The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-05-01
AMERICAN NIHIIlSTS.
MACHINES IN MAlL.BAGs.
Vanderbilt and Cirrus Field the Intended Neeir.
fsnts-:A Premature tx Hpto,Ton Fortunately
rrerenta Fatal Re,ults-WLat Post.
.U master Pearson has TO Say. n


tempt was made to'day by some miscreants
OH tho lives OF YIN. II. Vanderbilt ant
Cyrus W. Field by sending them cxplos
ives through tho mails. Fortunately the
dangerous character Of tho packages wa.
discovered en- route to the postoillcc station
md 80 aprobablc loss Of life wns prevented
The circumstances Of the case rs related
by Postmaster Pearson arc us follows: Two
missivcs came into the postoilicc about A3O
o'clock in the afternoon. One was posted
in the Office, md tho other was brought In
by collector few minutes afterwards
Tho last one was addressed 10 Vim. II
Vanderbilt, l59 Fifth avenue. The frs,
one WIS addressed to Cyrus ". Field, esq,
Gramercy Park. Tho packets were
placed in mailbag along with other
mail matter for the uptown district, put In
the mail wagon and taken 10 tho Third
Avenue Elevated railroad station at the
head Of Chatham street, and then deposit.
ell Oh the front platform OF one OF the ears.
Inv ,hc s,a,ion NJ N;ptb s,r."t AIM md rIi TL;r,l
avenue nm explosion WINS hearl from ,Lc y,
maj) byr upI Ara md smoke wrrc ohscr..
ed to issur from II Whom thn ,ro;,
stopped at the station the burning bng wns
hastily transferred to tho platform, us the
railroad people were afraid to transport il
any further OIL the train. 1t WIS taken
down stairs, placed OH wagon aud taken
street nnd Third avenue.
Snnorintcudrnt SIoshcr vim 10 in ch,r,o
there, Dispatched n Inrssrnrcr in h,s," ~
pos,mostcr pearson md ,vIrn th,t niIi.;ui
arrived thc hali.hururl mail Iva" ,nI ;,a
contents were rxnm;ncd Thc n,oi.anc @ rI' w.
dressed to Cyru. " Fi.,I wac n,nn,nJ
into n hurknt nf wa,cr fnr f",r !, 'n;'ht
nlso exnloIr md whor thoror"hlw sn,t, 81
It was examined caref,,ttv. i wns iounI Ift' ,o
consist nj n nns,eho,rI Inv roworoJ VIII
,,nuiv downrs nrd n;c,rr.s ori h,I a
small drawor in # from which ,i"morJnl " :"
str;nv no ;s snnnnscd % for % Tho nWs. nrrnos, 81 Il
Irawin" Il omen and r,nsin" IN ] ]rxnlos;on ~
Inside of the box wus iornd n ri t;n ~ sa' c,nistcr
containing nbo,,t n holi nound nj now,ier'
md # i;mrid },cI;ry,,i n l,,. sn,oa t;nJ y;
nm cxplosiyc Int what il was none oi ths y.
nos,o,,;cc oii;c;als rouLl saw !, w;,) m ha
sent IN \ chemist inr ,n3lvs;s IN t%o M
Dackaee wey,, len i,reron, a,amns '''s
Il wos Vr V,ndnrh;,,,s n"i.,,.,, n,,,
exploded, probably caused by a iolt OF the
cars when rounding the curve out OF the
Bowery into Third avenue, and but for
which occurrence the packages might have
reached their destinations and exploded in
the hands Of the parties to whom they were
sent. The contents Of the mailbag were
pretty well scorched by the explosion,
postoiIice officials are making vigorous
efforts to trace the packages 10 the parties
who sent them, and no stone will be left
unturned, Postmaster Pearson saws, 10 hunt
down the rutlians who made these Nihilis.
tic attempts.
Postmaster Pearson added, "rhc boxes
would have been delivered at 5 O'Clock Ills
afternoon had not this discovery been
made. IpersonaIly notified both Iir. Van.
dcrbilt and Mr.. Field OF the danger tbey
had cscaped. Neither exhibited ,'reot cy.
ci,cment, and I imagine they both leave ia
others 10 open their mail for fear of similar
accidents. The only other internal ma.
chimes ever sent through, the mails of this
city, which I remember, were sent TO An.