Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 2

TUESDAY EVENING OAKLAND TKEBXmE. JUX.Y 19 1898 2 in inn hi Charles, Lerri, Cameron, Woodsum and Koch w.ent into IP III ESCRSPTJOM Vlvll the yard. "Sherrott and I remained outside the fence only a OF THE SCENE. I Murdered Man's I Dying Statement. I 0 TAe dying statement of 5 1 ike murdered man taken last evening by Deputy District Attorney A.

A. Moore, is as follows Hn tf St i. icn jiccjli away. "The Chinese saw Charles and spoke to him. Charles then asked him if he were hungry.

He replied that he was. Charles asked him if he would like to get something to eat. The man said that he would. Charles then asked him when he was going to come out of the magazine. The Chinese replied that he would come out in a couple of days.

My brother said, that he ought to come out now. 'All I'll come out right away, was. the answer. Wreck and ruin, mark the site of the works of the Western Fuse and Explosives Company a short distance east of High street, south of the Southern Pacific railroad track, and a short distance from Camp Barrett, in Melrose. Flames are consuming the remnant of the structures which (comprised the institution, and thousands of dollars' worth "Sherrott said to me, 'the Chinaman say she is going Sing.

I live in Alameda. think and know I am 5 going to die. Gung Ung 5 Chang shot me. i He also cut me with a hatchet. 5 That is why I am going agencies came the true story that the works of the Western Fuse and Explosives Company had been totally demolished by the murderous Chinese referred to.

The morning papers told of the deed the Celestial had committed, the deadly place in which he had taken shelter, and of the deadly threat he had made, nrd was realized that the: desperate man had kept his word, A at the cost of a heartrending loss of life. There are tonly two men of the brave posse of Sheriff and township officers who were close witnesses of the details of the tragedy. They are Fred Sherrott and Deputy Sheriff Ed White brother of Charles White, one of the victims. Both of these were on duty with the other officers and within a short distance of the deadly magazine when the explosion took place. That they escaped with their lives is almost miraculous.

As it is, however, they were considerably injured and their nerves have been unstrung by the horror of the scene. When the alarm of fire was sounded in Oakland, another one rang out in Alameda, and from both places fire apparatus were driven with the greatest rapidity to the scene. From East Oakland, Brooklyn engine and chemical No. 2 responded, but they were unable to do anything because the buildings that could burn had by this time become so enveloped in flames that nothing was left of them but charred frames, and besides, there no water to be had. As a consequence the flames ran riot and speedily licked up everything they touched.

They had a hard job in reducing' the paper and the cotton cloth in the store houses because the bundles of the one and the rolls of the other were packed and rolled so tightly as to make their progress.very slow. The destruction in these departments has continued during the day, the storage supplies being reduced to a molten mass of lavalike matter with a glow and intensitv of the fuel of Tartarus. of paper and cotton cloth are being resolved into dense volumes of smoke, which, like a pall, hangs over the spot, as if in mourning for the victims, the dismembered fragments of the remains of some of whom lie scattered throughout the adjacent fields. Six victims are known to have been blown into eternity by the explosion of the magazine by the deed of the desperate Chinese, Gung Ung Chang, who last night took refuge from the officers of the law in the magazine of the works, after having shot and hateheted one of his countrymen, Ham Si Ling, in such a manner that the victim died at the Receiving Hospi to die. I did not try to fight him.

This is all 5 true. This was at today. HAM SmiNG, HiiXwiark) Ham Si Sing being unable to have witnessed his 5 mark and attached his to come As soon as Sherrott said that, he and I ran around to the gate to get into the yard, when the explosion took place. I was knocked to the ground and I must have been unconscious some time. Sherrott was also knocked down and injured in the groin.

"I got up dazed and found the whole place in flames. "I found Cameron's and Koch's remains in the fuse house. AH that I could find of my brother Charles was the coat he wore. No attempt was made to break in the door to the magazine. That would have been foolhardiness.

My father's instructions were simply to watch the man and see that he did not get out, andaf he wanted to talk, to talk to him. The Chinese who work for the company occupied a long, frame building immediately east of the works. They all left last night. We ordered all the people in the neighborhood to move away last night, and most of them did so. "My father was out at the scene until 10:30 o'clock last night, when he returned to this city." 9 9 -t- tal at an early hour this morning.

The names of the dead are: Charles White, deputy sheriff and son of Sheriff White of Alameda; Gus Koch, constable of Oakland Township; J. J. Lerii of Oakland, deputy sheriff; George Woodsum of Berkeley, deputy sheriff; D. C. Cameron of Alvarado, deputy sheriff; Mrs.

