has gone crazy and is trying to imitate the example of some anarchistic fiend he has read of. It is believed that the powder used in all these explosions is part of that stolen from the powder house of Richardson, Silcox & Neudorfer, which was robbed about five weeks ago. The thief has never been apprehended. Part of the powder was found hidden in a blackberry thicket out the Chillicothe pike. On July 2nd the first attempt was made by the unknown dynamiter to blow up the powerhouse of the Street Railroad and Electric Light company. A very clumsy dynamite apparatus was used, and the result must have been a sore disappointment to the dynamiter. His next work was at the Offnere street school building July 10th. A bottle of powder, with an old piece of quilt used for a fuse, were found the next morning by the janitor. Two nights later a fruit jar of powder was successfully exploded in the window of the school house, damaging the building slightly. On none of these occasions was there anyone detected or arrested. The police did not know who to suspect, and just as they were beginning to declase the whole thing a hoax, comes the desperate and well-nigh successful attempt at destruction of the Second Presbyterian church.”

“The most intent excitement prevails throughout the city, and there is only one topic of conversation on the street. The most exaggerated stories are being told, one to the effect that Janitor Williamson had found a large quantity of nitroglycerine in the cellar of the church. On investigation it was found that the story was false, but not without foundation. The janitor did find an old pump stock in the cellar, but it was not filled with anything more dangerous than mud.”
“Extra police were put on duty in every ward last night and will be kept on watch for several nights to come. Extra watchmen have been placed in all the factories and mills. Everybody is on the alert, and well they may be, for the crank will most surely continue to blow buildings until safely placed behind prison bars.”

“It was discovered this morning that the powder house of Richardson, Neudorfer & Silcox, out the Chillicothe pike, was broken into last night and four more twenty-five pound kegs of rifle powder stolen. This is enough to blow up any building in the city. Marshal Watkins began investigations in another direction this morning and is about the busiest man in Portsmouth just now. He is keeping his own counsel and is not giving out any information to the public.”
“‘We have some new clues and are doing our best to find out who is causing all this mischief,’ said the marshall to a Time man. ‘I am not giving out anything for publication. The mayor will swear in a number of extra watchmen tonight, and they will be detailed to do duty all over the city, and the follow who next tries to wreck a building will not escape quite so easy. There is no occasion for any alarm. In time we shall know who has been causing us all this anxiety and worry.'”
“If the powder stolen from the powder house last night has been recovered, nobody knows anything about it but the police, and they are mum. There was no dynamite taken this time.”1