New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-05
CHARGED WITH COASPIRACf.
SAID TO BE A PLOT OF RAILWAY OFFICIALS
THE TALE or TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AD'Ui
THE TAPPING OF A PRIVATE WIRE.
fBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE

THE TALE A TELtGhAfh oI' hN'Oi' ""'N'
THE TAPPING OF A PRIVATE WIRE.
fsr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.
ST. LOUIS, April An episode of the strike
tonight was the arrest of Frank r. Me-
Keighan telegraph operator. week ago
Thomas Furlong. chief Of the Gould secret
service called at The Office OF the Chief OF P0nce anu
complained the private wire over which the mess
ages be; ween Messrs Gould and HoSie went was being
tapped at point in the city, and when he found the
tappers he wanted the aid of regular police in cf
fecting their arrest. Chief Hsrrigan promised
the aid, and few days later Detective
Furlong and NJ F. Mcdonald, An attorney
for Could said, that Martin Irons, NJ Sullivan and
A. Coughlin. the chsirneD OF the three district as
semblies were l the conspiracy The arrest OF
McKeighan was effected tonight He says that
about ten days ago he employed MS a
detective by Mr. Furong with Instructions TO get into
the confidence OF the Knights of Labor and. when the
proper time arrived. to suggest the tapping OF
the wire. He especially Instructed to get
into the good craces OF Martin Irons and to
Join the order and bring in other telegraphers
He did Join and attended meetings aud a
days ago he told number OF knights that he ha
discovered the private wire between Ho1e aud Gouu
and had good notion to tap it, Knight OF LABOR one
Nichols who Is also expert OPERATOR voiuhteereu
TO do the work him. He reported progress Oh the
scheme to Furong and purchased number OF mstru-
ments and placed them in tho tmrd
story of house at No. 1897
Marketst Keghan asserting that the wire was ON
pole about ten feet from the window. A
temporary loop was made and Nichols fouhd
sure enough that it the wire. He reported the
fact to the Assemblies and it was discussed, but Nc
Keirhan does not know what action was taken.
He said that his duty was to lure
Martin Irons into the room. He requested
Nichols to impress upon Irons the advantages to be
gained from the loop and Nichols said that
he did but that looked the scheme with susp
cion McKeighan finally made another loop himself aud
invited Irons and Coughn to up aud sec the Old
thing WORK.
Meantime Detective Furlong and Attorney Mcdonald.
| who were kept posted by their spy, had secured
| the services of three policemen and ten OF the
detectives in the employ OF the railroad They watohed
| the house by turns night and day Nc
Keirhan had agreed with Furlong upon a
| code OF signals, ono OF which was that
| when he saw lamp burning brightly 1t was
| sign the game baggcd and to make
| a raid with his men, Strange to say
Furong got the stories OF the house mixed on Friday
night he was informed that lamp was burning brightly
window of the second story front, e fO.eots6
IwT ven ot and supposns that Irons and the others
na in the Oev Sqoie dowo the doors and en-
| tered room only TO find fr1shtehea woman
working at a sewing'machlne Ihea men they ,an ran
upstairs and found In the room but Mckeighan.
He was arrested released, and Furlong cursed his
| laundering 80. , ..,o,
had taken place. and the cef grew suspicious lie put
all ot the detectives work and to-day Mckeghah was
arrested He that the whole scheme was put
up job the arrests OF the knights ana useAco
The confession covers two newspaper IT, columns
| that ho not know Of his own
. fGi ls SS SS snsS
come He locked up. ana there will probably De more