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

"Do you cable over to the Free
Press at Detroit, the arrival of Amer
lean citizens in London ?"
"No, sir"
Thought you did,"
"No, SIR"
Don't some papers do ?"
II don't know"
Should think it would be a good
thing"
Perhaps it would"
Enterprise and that sort of thing
you know"
Eyes"
81 suppose you write it over and
head it cable dispa tch! ?"
mo, sir"
"Don't even writei"
"No."
"Then how is the American public
to know that distinguished citizens
arrive safely?"
"Have to chance it. Then again
distinguished citizens are rarely mis-
sed unless they slip off with some one
else cash."
"Well, my names Perkins-John
, Wilfred Perkins, of Toledo, o. If
you write over any London cores
pondence or that sort of thing, you
know, you might mention that I'm
staying in London. Here's my card" !"
Gall right"
"You know how to do it. Not as
} if l came up here myself-but-well
as if you noticed my arrival in the
London papers"
IL understand. The 1T is announc-
ed'-or the I'VE understand from a
reliable source style of composition" F"
"Exactly-exactly. Any charged"
5 ooh, no."
5 "Well, I'm ever so much obliged.
I'll drop in and see you now and then"
/. "Do."
That was my introduction to Mr..
Perkins. He dropped in as he said
he would and looked at the American
> papers. He grumbled a great deal
about London. 1t had not half the
, enterprise of Toledo and was altogeth-
er too slow place. Still, Perkins
saw lots of queer life in London, and
he told me he intended to contribute
series of articles on the subject to a
Toledo paper. Then Perkins failed
to come up for couple of days.
Early in the morning of the third
day | found messenger waiting for
me with the following appalling note
o from Perkins
: DEAR SIR write this in - street
!. police station. I'm in an awful fix.
| have become mixed up with dyna-
miters, but / am entirely innocent |
assure you. Tve offered to turn State S
n evidence or Queens evidence or what
p ever sort of thing they call it over
: here if they let up on me. Can't you
come down and testify that am an
innocent man from Toledo. I've been
e in wretched cell all night and have
not slept wink.
JOHN w. PERKINS, of Toledo, o.
This was serious. | only knew
Perkins in the most casual way, and
if he had mixed himself up with dyn-
amiters | certainly had no desire for
his society. had no sympathy with
dynamite except as it is used in mines
or for the rending of rocks. Still, ]
, reflected, the police had my address
through the idiocy of that Ohio man
, in sending messenger for me and |
concluded might as well 60 to the
5 police station and see how the land
lay. When | arrived / said to the
officer in charge:
"This Perkins matter is serious
affair, isn't it ?"
"Yes assaulting the police"
e Nothing else p
"Is that not enough p
:, "Well, | suppose it is, but bail is
/. taken in such cases, isn't it?'
d "Oh, yes"
k Can l see Perkins p
r 81 suppose So"
D | found Perkins very much the
G worse for wear His coat was split
down the back and his hat was gone.
| asked him to give me the full par
ticulars, and he began
!, "You see, | wanted to find out
something of this Nihiist business
and that sort of thing and | was told
that / could find lots of them at a
;, certain restaurant near Leicester
let's see-was it Leicester square or
Soho square. Isn't there Soho"
Never mind the square,"
81 IN trying to give you square
). deal" continued Perkins, reverting
even in his misery to Ohio slang, u
. went there and started conversation
: with every one who would talk to me. "
"An idiotic thing to do"
"Sec here, who's running this
e thing p said Perkins hotly.
II "Who's going your bail ?"
D. That's so. I'd forgotten. 1t was
n idiOtic. Four young men came in