The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-02
GROVE CONFESSES.
He tells about the Infer
nal Machine.
Their Manufacture in this
Country.
What they havei and will
accomplish.

PEORIA, Aug. 1-P. w Crane of this
citv, whose name has been mentioned in
connection with the attempt to blow up
British vessels openly confesses his knoWl-
edge of the plot and claims same right to
manufacture explosives; that others do to
making fine fire arms. He has letters from
ODonovan Rossa and boasts that after
Sept. 1st no English vessel will be safe.
Some of the shells are on exhibition, but
there is nothing indicating that those al
ready used were made here 1t is thought
that the shells are being made here, and
the explosives and machinery at some 9th
er point
LATER.
PEORIA, H., Aug. "A reporter to-
day interviewed P. W Grove, the gaso
line-lamp contractor here, who is connect
ed with the internal machine matter
Peoria has always been the head of Fenian
agitation here and Grove is one of the
most desperate agitators. He is a man of
small stature dark intellectual counte-
nance, and talks composedly as on ordina-
rv topics. Grove produced a letter from
George Holgate, dated Philadelphia Aug.
81, 1880, setting forth tnat Mr.. Holgate
owned the McClintock torpedo boat which
did such terrible execution during the re-
bellion, and that he had been conducting
experiments with it under water which
caused McCIintock to lose his life. That
he had refused proposition from Spain
for the boat He claimed the boat would
blow up any vessel in the British fleet, and
could blockade any port regardless of all
men -of-war in the world. 1t would cost
$50 900 to build it and he would place it
at Groves disposal
HE CLAIMED
the boat would do more good for Ireland,
and bring the British government to terms
quicker than half million men. Grove
said shortly after the executive committee
of United Irishmen met in New York, Jude
Brennan of Iowa, Capt. G. Spirerman Of
New York, JAS Kenefe of Providence,
Thos. II. Dwyer, Chicago, O'Donovan Ros-
sa and himself were present.
THEY DISCUSSED
Holgates' proposition and the scheme of
devastating England's shores, but on
Groves representations they decided it
would be too expensive and that they could
do better work by depositing torpedoes IN
British ships which could be done for $50
piece, which would bring England to
terms, by making it dangerous for people
to go aboard British vessels. They decid-
ed to take that course for some time. La
ter the Irishmen and Fenians joined hands
and in order to execute these plans they
were six thousand strong in the United
States an Canada. There were branches
in Toronto, Quebec, Montreal and nearly
every important city in the United States.
THE INTERNAL MACHINES.
Are being made in every city where there
is a branch of the order and will continue
to be made. They are working for the
good of the Old Sod and they were no more
liable than are the majority of revolver and
cannon manufacturers. Dynamite was no
more vicious than powder and with these
weapons they could drive from the seas
their enemy, destroy her trade and make
profitable business impossible. Some peo
pie would have to die. 1t would be
worse than boycotting but war was always
cruel and that was easiest which went
straightest to the mark; killed most in the
shortest time and compelled nations to
make peace. The machines captured in
England were made in Peoria.
HIS ANSWERS
We're given to the reporter in confidence
He made this statement: They were Of
zinc interior, in which the clock work and
explosives were packed. The clock work
operated with spring, and after six days
running it liberated u hammer something
like gun trigger, which struck u percus-
sion cap and ignited the charge. The
charge consists of an ounce and half of
the illuminate of silver, and one pound and
a half of dynamite. It would destroy the
largest block of buildings in the world.
The whole thing weighs 45 pounds. He
said any warfare was good enough for En-
gland, who didn't conduct honorable war
fare herself and couldn't expect others to
do fcI,a H1,ff Il to TUaloY
every English ship would be sent to the
bottom until people no longer dared to EN-
bark in them. Every government building
would be torn down, and system of ter
rofism begun. He claims there are more
than three hundred machines now complct-
ed.
SOME OF THEM
are in France in charge of trustworthy
patriots who would use them quite freely
They had already greatly worried the Brit
ish. They had destroyed Manchester post
office, the Victoria docks with loss Of 8
million dollars. Loaded machines are al
Stafford and Glasgow, at London and al
Liverpool and they had inflicted an ag
gregate loss of $4,000, 900 pounds. Grove
has an easy dignifed manner, and was in
no way excited at his horrible recital. He
says the manufacture of machines still goes
forward here:
STORY.
The story was telegraphed from Peoria
that Grove, the inventor of the internal
machines, was arrested in Peoria yesterday:
The United States marshal says there is no
truth in the report. No arrests have been
mace, and neither the marshal nor any of
his deputies have been in Peoria on such
business. One special saws the arrest was
practical joke. This probably accounts
for the story.
Certainly the United States marshal has
received no orders in the matter and viii
not arrest anybody without specified au-
thority.