1961-09-23 Indianapolis Recorder
TERRE HAUTE--Detectives said Thursday they are still without a lead in the tragic death of a negro janitor who was "blown to bits" here, Tuesday morning trying to get a dynamite bomb out of the YWCA building housing 53 women.
Officials said the bomb, which took the life of 61 year old Carl Ross, could possibly have been planted in the building by a "crank" or perhaps a disgruntled suitor of one of the women residents, but so far, no evidence to support this theory has been turned up.
Detective Chief Willard Gants said the manner in which the body of Ross was mangled led police to believe he was "desperately trying to get something out" of the YWCA when the blast occurred. GANTS SAID Ross was reportedly chatting outside with an acquaintance, Major Gardner. He said Ross discovered the bomb after entering the building. Officials said Ross' arms and legs were blown off as he fled with the bomb down a stairway toward a side entrance of the downtown building.
Gants said 51 girls were fleeing the building when the blast occurred after having been warned by Ross. None of the girls were injured. The girls fled the building in housecoats, slacks, and shorts. Some were without shoes. They were taken to a dormitory on the nearby Indiana State Teachers College campus. Bomb experts, including two from Fort Benjamin Harrison, spent a day sifting the debris before it was taken to Terre Haute Police Headquarters for further examination.
Because of Ross' heroism, damage from the explosion was confined to the stairwell, except for shattering 35 windows in the building and jarring plaster from the walls. The blast was described as a "major explosion" and officials believe the bomb could have caused considerably more damage had the explosion occurred deep in the basement. The bomb was triggered with a sort of timing device, officials believe.
Gants said Ross had been employed as a janitor at the YWCA for three years. His residence was listed as Rural Route 6, Terre Haute. A former coal miner, he was a member of the Church of Christ, and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
