AN INFERNAL MACHINE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9550, 23 July 1909, Page 7

AN INFERNAL MACHINE.

A young man named Archie Ohallinor, iri the employ of the Australian Fruit and Produce Company, Limited, Sydney, one morning last week received by post a packet. Taking off the outer cover and untying the string he raised the lid. The instaftt the position of the lid was disturbed a click was heard like the snapping of t.he hammer of a revolver. The next moment the lid was off. a piece of paper removed, and Challinor found himself gazing into a heap of black powder sufficient to till about three egg cups. Screwed to the side ot the box was a set of powerful leaf springs, connected with a sharp-pointed hammer, 'ihe hammer had been held at "full cock" by a small steel pin, fastened securely to the lid of the box. The moving of the lid thus released the hammer, allowing it to fall heavily on to the cap in the cut-away-end of a gun cartridge, which was fixed firmly in the partition between the powder and the machine. The open end of the piece of cartridge case was buried in the powder. Luckily the hammer missed the centre of the cap by about a thirty-second part of an inch. Had it struck full in the centre the result would in all probability have been serious. Challinor can give rio reason for the affair. He knows of no one likely to do him injury. The police are investigating the matter, but se far have obtained no clue.