The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-03

Preliminary Examination Of Cunningham
The Prisoner Remanded for One Week.

| g. Cunningham, charged with completely in
causing the recent explosion at the Tower Of
London, began in Bow-street Police Court this
morning. Mr.. Poland the solicitor, in opening
the case for the crown, said the government in
tended to prove that the prisoner was the active
agent in the conspiracy which eliminated in the
horrible outrage at the Tower. The solicitor
then related the facts in regard to the prisoners
movements at Liverpool and at London, from
the time OF his arrival at Liverpool from Ameri-
ca up to the date of his arrest at the Tower,
few minutes after the explosion occurred; his
travelling under the assumed names of Gilbert
and Dalton, and many suspicious circumstances
connected with his stay at both the above cities
Mr.. Poland dwet particularly on the mysterious
disappearance of the peculiar box from the prison
| ers lodgings in Scarborough street, Immediately
| after Cunninghams arrest Mr.. Poland laid stress
upon these facts in order to show that Cunning
ham was in league with others, who must have
been instructed in the line of action to be taken
in case of arrest Mr.. Poland further said that wit
nesses will be produced to prove that Cunning
ham had for several days previous to the explo-
sion been seen lettering in and around the
Tower of London. He then produced a plan of
explosion took place. at the same time going into
details of the damage done to the building, and
the injuries sustained by persons wounded by
the explosion. He also produced small detonator
found in the prisoners baggage, and said it was
smaller than those used in previous dynamite
outrages. indicating that the prisoner might
have been connected with those crimes
In conclusion Mr.. Poland asked that Cunning
ham be arraigned under the explosives act, on
charge of conspiracy and said he might possibly,
at a later day, request that the charge be
| changed to high treason, so that the penalty of
| the latter crime might be melted out to him. as
| dynamite outrages could be construed as acts of
war of a rebelous people
| Mr.. Polands notification to the court that the
government reserved the privilege of changing
the charge against Cunningham to high treason.
so that the result of conviction might be execu-
ton instead of imprisonment caused commotion
among the spectators. The declaration was
construed into an admission that the crown had
ascertaned that in Cunningham they had the
most important prisoner yet arrested for dvna-
mite crimes This impression was confirmed by
the extraordinary precautions taken to prevent
Cunninghams escape rescue. He was con-
veyed from his cell in Clerkenwell prison to Bow
street Court in a strong van, in which he was
was the only prisoner, but locked in with him
were several armed constables and on each side
of the driver was an armed policeman and Off
GERS with exposed revolvers stood guard upon
the steps leading to the vans barred door.
Continuing his opening address, the solicitor
for the treasury said Cunningham was twenty
two years of age; by occupation he was dock
laborer; he was not alone in the work of causing
the explosion at the Tower, but was in league
with others whom the government hoped to soon
have in custody. The prisoner had lived in the
ykadS t.fno anAo
| land last November; he took quarters at Liver
| pool in small house, and when he left that
| place he came direct to London. The solicitor
stated that it could be proven that the prisoner
on the 23d or Oath of December last was at
Broad-street railway station with large brown
trunk. This trunk was of American manufact-
ure. Besides the trunk the prisoner had bag
He left both at the station over night; next day
he called and took them away. In tho mean
time he secured logings in Whitechapel, and
thither the prisoner had his brown trunk and
bag removed. While the prisoner was residing
there the brown trunk mysteriously disappeared
Some time after its disappearance Cunningham
changed his lodgings and took room in Scar
boro street. 1t would be shown that the pris-
oner began lettering about the Tower after his
removal fir ON Whitechapel, and that he passed
in and visited the Tower buildings few days be-
fore the explosion, at least once.
MORE POINTS AGAINST THE PRISONER
Before closing his address, Mr.. Poland said he
desired to call particular attention to the con-
duct of Cunningham on the day of the Tower
explosion. Within four minutes after the ex-
plosor the Tower gates were all closed, and
and every visitor then within the walls was
made prisoner This matter aad been care.
fully investigated, and the statement as to the,
time of closing the gates was strictly accurate
But two persons had passed out from the
grounds after the explosion. These were a
lady and gentleman They were not in the
buildings at the timc Of the explosion. but on
their way toward one of the gates. Among
| those detained by the shutting Of the gates was
Cunningham. The identity Of lady and gentle
man who had passed out had been traced and
ascertained. They were respectable people, and
entirely innocent of any possible connection
with the prisoner or his friends. Whom the ma
| ture Of the explosion had boon ascertained,
| every person detained within tho Tower walls
| was subjected to examination. With the excep
| ton of the prisoner, all gave accounts of them
selves, submitting willingly to examination and
answering all questions put them. The pris
| oner, Mr.. Poland thought, was found among
! those detained because he dared not, &fter tho
explosion, hurry away, for fear of attracting the
attention of the police When his turn came
for examination his conduct at once aroused
suspicion. He proved absolutely unable to give
| straightforward answers to any questions
This led to his being subjected to
more than ordinary catechising, and the
result was that he contradicted himself many
times. He was unable to give any satisfactory
| account of how he had employed his time after
his arrival in London. or any acceptable expla-
nation of his presence in the Tower. When asked
what he had come to London for. he said he
came to obtain clerkship; but when requested
| to name some of the places he had visited in
search of clerical employment he was unable to
| give a single correct address. He answered cor
rectly question concerning his place of abode,
and gave the right number, in Scarboro street,
but contradicted himself in so many ways and
| betrayed such guilty anxiety that he
was placed under arrest on suspicion of
| being concerned in some way in the explosion.
Detectives were then assigned to hunting up
the prisoners history, and almost every step
then taken tended to the conviction that tho