Sadie Hill of the King's signature to this statement A. A. MOORE, Deputy District Attorney. 9 Daughters' Home in San Francisco. The injured are quite numerous but the wounds from winch they suffer are only insignificant, because the majority of the residents in the neighborhood, when apprised of the fact that the Chinese had taken shelter in the magazine and threatened to blow it to atoms if an attempt were made to arrest him, left their homes over night and found shelter elsewhere.

Soon after the news of the tragedy was circulated, it sped; 1 with magic rapidity. People the surrounding country HERROTI TELL rushed on foot along the highways and across the fields toj IT WINERY HEIR WHEW SION OF THE EXPO iliJllfti i life lllil ill i One of the most thrilling stories of the fatality is that told by Fred Sherrott of West Oakland, whose escape was simply marvelous. "I went out there last night with Charlie White, as we were great friends, and I frequently went with him in the discharge of his duties," said Mr. Sherrett to a Tribune reporter. "With the other deputy sheriff, we kept as close to the powder house as we thought advisable.

Occasionally one of us would go toward the door and assure the Chinese that we would not hurt him if he came out. The fellow would invaria Associated Fres Dispatches by The Tribune's Special Leased Wires. SAN JOSE, July 19. Word here Just before noon to-day tait a man had been killed at Boyers' near Mountain View. The word to the Sheriff and also to the No details were g'ivenj and -ru- y- have been ootalned.

It Is supi.ps.: 1 have been a personal dlffiruMy. ln a rumor is afloat that it was 1 murder. Officers and Coroner have gone to the scene. f- C. W.

Kinev, l-ar in Finn Nw (lonsehtld limit ur. Cj-pei-, uiueF, Ktc, "Modem'' furniture bought, exchnne.l or sold on installment payments. Wi give "gTecn trading etan.ps." tc 1 Thirteenth street. f- The Flor De; Piedmont. Is a pure Havana cigar, popular w.th everybody.

Ask for it. Robt. manufacturer, Eighthe.nd Broadwaj. bly reply that he would blow up the place if we attempted to take him. Late last night he repeated his threat so often that the people around there believed he would do it, and many of them moved out of their homes, nad they not done so they would now be dead, for their homes are scattered over many ecres.

"Before midnight the shouted to one of his country men who was near us for a drink of water. I did not approve of his being given anything, but Charley White permitted a WRECKED CORDAGE WORKS, NEAR THE EXPLOSION. The well Known and celebrated Brand liqueurs and cordials at 'i'beo. Gler sole ast Chinese to carry him a glass of water. "Billy Moffitt, who was also out there, proposed that the A M.odern Horse Hospital.

Is the handsome new building vl the Oa'-land Veterinary Hospital. Drs. l'lerco an 1 Archibald 1724 Webster. Kvjry convenience and modern mechanical cou-trlvance for surgical work. TeL main est.

fit ho- li ca water be doped as the easiest way to effect the arrest Charley did not approve of this and said that he did not believe it would be long before the fellow would surrender. We hung around all night and just at daybreak Charley White sent a Chinese to tell the felow to come out. He would not do so, but shortly after 5 o'clock he told us he would walk out and give us no more trouble. 'Come out, Charley, and we will not hurt said White tojhe Chinese and the fellow said he would do so. "As soon as the fellow made his appearance at the door of the place Charley White and Gus Koch walked toward him to make the arrest.

Ed White anil I followed them about eighty feet behind. Thej were almost at the door when Gung closed it with a bang. "Less than a second later I was being carried with a cloud of debris and earth swiftly over the ground. My face was Those who failed to take this precaution, and they were in the main those who resided at what they Supposed to have been a safe distance from the scene of danger, were aroused at 5:20 o'clock this morning by. a terrific explosion, accompanied by a quaking of their homes and the earth beneath them as if an earthquake were taking place.

But no earthquake which they had ever experienced in this section wrought such havoc in their presence. In every instance the windows of their homes were broken to flinders. The plaster fell and rattled down from walls and ceiling and the frames of the buildings were wrenched and dislocated, leaving gaping fissures in every side and practically destroying every structure. In an area of three-quarters of a mile, there is not a single building that has escaped the effect of the explosion. Ther is scarcely a structure that must not be rebuilt, and as the houses were the residences of people in humble circumstances, the loss will fall heavily where it can but be poorly sustained.

