The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-23
THE NEW GUY FAWKES.
COLEMAN TELLS THE STORY OF THE
MANSION HOUSE PLOT.
What he tried to do and what be
hoped for.
New York Herald Interview.

WORK expected OF II, coleman espresso
his confidence in the means employed a
entirely adequate to demolish the Mansion
house In reference to the execution o
of the plot he told the following story.
| ODonnell. Mooney, and himself hat
been instructed with the work. ODOnel
and Mooney were to have placed tn
ipowder in position, ignited the fuse, anC
made good their escape. lie Coleman
was detailed to convey his. confcderates
traps to a railroad station where awaitc,
their arrival after the explosion. and tn,
three conspirators were then to take mid
night train to designated place and sub
seQuentlv endeavOr to leave England il
order to escape the consequences of thei
act. The reason why Coleman was detail
ed to perform subordinate position, con
trary to his wishes, was he said, because
he had lived in London for fourteen years
during which time he had been connected
with Irish matters, and he was in conse
quence well known the the police and de
| tectives, who regarded him as a suspicious
| person. 1t was therefore, though advisable
| to keep him ont of the way pendingthe ac-
complishment of their design. Mooney had
come specially from Manchester the previ
Gus Saturday to take a hand in the plot
and O'Donnell had been in London prepar-
ing for the denoument. Mooney carried
with him peculiar carpet-bag, which
served to trace them wherever they lodged
When O'Donnell and Mooney Joined him
at the railroad station and informed him
Of the miscarriage of the plot, they decid-
ed to remain for a time in London. Cole
man had a relative who resided in the city,
with whom he was in the habit of stopping
OCCASIONAL, and they debated for some
time whether it would be advisable for
them to make that place their temporary
headquarters. At last it was decided that
they would run too great risk by
going there, and the three conspiratOrs
wended their way 10 lodging which
Coleman used to patroniZe on private and
important occasions. When they reached
the latter place Coleman was informed
that over thirty detectives had been ahead
of him searching the premises. The de-
tectivcs were led to make the investigation
through a clew found in the box of COM
pressed powder, in the shape of scrap of
newspaper which had been sent to Coleman
from this country and which bore his name
and private address. Coleman and his
companions became thoroughly alarmed
upon the receipt of this information, and
they made haste to abandon the neighbOT-
hood In this emergency they found it ad-
visable to separate. ODonnell and Moo
ney made their way to Versailles, and
thence to Paris. Mooney, who was better
known to the detectives, dared not venture
abroad for fear of detection, and all the
outgoing steamers were Zealously guarded,
the officials, from the scrap of paper bear
ing his address, being in possession of the
fact that he was a participation in the con
spiracy and extraordinary efforts were con-
sequcntly made to effect his arrest His
friends sharing in his anxiety, and fully
alive to his danger, smuggled him to a
suburb of London, where he was concealed
for short time. He effected his disguise
by wearing large pair of goggles and
changing his clothing. He found that In
spector Williamson lived a couple of hou-
ses from his lurking place, and this fact
made him feel very uncomfortable, and de
tectives made their appearance around the
neighborhood in a few days. For these
reasons his friends concludsd TO change his
quarters, and he was taken back to the
West End, where he occupied rooms on the
top floor, four friends remaining with him
constantly. In all there were twenty-five
men, well armed, who were cogniZant of his
whereabouts, and We're constantly on the
alert, fully determined to sacrifice their
lives if the occasion required, in defense of
his liberty. And if driven to extremity one
word would have been the signal to put
London in blaze in twenty-four hours
The night was rainy and stormy, and the
fugitives had retired, when they were
alarmed by the violent ringing of the bell.
Fearing that the detectives were on the
scent, Coleman was hurried through the
scuttle to the roof, where he remained in
undress for some time. Meanwhile, while
his comrades awaited the arrival of the I'M
T~aIc vic in,
usual noises were heard down stairs. but
strange to say, they were left undisturbed
by any noctural visitor. When quiet was
restored Coleman descended from his ele
waited position, drenched through with the
rain He contracted a bad cold from his
eXtempOriZed bath, and he suffered from q
sore throat for some time afterward. None
of the party dared venture down stairs to
inquire into the cause of the commOtion
until the following day. They were then
informed that the landlord had got little
'tOp-heavy," and had fallen down and
fractured his skull. The physician in
charge of the hospital where the in
jured man was conveyed had sent
an orderly to acquaint the landlady of the
mishap that had befallen her liege lord.
The orderly was more jealous than discreet
and, not finding his first call answered used
IIiOIC NIOiCHt uIcdSuTGS 10 IDdkC himself
heard Hence the commotion.
The following day Coleman and his
friends took up their quarters in another
section of the city A few doors away
there dwelt man and his family with whom
Coleman had been acquainted and on visit
ing terms To the latter place the detec-
tives came in large numbers and ransacked
the house from cellar to attic, where the
object of their search was enscOnced with
in hearing. Finding the pursuit growing
hot, Coleman was conducted to the East
end, where he was kept in hiding over
night, twenty determined men posted at
convenient stations forming his body guard
The following evening he was arrayed in
the garments of Catholic priest, while
ample goggles served to conceal portion
of his features. In this disguise he was
taken to the building where trades-unionists
are in the habit of congregating This was
done with double motive. From the
movements of the detectives it became
known that they were drawing their net
pretty closely about Coleman. If they
could protect him for that night he would
be placed comparatively out of danger the
following day.