Mystery Bomb Found on Stair Of Mass. Ave. Establishment

Washington's Birthday in the Square was disturbed by inquires yesterday, but the important question was not "Who chopped down the cherry tree?" but "Who put the bomb on the stair-way in 1286 Massachusetts Avenue?"

A crudely made bomb was found early yesterday morning by "Sammie" an employee of B. Mark, clothier, who immediately called the police. Mark shares the space in 1286 Massachusetts Avenue with the Wolff Tutoring school.

The bomb consisted of a soda bottle filled with gun-powder, buckshot, and newspaper. There was a fuse attached to the explosives, but the fuse was a piece of string which burned out before the fire reached the bottle.

Police Get Bomb

The bomb was turned over to Chief Timothy D. Leahy of the Cambridge Police Department by Officer James Shea who was on duty on Massachusetts Avenue when the bomb was discovered. First inspection by the Police Department convinced them that the bottle was filled with highly explosive materials capable of "blowing up half the block."

Chief Leahy sent the bomb to Captain Van Amburgh, State ballistics expert, for examination. "This was definitely not a student prank," commented Leahy. "There was a vicious motive involved."

Gossin in the Square and around Police headquarters later in the day seemed to indicate that the bomb was too poorly constructed to be taken seriously. The potency of the explosives remains in doubt until the State experts make their report; one witness at the scene believed that it probably contained sand.

Mystery Still Remains

The real mystery about the whole affair, however, centers on the identity of the person who could have put the bomb on the stairs. The door was locked all night, and the only persons who have keys are those connected with Wolff's and Marks, and the janitor of the building.

Colonel Apted, head of the yard police, said that since the incident did not occur on University property, he was taking no action at the present time.