The effect of the explosion was not confined to the immed the scene. The cars on the Oakland, San Leandro and Hay-wards line were loaded from both directions with hurrying and excited persons anxious to see the ruins at the earliest possible moment. From Camp Barrett, at Bather, ran as many Boys in Blue as could be excused, and as many more as the officers, of their own volition, decided to detail to render such assistance as might be needed in extinguishing the flames or in saving life and property. They were able to do little, however, because the destruction was of so complete a character that nothing short of omnipotence could repair or stay it. Crowds Hocked around the place, went into the shattered homes; looked for the injured without much result, until the attention of some of the men was directed to a train of six box cars which stood on the track to the.

north of the works. As soon as these cars were sighted some one recalled the fact that in the train yesterdaV was a car of powder and from that car the powder magazine had been stored with 200 packages of powder, each package containing fifty pounds. This amount had not exhausted the contents of the car. The flames were working dangerously close to the train, and especially to this particular car, which still contained several hundred packages of powder. For that car, which, strange to relate, had withstood injury from the shock of the explosion, the soldiers made a rush.

Already the three cars at the end of the train had not only been staved in by the concussion, but had taken fire. The sides of three others had similarly collapsed, but had escaped the flames. The cars, including that which contained the powder, were detached from the flaming rolling stock, and with the strong shoulders of many of the boys in blue behind them, OR BREAKFAST. cut and my clothes torn and I cannot understand how it happened that I and Ed White were not killed, as some of those killed were farther away than we were. "I have no doubt that as soon as the door, was closed Gang fired his pistol into the powder.

This fact, however, must iate ricinitv of the works. It extended all over the city of To make room for jour Fall Stock we will make to order regular i $17. and $20 Fancy Spring Suitings Oakland, was felt in the distant parts of Alameda and In the western part of Berkeley, where there are other powder maga zines which on other occasions have occasioned a great deal of loss by similar explosions. In Oakland proper the effect was generally supposed to be that of an earthquake. Buildings rocked for several seconds, the movement seeming to be from west to east.

After the buildings had ceased to tremble the ground seemed to con FCE. i tinue to quake. Hundreds of people were roused from their forever remain in doubt, as I did not hear a pistol shot prior to the explosion. This is not surprising, however, for there would not be much of an interval after the shot was fired. When I picked myself up and looked around everything was on fire.

I at once started to search for the remains of those whom I knew must have been sacrificed and the first thing I found was an arm of poor Charlie. This was fully two hundred feet from where he was standing when the explosion occurred. "Little by little we found other fragments, but undoubtedly much of the remains were consumed by the'fire. "Five minutes after the explosion everything was on fire, including a train of box cars. It will be weeks before I shall recover from the frightful shock I Sherrott and Ed White are complete nervous wrecks.

They were carried over forty feet by the force of the explosion and thrown violently to the ground. early morning slumber and, fearful lest they might be crushed! were sent rolling at a lively gait down the track out of the reach of danger, a piece of good work not unmixed with a dash of bravery which was deservedly appreciated. beneath their own homesteads, sought the street, scantily attired in search of safety. There was no doubt in the minds of the people that they had experienced another earthquake, though they could not account, in such; a connection, for the thunderous report which J. COHH ft Co.

Tailors and Hatters, 9'8-l ASMIifojrOK STREET, Be. tweett 9th ai lOtb Ms- By this time the scene on all sides was surrounded with vehicles containing hundreds of people and the thoroughfares became almost impassable to pedestrians. The spectacle was anything but inspiring. On every hand one heard the grewsome story of the finding of a structural part of the humn anatomy, the individual ownership of which wai i wn the horrible result of dismemberment of the victim The most complete wreck, as was to be expected, was the magazine itself Next to it was the house invvhich the twen- Vanilla supposed to have been an earthquake sho here- shortly after 5 o'c' morning. After the news of explosion manyvperons FELT AT SAN JOSE, extlaci is smooth and rich when jraade from high grade vanilla beah.

T'erriman's is the strprrgekt and finest without exception, and is sold in full measure bottles. i immediately preceded the quake. After the preliminary exciteple in the heart of town had turned to their homes, in many places, and thought no more about the occurrence, though there were numerous exceptions to this rule. These were in the cases of residents mainly in the eastern part, of Oakland and Alameda, where hundreds of panes of glass were shattered and where thousands of dollars have been lost in damages of this kind. A few minutes after the people in the heart town had been reassured, there came an alarm of fire.

The telephones began to ring wildly. The cars which traverse the northern section of the district began to arrive, and by means of these th -t was the cause. Uck Ob a iVc not yet reported. Fisher Recovering. MerrWd Man7g of the place resided.

The inmates ast night, knowing that death awaited led. Not one of them was visible this v. not a shred of the magazine extaiit. It exi ty-four left the pi them if thej morning. Tl rr.

-I. Fluhar, who has been erious- vi much better yesterday. Dr ateau. who haa been attending Jeves he will now recover. Associated Frejw Dispatches fcy lb'' Yb Tribune's Special Leased Wirt.

jr. SAN JOSE, CaX, July Whal wa -urn ASJC "YOUR OROCES. I 'Continued oa page SJ i.