The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-12
CAPTAIN PHELAN'S STORY.
1he Gist OF the Story Told by Captain
Phelan and Published in the Kan.
sas City Journsl-Which Led
to His Beipg Stabbed.

KANSAS CITY, Jan. I0.-The interview with Cap
tain Phelan, heretofore mentioned, which was
published in the Journal of this city on Deem
Der o. is devoted chiefly to the relation of plot
to blow up the steamer Queen, and description
of the manner Of manipulating their mysterious
dynamite machine The story, as told by the
Captain, is substantially as follows In June.
1888 he made voyage to Europa TO
secure information which would prevent
the extradition of p J. Sheridan. the great
Irish agitator, and his removal TO England. He
visited Paris and accomplished his mission.
Mes nwhile. however. the British Government
abandoned the effort to extradite Sheri dan. and
the matter was dropped. Continuing the story
Phtan said that before leaving New York he met
anumber OF agitators amcng them John P. Kear-
ney who blew up the CALIFORNIAN Railway Station
at Glasgow and afterward escaped TO America.
BE sailed in the Belgravia and Kearney
Queen. and they were to meet in Ed.
inburg. He knew that it 7as the
landed at Liverpool. When the men met at
Edinburg Phelan asked Kearney why he had not
carried out the latter. He replied he had placed
pyramids in the vessels hold. but when the ship
arrived at Liverpool she an chored in the stream,
Kes1ney WAS not permitted to 90 into the hold So
sfeen POUNDS Of dynamite. whicS would esssi
later. after it had begun to rot. and wouli i'm
peril hundreds of lives Phelan determined TO
pTotesied 4 would be suicidal Pnean, hoWsveT
persisted and visited the Queen and In
formed the officers. and learned they had received
after the vessel landed, describing the plot which
led to the discovery OF the explosive and saving
the vessel. Phelan remained day. or two in
stanily Swallowed by detectives He was
approached by. Inspector Marsh. OF Liver.
Ian Id: also by Mr. Jenkinson, who had charge of
the criminal prosecutions In Ireland, all OF wnom
tried to get him into the service of the Govern
nent They told him the names OF several pre-
tended Irish patriots woo were working for the
Government and he began to see how the author
not conjecture how they discovered the Queen
plot as kearney had said it was known only TO
0Donovan Rosa. Kearney and himself He sup
plans in New York City. in con-
Guiding his narrative, Phean said he
he arrived at Glasgow he found his valises had
been broken open and searched; done, he thought,
by q man who introduced himself in Edinburs as
James Powers, and whom Phelan believed was
British detective. who had Swallowed him from
New York and endeavored 20 get into his con-
adenee KesIney had e Lay very low but Ph ne an
Disgusting himself As Kearney and throwing the
detective of the track.
object IN attempting 10 blow up the steamer?
"0h. Just TO get up some excitement and scare
Epglapd little" was the reply.
The Captain described the mechanism OF the
deadly battery. The machine is simple. but
works with fatal precision 1t consists OF reser.
yoir OF acid. which drips upon q tube enveloped
In sheets of tissue paper. 1t takes q minute for
the acid IN eat through each sheet OF paper. 10
this case 40 sheets were wrapped around the
tube. When the last sheet is eaten through the
acid runs down the tube and upon the percussion
cap beneath. and then comes the explosion. The
machine Is noiseless and almost infall.ble in its
working of terrible injury.
Speaking OF himself, the Captain said that
be was dynauiter out and out, he belonged TO
the Etsa AaueRal Society and was QosdieaI 10