Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-03-21

4 Il
over and VIII ispered to me, we are
dynamiters.' When he said that the
others were angry, and said he should
not confide in perfect stranger. He
said he could tell man of determin-
ed character when he met one, and |
said the communication was sacred"
"As they say in Ohio, they played
you for sucker"
mo such thing. 1t was genuine
enough and that's the worst of it.
You think you know something about
London, hut there are hundreds of
things going on you haven't the least
idea of. There are phases in"
"Yes, know-go on"
"Now I'm not going to be snubbed
like this. Either"
"Bail bail I'm Prophet of Bail,
you know" Perkins groaned and
in a subdued manner continued
'They said there was dynamite
school close by and that the art of
blowing up public and buildings and
private residences was taught by
a competent professor. asked why
the police did not stop it and they
said the police did not know of it. l
hesitated about believing this yarn
and they unanimously invited me to
visit the school. We all went togeth-
er and they first took me to their pri-
vate room. The four lived together.
The room had two beds, large table
and great assortment of big books.
There were skulls lying round and
bones. Victims of dynamite l said
by way of joke. oh, no. answered
one, they are men who took the cath
and have broken it, They insisted
on my taking the oath. 1t was ter
rible one. When l had sworn, one
said kiss tn book, and thrust in my
face cooked revolver. For my sake
be careful, cried another. Don't
blow off his head as you did with poor
Slouchkoff. They made me kiss the
muzzle of a pistol and then the one who
had spoken said, Il still hold that an
unloaded pistol is as good as loaded
one for oath purposes, but you see that
is the trouble with our conservative
English ways. Merely because we
began with a loaded revolver we keep
on, and it is impossible to introduce re :
forms in a country ruled by prece-
dents.
"Jocular crowd"
"Oh, it was. Then we drew lots
and the lot fell on me-"
"Of course"
at was fair enough. My duty was
to remain near the door, and if po-
liceman appeared to spring on him
and hold him down until the pupils
escaped. l refused to act. One of
them opened cupboard and showed
skeleton hanging there. That's the
last man who refused after taking the
oath, said the one they called Jones.
Nonsense, said Smith, It's no such
thing. What's the use of telling un-
truths That's poor Slouchkoff s
bones, whom Jones killed by his clum-
siness. Purely an accident, l assure
you. Still we had to boil him down
as we do all the bodies. That's the
safest way of disposing of them.'"
IL agreed to stick to the oath, and
Jones was to sit beside me with re-
volver to blow my heart out, as he
said, if grew timid. We went to a
side street and entered building, and
came to large room, in which a
number of young men were sitting in
tiers"
"What were they crying about?'
"Pshaw, you understand what |
mean. They were on benches rising
one above the other, and an old gent
was explaining about explosives and
making experiments on a table, which
all the young men faced. Isn't this
very public? ? l said to Jones. That
is just where our safety is. 1t is so
public that the police never suspect
what it is. Did you ever read Poe's
'Purloined letter. No? Well you
read it. You will see that the best
plan is To affect openness. Smith and
the other fellow did not come in with
us. | could give very little attention
to the lecture, rs watched the door
for the policeman. Sure enough, the
door opened and in came the officer.
Jones whispered hoarsely to me, AT
him, or | fire. | sprang at the officer
and got him down, but" pause
che rather used me up towards the
latter part of the struggle"
II see he did. And then ?"
"Well then he took me to this
place. | don't know whether the rest
escaped or not Don't care either if
am out Of it"
| next interviewed the policeman.
He said he was on his beat in X street
when three young medical students
came to him and said there was a
fellow cutting up rough in the college
class room aud the Professor would
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