Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-02-05
THE DYNAMITE EXPLOSION.

English House of Parliament, in London,
on the 24th ultimo, continues to be an alb
sorbing topic with the English press, while
it also furnishes subject for discussion
by the American newspapers. The. serious
results which came near resulting from this
last attempt have alarmed the English gov.
ernment, and the excitement is unabated.
OF the persons suspected Of perpetrating
the crime and arrested only one has been
held. His name is James Gilbert Cunning
ham, and his career is given by st. Louis
paper as follows:
St. Louis, in common with all other large
cities of the United States, has its quota
of Irish, men and women with dynamite
ideas for effecting liberty and home govern
ment for Ireland, and among that class
James Gilbert Cunningham, now under ar
rest in London, is the hero Of the hour, for
they think they know him well.
Something less than two years ago con-
siderable sensation was caused by the pub
lication of an article showing the existence
of school for dynamiteurs in st. Louis.
Michael l. Byrne was said to be the head of
the institution. Byrne was not hard to find,
AS he was harness maker by trade and a
dynamiteur by profession. At that time he
talked freely. lie was in St. Louis about
six months. Local Irish natiOnalists have
learned enough to convince them that Cum
ningham is this same young sadder.
A prominent local politician, who is a
dynamiteur of the most pronounced type,
said to-day: "Byrne was in Chicago for a
while, where they know him as James Gil
bert, and before that he was in Philadelphia
and New York, from the latter of which
l., of Of
ton under the name of James Cunningham.
He was a harness maker by trade, and got
him situation here, at which he worked
steadily during his stay. He was the lion
among Irish natiOnalistS here, where he
has been known by all three names of
Byrne, Gilbert and Cunningham. He was
sincere, and not only meant what he said,
but as long as knew him he did deverything
he said, too. He made Il constant study OF
explosives-spent all his earnings in that
direction, in fact-and was young man OF
attachments far beyond what his appear
ance indicated.
"Byrne took his first lessons in scientific
warfare and the manufacture of explosives
in London. Then he came to New York,
where he fell in with Rossa and was a firm
believer in the skirlnishing fund and its
projectors methods. He had a plan that
would have worked admirably had it been
put into execution. He wanted 80 young
men, besides himself, all thoroughly versed
in the science of explosives. These young
men were to be procured and drilled in this
country, and when proficient in their work
their separate duties would be allotted to
them and their mission explained.
That mission was the simultaneous de-
struction of all the public buildings in
London"
"How was it to be done?"
"Easy enough; Byrne had it all planned
out, and | have map OF AIondOn at home
that is all marked up with red ink where
Byrne wrote in the location of the build
ings he wanted to destroy. The 100 young
men were to get into London and carry their
material with them as best they could, or
they might manufacture the machines or
explosive packages in London. A certain
day and a certain hour were to be designated
for the work Of destruction.
The signal was to be the midair explosion
of dynamite bomb dropped from bal
loon over the English capital. The mid
air explosion was to be of sufficient force
to startle all London, and while the city
was in excitement machines timed for
three or four minutes were to be placed
under the walls of all the public buildings.
Just imagine the ruin and terror that could
De wrought Ill llltG way III u lSW lliliulco
England would be on her knees to Ireland
that very day, for she would be given to
understand that the agents of Irish liberty
were still on duty, ready to repeat the work
of destruction on the morrow.
''There were several young Irishmen of
this city who listened to Bryne's schemes,
and three of.them, | know, volunteered to
be part of the famous one hundred. Cum
ningham has no relatives in st. Louis, but
he has some in Philadelphia, named Cum
ningham, and l think Il brother-in-law
named James q. Dunn, in Chicago. | be-
lieve he has some friends, too in Kansas
City. He went to Kansas City after leav-
here, and then proceeded to Denver, where
he spent nearly six months, working all the
time at his trade of harness making"
Cunningham was formally arraigned in
Bow street police court last Monday. Po-
land, the solicitor of the treasury, appeared
for the prosecution. He said that the gov
ernment intended to prove that the pris-
oner was an active agent in the conspir-
acy which eliminated in the horrible out
rage at the tower of London. The solicitor
then related the facts in regard to the pris-
er's movements at Liverpool and at London
from the time of his arrival at Liverpool