The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-22

them 70 Field and Vanderbilt and left them
lAs the possoffioe to be carried on their
obstructive journey. They never reached their
idaatinatiou. One of them exploded in a mail
pouch on the front platform of an elevated train
rs Ninth street and Third avenue. 1t caused a
mine days sensation and effectually prevented
Amy further attempts at propagandism In that
Way The discounted conspiraters attributed
ttho premature explosion TO the action of the sui
lphuric acid on the corks in the glass tube; as
they were very ANAL they could have been eaten
away by the acid In Ieas time than elapsed be-
tween their insertion and the time of the ex-
pEosion. The acid once freed the explosion must
Fellow.
The arst efforts of the Anarchists was the de-
facing OF the Major Andre monument. The per-
petrator of this mischief was known in court as
George Hendrig, but his real name was McCor-
mick he was a radical Socialist. but not an In
fefnationalist; that Is. he had not developed SO
lar In his theories of government as to abandon
very strong feeling of American patriotism.
He was impelled to the use of hammer and chisel
on the monument by his local pride; courage
for the task was given by the success OF Radicals
abroad. In limited sense he proved to be a
trne rrouagandist for there was marked SYM
patty for him on the part of the general public,
and ill-csncealed satisfaction with his effort.
Cyrus w. Fields prosecution OF McCor
mick failed through technical error
cious Radical suffered the loss of an
agreeable employment, and was put to no little
trouble. His socialistic friends determined,
therefore, to revenge him. Two anarchistic clubs
were formed for this purposes one, consisting of
I'VE members was devoted to the destruction OF
the Andre monument and the other, having
only three associates, determined to operate
against Field himself The second group was
known in anarchistic circles as 1.-THE Holy Trim
ity." The work of both these groups is partly
known to the public by the results. The first.
led by Comrades s. and P, experienced
great difficulty in securing the necessary materi
Ml nAa = .,~sA~ -
tiOus in the sale of the explosive, and the pros
pectivs revolutonists had to unwind great deal
Of red tape before they gained possession of the
desired quantity. But 1t was got at
efficacy. What if i should fail to ss exploded
Were they sure they knew how to touch off the
stuff It would be well TO experiment. on some
thing before attacking the monument After a
little discussion on this point, one of the party
said that he had noticed caHal-boat that had
stranded in low water at Weehawken. and sug
gested that the dynamite be tried there on it.
u was . pleasing proposition, and the group
forthwith proceeded by night to Weehawken and
sought out the unhappy barge 1t lay more.
than half out Of water, at some distance from
the many other boats tied up there. The charge
was easily placed and the expectant Anarchists
stood at a safe point on the shore and watched
the effect It charming. The canal boat
was blown all to pieces, and when the exultant
revolutions were crossing the river on the way
home they thought they could see the fragments
OF its shattered timbers floating down stream.
The work at the monument was done soon after,
and the result is matter of history. The dyna-
mite was placed at the base of the structure and
was provided with long fuse. and the five
members OF the group were not far away when
the explosion occurred. It required q second
dose of giant powder to make the job complete
success, and this given.
Late in 1883. there was an effort made to unite
all the Anarchists of this vicinity in one great
secret organization. This movements became
known to the public at large, and the organiza
tion was called the Black Hand. John Most re-
fers to it in of the letters from him presented
rs evidence in the trial at Chicago. Tt really
amounted TO very little, however and effected
not one tenth as much as groups hitherto IN
known. Local societies elsewhere failed Of ac-
Complishng anything, as at Newark, Elizabeth,
Philadelphia and Chicago. The Anarchists.
therefore, adopted new policy. It consisted in
three important features: First establish
ing and maintaining trustworthy communication
with other localities in this country and abroad;
second, securing and maintaining a
full supply Of explosives; third, the send
ing Of the latter abroad by elnissaries
The latter point was taken up first. man
was Sickinger, volunteered to 60 to Berlin and
blow mp the column of Victory there. He was
supplied with everything necessary, including
supply Of money that. for Anarchists. was liber-
Al, and departed by an Antwerp steamer. Sick
niger was arrested soon after his arrival in Ger
many a charge of forgery. He pleaded guilty
and offered to give evidence against the exiled
Anarchists in New York by which they might
perhaps be prosecuted, but the German govern
meft, of course, refused to mitigate his sentence
on accout of any anarchstic yarn about Amari
agitators, and he was sent to prison for eight
years.
This experience led the revolationists here to
be more careful There were plenty of men
ready and anxious to 60 abroad for the purpose
of doing mischief, but the Anarchists appropri
Ated no more money for them. Communication
however, was established between New York
and radical centers in America and Europe In
this country all the outside cities looked up to
New York as the head of the movement, the
place from which to expect and receive orders.
For time there seemed little prospect of
accomplishing the second object enumerated
above, but in 1884 the Anarchists ga W themselves
full-hedged dynamiters. One of their number
was skilled workman in the dynamite business,
and he sought and found employment as super
iDtendent of one of the oldest and leading con-
Germs In this vicinity. He went into the work
with the express intention of secretly furnishing
his Anarchsstic associates with the longsd for
dynamite. His real name was seldom spoken
by his friends, AID he will be designated here
by his ssbriquesa- Charley. There can
be no better way Of learning how he kept his
bargain than by going with the revolutionists
on one of their numerous trips to the factory.
The day is Snnday on other days the Anarch-
lists had to earn their bread, and butter, too, If
possible; moreover, on that day the captalistic
oppressors retired for rest and left the field
clear Too poor. as usual, to pay travelling ex-
penses, the little band of revolutionists has to
make its way as best the members can suggest
They have secured big, clumsy infrm boat
and at the hour of their embarkation from pier
on the East Side Sunday has but just come
In. There is not one in the party who
knows anything about managing boat. but they
are all strong, and the oars splash vigorously
If not effectively in the water. An awkward
bare pole stands in the PROV of the boat from
the top of which floats q unique original sail
It is made fast to the side of the boat when
once in mid-stream, and bellying with fresh
breeze adds materially to the speed of the pass
Rgs as well as to its dangers. But the passen
gers seem to have lost all notion of danger of
any kind, for in big black letters on the stern of
their craft is painted the name, Revolution. !"
Through the seething He'll Gate channel they
sail in safety bat IL is wonder thew do not 90