From: The New York Post, Friday, March 1, 1907

DYNAMITE KILLS FIVE
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Preacher, Son, Son's Wife, and Two Children Victims of Explosion

Special to The Washington Post
McLeansboro, Ill; February 23

Several pounds of dynamite exploded in the home of Charles Tittle, in Beaver Creek township, ten miles northeast of here at noon today, killing Charles Tittle, his wife and father, the Rev. John B. Tittle.  Charles Tittle's two children, one an infant and the other two years old, were fatally hurt.

Just what caused the explosion may never be known, but a large hole under where the sitting room stove stood indicated that that the dynamite was placed there.  The Tittles had been using dynamite to blast storapes on Charles Tittle farm.  The house was completely demolished and parts of it were blown several hundred feet away. It is supposed that the family were eating dinner as pieces of food were found in the mouths of the dead bodies.  The Rev. John B. Tittle was a prominent missionary Baptist minister in this county.

The force of the explosion was felt at Enfield, several miles away, and with a within a short time of the catastrophe hundreds of persons flocked to the scene.  Coroner Haffett, of Hamilton county, took charge of the Inquest.  He is of the opinion nothing definite can ever be learned of the cause of the accident.