Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-09
A CONSPIRACY THWARTED.

From the BHreau of Engraving ana
Printing-Employes Approached with
Promises of Reward for Assistance-The
Principal Under Arrest.
WASHINGTON, Oc. 8.-Wm. A. Salter and
Wilmot II. Ward, of this city. were arrested
at the instance of the secretary of the
treasury, late last night, and committed to
Jail upon the charge of being engaged in
conspiracy to steal bonds and plates from
the bureau of engraving and printing, and
attempting to bribe employees of that bureau
to assist them. The facts in the case we're
that at the time the late President Garfield
was shot, and some weeks thereafter, Col.
Irish, chief of the bureau of engraving de-
partment, wrote to members of his family
spending the summer in Oakland, Mary
land, series of letters largely devoted to
the topic which was then uppermost in all
minds the attempt to assassinate the pres
ident. In these letters he expressed, with
freedom of domestic correspondence, his
views from time to time with regard to the
causes and consequences of that pub
lie calamity. When his family
left Oakland these letters, together with
large collection of newspapers contain
ing articles relating to the assassination.
were boxed up and sent to Washington and
placed for safe keeping at the end of Col.
Irish's desk in his private Office, where
they remained untouched by him for eight
months or more. Some time last spring
Col. Irish discovered that these letters had
been stolen. He was warned by an anony
nous correspondent that they were being
used, or were to be used to the
injury of the friendly relations then
existing between himself and Presi-
dent Arthur While engaged
ing an investigation with view to ascer-
tanning how and by whom the letters were
btained. Col. Irish came upon clues,
which led to the discovery Of conspiracy
with which the theft of the letters was con-
nected to corrupt and bribe employees of
the bureau, and with their aid steal there
from quantity of bonds and plates. Col.
Irish laid the facts at once before secre-
tary Folger, who, after a preliminary in
vestigation, became satisfied that persist
tent attempts to get bonds and plates
from bureau surrehtitouslv was being
| made. He turned over the evidence
already obtained to the secret service
division, and directed that the
matter be sifted to the
bottom. Special Detective Drummond
from New York was assigned to the duty of
following up the clues, and he began an in
vestigation which resulted last night in the
arrest of Salter and Ward. 1t appears the
object of the conspirators in endeavOring
to get bonds and plates from the bureau
was not direct pecuniary gain, since they
had no intention of using them in counter
feiting. The aim, rather, as stated by
themselves, was to bring about the removal
of the present chief of the bureau by
causing it to appear that his manage
ment was so loose and inefficient as to
make the theft of the bonds and
plates comparatively easy matter, and so
careless as to destroy public confidence in
the integrity of government securities.
The hefl of Col. Irish's letters from his
Office is supposed to be part of the same
plan. Salter represented to the dissatisfied
employees of the bureau whom he attempt
ed to bribe, that he was acting in the in
terest of BENZ. L. Berry, prominent poll
tician of Pennsylvania. Also that Berry
was supported by Senator Cameron and
the Pennsylvania delegation, as a candi-
date for Col. Irish's position. Berry, it
was claimed, would certainly get the
place if the latter could be arrested.
In that event he (Salter) would be assistant
| chief of the bureau, and he would reward
| with promotions men who assisted him to
| bring about the removal of Col. Irish.
Ward. who with several others, whose
names are not yet made public, was asso-
| ciated with Salter in this attempt to bribe
employees OF the bureau, was at one time
an employe himself, and was discharged
by Col. Irish about year ago. Of Salter's
antecedents nothing can be learned tonight
The two men will have preliminary ex-
| animation tomorrow. The proof against
| them is said to be full and conclusive,