Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-12-19
A YEILOWBACK SENSATION
The HFlncs of Wales BIackmailed
Al by an Alleged
SOCIETY coNsPIRAToR
Who Weles He was Selected to Kill the
Prince.--The Political
Situation.

LoxDos, December ls.-London mas
had genuine sensation to-day. Early
this morning. young man and his wife,
John and Sarah Msgee. were arrested at
KsDsiDgion, on charge of having at
tempted to procure money from the Prince
Of Wales. by writing threatening letters.
They ~ete tSken into court, formal
charges were preferred against
them, and they were remsnded to
await examination. 1t appears that the
prisoners had written two letters, but as
they were not read in courtit is impossible
to give their language, except to state
in general terms what they contained
It is known, however, that the letters made
a demand for $3.50. and intinsted in uu-
mistaksbls terms that unless this amount
was forthcoming the Prince life would be
in jeopardy. The Prince, it is said. paid
only passing attention to the frst letter
which the Msgees cent, but when the sec
ond letter anne reitersting the demand
and the threats, His Royal Highness
turned the letters over to the police and
left them to do whatever they thought btst
The police at once qlietly set about plap-
Mug the capture Of the blackmRilers
They sent message as though coming
from the Pri nee Of Wales to the
address given in The letters
directing the author or authors Of the letter
TO appear at a specified time and place.
The assurance was given that somebody
would meet them at the sppoiLte3 hoar
prepared to hssd over package contain.
ing the money they had demanded The
Masees at once fell into the trap which
had been set for them. They sp.
psared at the spot desigusted this even
irg and were presented with q package
OF fsr.hings. As they started to leave With
their supposed treasure the pohcs threw
of their disguise and arrested them The
womsn thereupon made q voluntary con-
fession OF the whole plot. At any rate the
police say that the confession was yo!unts-
~. The woman, however, has since de-
clared that she was forced by the police
against her will to confess something
Ii is thought that she tears the
confession made BY her in the
f.st moments OF CONSERVATION after her ar
rest may be bsd for her on the trial, and
that she is therefore trying 10 weaken its
effect BY asserting that 1t was forced from
her By the police.
A representative Of the press called up
on an equerry Of the Prince Of Wales, tins
afternoon, to learn any facts obtainabie
about tbs affair. The equerry knew come
thing Of the contents Of the letters. These
he Gciared represented that Msgee
was q emissary OF the secret society,
and that he had been ordered
to kill the Prince Of Wales, but the letters
further intimsted Msgee did not wish to
obey this mandate. There was no help for
il, however, unlegs he could get money
enough to 90 TO America. He wanted
800 therefor If this amount reached
him be would at once bid lasting good
bye to secret societies, and start across the
Atlantic. Nothing further can be learned
tonight. It is believed that disclosures of
an important nature may be made when
the case comes before court for thorough
investigation.
CIVIL. WAR OR ENDLESS FRICTION.
DUBLIN, December lS.-The Daily Ex-
press, o consistent upholder Of the Loyal
ist cause, devotes leading article this
morning 10 picturipg the consequences
which would result from home rule in Ire.
land. If the demands OF the Parnellites
are granted, aud any such scheme of home
rule is attempted as Gladstone has been
credited with contemplating the Express
declares that civil war will not be unlikely
to follow. There would be such q clash.
ing OF class interests, such rivalry between
the friends Of the old regime and the par
tissns Of the new order Of things that civil
strife could hardly be avoided. And in
case such extremities we're prevented, 1t is
perfectly certain that there would still be
endless friction between the Imperial Gov.
ernment and that OF Ireland.
VERSIONS OF GLADSTONE ) SCHEME
LoSDoN, December Is There is q puz-
cling abundance Of descriptions Of Glad.
stones scheme for granting Home rule to
Ire aAd. Each claims to be authentic. and
indeed to be the only authentic version.
They are 90 widely different that il is evi-
dent that they have no common origin and
they may all be the result OF guess work
The ParnslliteS are happy o7eE one fact re-
garding these forecasts. Every one ofthem,
even including the least favorable, con-
cedes more 10 Ireland than any British
party would have granted or Parnell
would have ventured to demand, q few
months, or even few weeks aga. The
ParnelHtes bCIieTe that Glsdgtons has not
yet fully formulated his scheme, even in
bis own mind, and they suspect that he
has allowed inklings of it to escape for the
express purpose Of having been published
and criticised, By which he meaca 10 may
be guided in the CoIapietion Of the scheme
One thing is eleAr-tha: the Gladstonian
scheme has probably not yet been reduced
TO writing or proposed to anybody in Set
terms.
How TIE PROGRAMME LEAKED OUT.
1t is believed that the Standards expos,
ure, although mildly rspudikted BY Mr..
Gladstone, contains many elements CT
truth, and that Its publication was due to
the betrayal of some parts Of the pro-
grsmme by some one OF Mr.. GlsdstoDes
recent guests with whom the subject Of
Home Rule was discussed. Opinion is d.
vided as to whether this leaky confisnt
was Lord Spencer, Lord Granville or Mr..
T. C. Dykes Acland, friend Of Mr.. Glad
stone, who has Just been reelected for
Cornwall.
The ST. James Gazette says that Mr..
Herbert Gladstone, Q few days ago. guard.
edly impaired to certain Liberal editors .
sketch of bis fathers plans. This is posi-
Sls, but not probable. II Ne. Gladstone
desired to taSs SBy newspaper into his con-
Gdepcs it would certainly be his own organ.
the Daily News. That paper has not pet
spoken, and until it does it may be eassumed
a. III r. l..