HOIST WITH HIS OWN PETARD.

Kumara Times, Issue 1051, 13 February 1880, Page 3

HOIST WITH HIS OWN PETARD.

A barrister at Philadelphia, named Parrish, has got into a father serious scrape, which is thus described in the Pall Mall Gazette of 3rd November Having lost various articles from a desk in bis office, he placed inside it an ‘infernal machine,’ designed and constructed by himself, and so nicely arranged that the slightest pull at the craw would set it off. The other day a heavy explosion shook the building, 829 South Sixth-street, in which is Mr Parrish’s pffice, and lawyers all along the street rushed to the door in a body. When the smoke Cleared away, the office boy was'discovered lying on the floor of Mr 'ParrisH’s office, with his left hand nearly blown off. The machine, which had exploded, and Caused this disastrous resulf,‘was a solid , piece of "Wood, On Which was securely fixed three pistol' barrels, 9in. in length, and with large bbresp Screws kept, the barrels in their. planes.’ The bores pointed directly to the front. To the right was the top of an ordinary blotting-pad, on which was a piece of chemically prepared %mery-papei* t and under this weie many heads. of patent matches, around them’hein" scattered a quantity of gunpowder. There Was also, an ingenious arrangement of wires, so that when the drawer wasopehedtheemery-paper would Scratch over the matches, the powder trains would fee ignited and the pistols discharged. ' The barrels were loaded with heavy slugs, and so heavily charged that one of them burst. Underneath the drawer was still another barrel, the Size of a horse-pistol, also arranged to explode should the drawer be disturbed. In the front of the desk an armchair was placed as though inviting any one to sit down. The boy, who was nearly killed, denies that he tried to open the drawer. Leaning over the desk to pull down a window his foot slipped, and he clutched the nob of the drawer, when the machine ‘ went,, off.’ The hoy’s hand has been amputated, and Mr Parrish, who declares that the boy must have tampered with the lock, is in custody.”