New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-30
IyfERylL MACHINES 4 CENTURY AGo

IRON, CasseLrS History Of The United states.
While the two Houses were III recess for tho
Christmas holidays, the country was greatly agl-
f.,ed by "A number OF Incendlary nleS, whlch
pointed to the existence OF conspiracy i0r the de-
structon of the shipping ana arsehas. AlthouSn
similar design had been conceived IN 'Oi ny th'
French Minister ChOiseu and had come to tho
inowledge of the English Government, proper pre-
routionS Tor The guarding OF the arSenals and dock
varis were not taken and on the 9TH December
rc broke out at Portsmouth, which Threatened mo
total destruction of the national property there II
was mt first supposed to lie a ulschance, but on tho
18th Of the follow ing January, l11I IA clerk III she
dOchyard III moving some hemp IN the hompr00nl.
discovered explosive machine ana various com
huStlble materials. Some OF the authorities then
recolected that "A sullcn silent man, artisan, had
been seen lettering about the yard on the day o tho
fire. and had been accidentally locked one nlghs
into the ropchOuSe Ills exact name was not
known bat from his calling in life, he was gener-
ally gpoken OF as John the PAINTER a reward was
offered for his capture; but he had Disappeared ana
conld not be found. III spite OF dhS3ht Sodd r
either IN Portsmouth or the neIghOornoou. no
suspicion against him was strengthehe ~ t"e -
that he had recently come from Aleiloa' "',r ~
manic spread through the country, NIclo IL "dS
said that n land of American lncendiaF'cS hau AZ
rived with instructions to spread hre ana havoc III
every direction Subsequent events save oD,o' ~
this apprehension lncendlary hres Neio az.
tempted nj Plyr ouh and at Brstol anu III tno
latter city the miscrcant, having iailed 10 SCI III
10 some vessels contrlVed 10 nurh oo"n SO - a
warehouses that stood upon the quay, close " .
crow ,ed mass of shipping In a house oil inc sS"0
city, combustbcs were found stored ana tnc i lit
ing of alarm was naturally increase" /" Il"
degree. 49,, - ,e onnre-
At the beginning of February, man W As app 81
hended at Oldham, in Hampshire, on chalge -
burglary He was u Scotchman. named Alteggnji
twenty four years OF age-a wandering uhsct..vi
ncrson who had at various tiines borne scN.t.a,
aliases, and who now tJrned out TO be John 't 40
Painter. Three years previously. he had heen Ia -
seek his fortune America, and bad there Iuops, n
the most extreme views Of the party OF lh9eP.n
dence On returning TO Great Br tain he hau .Du ~
mitted various acts of theft and was AZ Ie,s s
custody on suspicion OF housebreaking. IL was n
found a very difficult matter. however. 10 ny v
him ans connection with the recent acts Vi .n
diarism for he showed great cleyeIness III parry!
such questions were asked On the sqgs IT,y;n
of Earl Temple another painter named DaiuW' ,
who had also travelled in America, was put lnao
the same cell with Aitken. by protesting y upSS
thv with his views, he managed to win ms COM
dence. and John the Painter speedily diyulg ,,ans
great deal which, II true, IL was very lmportSins
that the Government should know, larry ~
March he was tried at Winchester Inc eylu'. ,Ss
Of BALDWIN being confirmed by other witnesses 'hs
accused was found guilty and sentenced 6 10 S of
hanged. The execution took place on the iosa % 20
Marsb on gallows sixty feet high. in front OF ing
dockyard at Portsmouth after the Prissonsr Of
the building he had destroyed.