From the North-China Herald, July 8, 1916

One man is dead and two men, three women, and three children are in St. Mary's Hospital on Route Pere Robert, as the result of an explosion that occurred at 53 Avenue Marcel Tillor in the French Concession at 2.34 p.m. on Sunday.

No.53 Avenue Marcel Tillot is within a two-minutes ricshaw ride of the police station in Avenue Joffre. It was a one-storey Chinese house and the explosion was such a terrific one that the whole building was completely demolished, including roof walls and floor. The houses on either side, Nos 51 and 55, were considerably damaged.

The man who was killed was literally blown up. Judging from the nature of his injuries it might be assumed that he was handling a bomb, or manufacturing one at the time of the explosion.

No fragment of anything that might have been a part of a bomb had been found last night however, although a more thorough search of the debris to-day may bring some evidence to light that will disclose the real cause.

The eight injured persons who were in the house at the time and who were sent to hospital, are not seriously in jured. They are badly bruised but were suffering more from shock and hysteria than any thing else. The police arrested the occupants of Nos 51 and 55, but as they established the fact that they were taking their afternoon siesta at the time of the explosion there is no reason for detaining them and they will probably be released to day.

The man who was killed and the injured are all said to have been well dressed. The police had not previously observed anything suspicious about the house or its occupants.

A few days ago six men were injured when a bomb explosion occurred in an alleyway directly opposite and within a stone's throw of the same police station which led to the discovery that the place was a bomb factory with three dozen completed bombs and 100 unflled tins in stock.

Curious Rumours of a Blackmall Gang

The latest information with regard to the bomb explosion at No.53 Avenue Marcel Tillot which occurred on Sunday shows that the premises were occupied by a Chinese professor who had rented the first floor to another Chinese.

The explosion took place upstairs in the lodger's apartment and as a result one man was killed outright, both legs being blown away. Also part of his skull and his face were badly mutilated and a large hole made in his back.

Another Chinese who was in the same room was hurt but not seriously. He was removed to the hwspital and is expected to recover.

The other explosion which took place within a short distance of the same place on the 29th ultimo when about 100 unfilled tins were found was not that of the completed infernal machine but of the ingredients which were being mixed.

It appears that six men were engaged in making bombs and apparently were surrounded with receptacles containing the various necessary chemicals. By some means or other the ingredients ignited with a flash and badly burned the operators. Their clothes were also set alight and instead of endeavouring to put out the flames they rushed out into the street in their alarm and were consequently more seriously burned than would otherwise be the case.

Five of the six are dead and the sixth is in hospital.

In connection with the discovery of these bombs, it is interesting to note that their manufacture may have other than a political significance. Arrests have recently been made by the Internarional Settlement Police of men charged with attempting to extort money and it is stated that a widespread movement has been on foot to obtain money from well-to-do merchants by means of threats.

It is reported that merchants have received letters demanding the payment of large sums of money on pain of being made the recipients of a "present" - which the merchants understood to be a bomb.

The receivers of these letters are generally afraid to report the matter to the police, who, as a result, are having their work seriously hampered.