The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-06
Five Members of the Knights of Labor
Charged with the Crime, and the Charge
Supported by Very Strong Evidence.
Galveston's Commerce Paralyzed by the
Action of the Knights of Labor.
The Strikers in Supreme Control and Die
tating Terms to Everybody-Trouble Ex-
pected at Terre Haute To-Day.
THE ST, LOUIS DYNAMITERS.
Five Members of the Knights of Labor
Charged with the Recent Crimes.

Five Members of the knights of Labor
Charged with the Recent Crimes.
ST. LOUIS Nov. 5.-The police authorities
gave out this afternoon that they last night ar
rested David keenan,, W. p Sears, p S. Burns,
NJ. Weathers and Master Workman Pinkerton,
of the Knights of Labor. all street railroad men,
for being engaged in the recent explosions on
the street-car tracks Another man, named
John Shau gnessy, was arrested this afternoon.
and the police think they have the entire
gang. These men are all strikers and Knights
of Labor, and were arrested at PIG Lucas av
enue, from which place they directed their OPP
erations, and where quantity of dynamite and
caps were found. They purchased the dynamite
in Louisville, with money furnished by the
Knights of Labor ostensibly to buy food for the
strikers families, but the police claim to have
information that the officers knew that the
money was to be used to purchase explosives.
The plot or scheme was given to the police by
George X. Withrow conductor on the Broad
way line, who struck when the other men did.
HIS made himself very conspicuous during fair
week, and was twice arrested, once for assault to
KILL for which he is now under bonds. The
police have suspected from his actions lately
that he knew more about the affairs and conduct
of the strikers than he was disposed to tell, and
by various means known to the officers they
finally forced him to confess what he knew. He
made long and circumstantial statement the
material points of which were the giving
of the names of his associates, the time and
place of their meetings; that their purpose was
to blow up cars, and that Weathers was the man
who purchased the dynamite and managed
the explosions. The names given
are those mentioned above, except
Shaughnessy. He also said that Isaac
Dryden knew of the plot, but took no active
part in it.
Pinkerton is the master workman of the
Cleveland Assembly Knights of Labor, which
is composed .@vholly of street-car men. Keenan, is
treasurer and one or two of them belonged to
the executive committee, which was active in
were all arrested in bed during Wednesday night,
and taken to the Four Courts. where they were
put in the hold Lover. This morning Chef-of-
police Harrigan had them brought to him.
one at a time, and questioned them closely
All denied most emphatically having had
anything whatever to do with the scheme
or knowing anything about it, and asserted most
earnestly that they were opposed to the use of
dynamite, and favored peaceable means
and arbitration to settle their trouble
with the railway companies. The chief. however,
told them many things about the plot that dy
Mantle had been found in the rooms of two of
them and they finally yielded under the strain,
and made clean breast of it.
A valise was found in the rooms of Sears and
Weathers, at PIG Locust street, which con
tanned two sticks of dynamite about six inches
long, and two copper percussion caps for
exploding the sticks Ten other sticks had
been used in the explosions which had wrecked
four cars and terribly frightened q large number
of people Weathers. who is photographer by
occupation, but who had been driving on the
Washington avenue car line is believed to be
the leader of the party. At all events he is said
to have worked the dynamite part of the affair
Caspar Heep, who secretary of the exec
utive board of the Knights of Labor which man
aged the strike AS long as it had any life in it,
went to the Four Courts this afternoon to sur
render himself, if wanted by the police He was
told, however, that he was not wanted
at present He strenuously denies having had
any knowledge of the plot, and would not at first
believe that some of the men arrested were
knights of Labor.