The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-11


but it does its work thoroughly and with fatal
precision. The machine consists of reservoir
of acid which drops, drop by drop, on little
hollow tube or faucet, in shape not unlike a
common faucet Around this faucet are wrap
ped sheets Of tissue paper. 1t takes the acid
moment to eat through each sheet of paper,
although the flow of the acid is also regulated
when it comes from the reservoir. In this case
120 sheets of paper were wrapped around this
little faucet. When the last sheet is eaten
through the acid enters the tube, runs down to
the end, directly under which the cap is placed,
and then the deluge. The little machine is sim
pie, but it beats clocx-work all to pieces. 1t
makes no noise. 1t is not liable to get out of
order. 1t is as insidious as death, and like
fuse once lighted it seldom stops until it reaches
the mine itself, and is demolished in the disas-
ter which it has caused How then, did the
plan for blowing up the steamer fail2 That was
soon explained to me by the heart broken Kear-
ney.
little before sun up Instead of going to her
dock she anchored in the Mersey and the passen-
gers were all hustled on deck and taken to shore
In tender, which came out to take them off.
When kearney saw they were going to be taken
off in the tender he tried to get down stairs but
an officer prevented him, and he was hustled
aboard the tender leaving fifteen pounds of dyna-
mite below in the hold, and carrying the ma
chine which was TO explode it away in his pock-
ct. / asked what would be the result of leaving
that dynamite in the hold of the ship, and the
answer was that it would stop there unless re-
moved, until it begins to rot and then will ex-
piode and blow the ship to atoms. How long
before it begins to rotY I asked. Probably
about two weeks answered Kearney. That
will never do, said T. by that time the ship
will again be at sea, and hundreds of people,
many of them our own countrymen, men,
women and children. going to join pa
in America, will be blown to atoms 1T can't
be helped said Kearney, I have done the best
Icould. We must get the dynamite out of
the vessel Tt can't be done. I will go to
Liverpool at once. and under the pretext that 1
made the discovery by accident tell the officers
of the boat that the dynamite is there You'll
get "a taste of Kilmainham Jail, and trip to
Botany Bay for your palms, said Kearney
Nevertheless, Said Capt. Phelan, II saw it
would not % V blow up 6oat,load Of innocent
1HB4RCHING FOR THE DYNAMITE.
Il obtAined a diagram from Kearney Of the
place where the dynamite was slowed in the
ship and set out for Liverpool the same day.
Arrived there, i went to the Victoria Hotel and
registered as James Anderson. went to an
English hotel and took every precaution to
avoid suspicion. | went to the Prince Albert
dock where the Queen lay, and after satisfying
the guard that ] had business with the first
officer of the @ ueen, and presenting him with
shilling by way of a souvenir, obtained
admission. found the Queen un-
loading, and / asked for the first
officer He has gone up to London said
another officer who appeared to be in charge of
the ship: Is the second officer hereP No, he
hos gone to his home, Lincolnshire In an
swer to another inquiry my informant said: L
am the third officer aud in charge of the vessel
| then said: Mr. Officer, have come to you on
very delicate errand. / overheard a conver-
sation in hotel in Glasgow, which satisfied me
there was a quantity of explosive material Sc
cluded in the hold of your vessel. l do not
want to see the lives of innocent people sacri
feed. and have come from pure motives of hu-
manity to show you where the dynamite is, and
have it removed The officer looked at me
with queer, half suspicious, half famused ex-
preston. Do You know where the dynamite
is placedP / had studied Kearney's diagram
until knew it by heart, and told him of the situa
tion of the dynamite exactly. 1t is forward,
said /, 'sewed up in a bag, and lying on
oss.fd placed between two knees of the YES
SELL Gould you place your hands itp
said the officer. Yes said |. confident that
knew exactly the place as given in Kearney's
description. Follow me- said the officer. We
went below, then below the main deck, forward
to the hunks of the steerage. / found
the sixth bunk forward from the hatchway on
the starboard side. There were the two knees
of the vessel, there was the board lying upon
them and reaching from one to the other. /
placed my hand upon it, There was no dyn-
anite there. In the semi darkness / thought
could discover an augmentation of the quiZzical
expression ON the officers face We found that
dynamite fifteen minutes after we landed said
the officer we had telegram from New York
saying it was here, and describing the exact
location followed him, feeling decidedly cheap
and crestfallen to the deck. You are an Ameri
canP he asked. Yes What is your namep
james. Anderson Where are$you stoppng!'
AT the Victoria He still seemed to half
doubt me, but before left he said: You have
missed a chance to make a fortune. If your in
formation had been the first to lead to the dis
covery of that dynamite the company would
have given you a reward of at least f10, ,000
And / know, said the Captain, as we'll as
am standing here, that he did not neglect to
have detective follow me out Of that dock
yard.
This" said the Captain, in conclusion, twas
the ending of the attempt TO blow up the steam
er Queen, though was MADE to still further see
the power and far reaching influence of the En-
gllsh detective service. knew had done moth
ing wrong, and l was determined to stand my
ground. had hardly returned to the hotel and
gone to my room when two visitors were an
nounced." They proved to be Inspector Marsh,
of Liverpool, and Head Constable Murphy, of
Ireland. An exchange of Irish wit and bottle
of something stronger, which often serves to in
spire the former, followed. The two dignitaries
questioned Capt Phelan alias Anderson, closely,
but he stuck to his story. The two parties were
on the hest of terms, and the officers object ap-
parently was not to bulldoZe but to wheedle and
coax and get him to come over to the side of the
government The questioning and ross-ques
tioning and the various answers, as related by
Capt Phelan made very amusing and at times
exciting dialogue. The two worthy gentlemen
finally left, apparently on the best of
terms with Capt Phelan, although the latter
knew that he was still under surveillance, and
conducted himself accordingly. The next day
another visitor was announced This proved to
be no less parsonage than Mr.. Jenkison, who
had charge of the criminal prosecutions in Ire
land. why they did not arrest me at once on
suspicion, said the Captain, bothered at
first, but / soon saw that they wanted TO work
me, as the boys say, and / knew that | was
watched. Every place went | was shadowed.
Mr.. Jenkison introduced himself and said, is
your name William Ouderp Yes said l. oh,
come now, said Mr., Jenkson in an insnuating
tone, you know you are Capt Thomas Phelan,
from the United States Jenkison then endeav-
ored to get me to disclose the real object of my
mission, and to see who put the dynamite on the
Queen, but stuck to my former story He told
me the names of several pretended Irish patriots
who were working for the government