Petard Fills Coop With Smoke, Cops

A smoke-bomb went off in the book department of the Harvard Cooperative Society at 11 a.m. yesterday, and brought 10 fire engines and a host of police officials to the scene in a matter of minutes.

Reminiscent of the smoke-bomb which preceded the $50,000 Coop robbery last January, yesterday's bomb filled the book department with smoke, but did little damage. The final loss was put by Coop officials at three damaged books.

Where There's Smoke

The smoke-bomb apparently had been hidden behind a row of books on a shelf some time before it went off. Workers in the department had seen no one near the shelf when or immediately before the bomb detonated.

Police have taken the bomb's remains to the State Police Laboratory in an effort to discover its origin. They provisionally attribute the bomb to a prankster's attempt to re-create the excitement of the January 9 robbery.