Daily Republican., 1885-01-24
A CRANKY DYNAMI TEUR
DYNAMITE AND BOOKo-3, 900
VOLUMES SrOLBN-THE Ma.
CHINE INvEATIGATED.

CHICAGO, Jan. 23-The detectives a,
police headquarters were thoroughly y
excited to-day over the discovery of Z
box Of dynamite and an Internal ma
chine among the stolen effects Off. @,
Talbert. recently an employee In the
Chicago Public Library. 1t was found
that TAlbert had stolen and secreted n
hiH house nearly 5000 volumes, (which
heohsd systematically removed from the
library.
These were removed TO Police Head.
quarters this morning, and this after.
noon among the books WAS discovered
box containing the explosives. The
box Was about foot long and six inches
deep. Inside of it was lot OF sawdust,
which was packed around o nickelpiat.
ed revolver. This sawdust WAS satura.
ted with glycerine. A little crank
made OF thick wire was attached to toe
outside OF ths box. Everybody stood
at long speaking distance while the
machine was being taken apart.
On the floor lay a box about twice the
size Of the other. No one would handle
the contents, but Detective Roman care
fully lifted the lid from II. On the lid
WAS label which proclaimed that the
box contained dynamite. The packages
OF the explosive are about q dozen IL
number, as far ~ can bs discovered by
birds eye view of them. They are
about six inches long and carefully
wrapped up.
The alleged explosive WAS discussed
this morning In the pile OF almost 30Ot
books which are said to have beer
stolen from the Public Library by Tai
bert. The fact that some stealing wa
going on from the institution WAS pub
lished few days ago. Search war
rants were issued, and when the cas-,
was invest. gated Talbert WAS arrested
| He In a student at the Chicago Medica
College.
He Acknowledged that for hfteer
months he had been stealing bookI
from the library. He selected only th,
most valuable work., snch as medica
and scientific books. Under pressur,
Taibert told the officers that the book
were hid in the barn of his brother in
law, August Liebrich, 800 Lyman
street. Six patrol wagons were called
into requisition. and the books remov
ed TO the Central Station.
| Detective Horace Elliott was one O
the officers. why" he said thi.
morning, Il happened to be lookip
over the books and found the box.
carelessly pitched 1t 10 one side, bu
finally thought / would ask Talber
about II. He told me that he bad beer
making experiments with dynamite
aud that was the substance in the box
We don't believe this story. and are In
clined 10 believe that he had prepared
the machine To blow himself up wher
the thefts were d discovered"
Over n dozen detectives have beer
sent out 70 investigate the case. 1t II
intimat~d that conspiracy 10 rob th'
| library will be discovered.
Funk, or Talbert. or whatever hi,
name, ought TO be hung" said Lieu
tenant Ripley this afternoon. "WheI
he was arrested, he saw the officer
take that box from his room. He de
liberately let them handle II, saw /
thrown into patrol wagon, aud when 1
arrived at the Office | tossed 1t arou n,
AS would box Of soap. As far as W,
can learn the smaller box which con
tanned the revolver could have blowI
us into smitbereens.
A III that was needed TO make tn,
substance explode was To turn tn,
little crank around about An inch. Tbii
would have released a nail which held
up the trigger of the revolver in tn,
box. The cartridge would have beer
exploded, the explosives wouid have
been ignited, and the whole City Hal
would have been in ruins"
Librarian Poole says that books hav'
been disappearing from the Library
for over two months. He thinks tn,
accused Is not in his right mind.