New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-08
THE BREWERY EXPLOSION.
THREE MEN ARRESTED ON A CHARGE OF
CONSPIRACY.

BLOW UP MR.. sTEvENsoN's ESTABLISH.
| MENT-HOW FEW MEN USED A
LABOR ORGANIZATION TO Ac-
CoMPLIsH THEIR OWN
OBJECTS.
Thomas Reardon, Of No. 301 West Forty
| sixth-st. Patrick S. Close of No. BAL East Forty
frst-st, and John O'Connen, Of No. 317 Bergen-st,
Brooklyn were arrested on Saturday afternoon by
| Central Office detectives and locked up at Police
Headquarters. They are oil members Of Local
Assembly No. $500, Knights of Labor, and also
belong to the Ale and Porter Brewing Employees
Protective association. This association is part
Of the Central Labor Union and District Assembly
No. 40. O'COnnel was arrested while ct work
at the Long Island Brewery, Third-ave, Brook
lyn where he has been employed for several years
lie is an ex-presdent of the Ale and Porter Brew
| ing Employees Protective Association, and, though
! he quietly submitted 10 the arrest, both he and
! his fellow-workmen who were present denounced
| it as an outrage Reardon, Close and OConneu
were indicted in this city last week, and bench
warrant was issued for their arrest 1t is alleged
that they are conspirators, and that they formed
plot, wh ch was partly carried out, Of blowing
up the brewery of David Stevenson, which takes
in part of the block in Tenth-ave. between
Thirty-ninth and Fortjeth sts
Henry A. Fitzgerald who is member of Local
| Assembly No. $780, and was one OF the con-
| spirators has turned inforlner and has made
statement concerning the plot. 1t was upon his
evidence mainly that the Grand Jury found in
dctments against the prisoners It should be
| remembered that the whole story of the alleged
conspiracy depends upon Fitzgerald.
EFFECrs OF THE EXPLOSION.
The explosion at Mr.. Stevenson's malt-house
and brewery occurred on the Forteth-st. side OF
I'LL minutpQ after 3 o'clock IN
| the afternoon on February 8. The shock was
terrific and greatly alarmed the people living in
the neighborhood. A powerful explosive, the nat
ure of which is not known. had been placed in an
area. which was protected by an iron ralnng,
yrainst the foundation wall The object evidently
had been 10 blow out the side OF the building
but the bomb failed to do the work properly. ana
the only effect upon the brewery was TO Dlow
a large hole through the wall The mortar and
brick were strewn around the cellar, but no one
was injured Houses in the neighborhood were
badly damaged, and glass worth thousands OF
dollars was destroyed. st. Raphael's Church!
which is opposite TO the brewery on ForNeth-SV'
was baJlv shaken and several women and children
were hurt, but not severely. The police began
An investigation at once. No trace OF the eAplos-
i've could be found. but Captain Murphy. of the
West Thirty-seventh-st station said that the rent
in the wall had undoubtedly been made by dEna-
mite bomb. Although this locality is thicky DoD-
United, no one had been seen near the brewery aO
the time of the explosion and the whole ahalr
was shroudcd in deep mystery
WAS REVENGE THE MorIyEi
MIR Stevenson was on the best OF terms WIN
hts employees and none OF them were suspected
The attempt TO blow up the brewery, MI steven
| son believed. was inspired by revenge because OF
the trouble which he had had with the Labor
linton last fall Mr.. Stevenson had been visited
in September by several labor agitators, who pro-
tested against his having non-unlon men IN the
brewery. Mr. Stevenson would not have ANYTHING
90 do with the labor men, but he hnaly SUD-
mitted the matters in dispute to arbitration. be-
fore IA board composed Of three brewers Ihey
decided unanimously in favor OF the course which
Mr. Stevenson had taken with his men. III aP
peaEed from his books that he had paid his men e
the wages according 10 the schedule adOpLcu Dy
oii the brewers This decision WAS received wlth
disfavor by the Labor Union, and they refused W
abide by il. ,,.,
which led TO the belief that certain members OF
Local Assmbly No. $500 were rsponslble Tor the
explosion, and Detectives Valley, Eysnhoe, Won
Gerichtcn and Hanley were detailed 70 run dow1
the guilty persons 1t was dlncult task, ana
the probability is that the mystery Wonld
never have been fully cleared up had not DC
tective Valley secured the confidence OF FltIger-
aid Affairs had not gone well with Ffzgeralu ia
labor circles and he felt that he had not received
fair Treatment at the hands of Local Assembly
No $500. The committee OF which ne was
member refused 10 have anything 20 do WIN MN
He tried TO regain their confidence, b1t failed lie
brooded over bis troubles and finally, actuated oy
a desire TO be revenged, he turned iniormer, and
told the story OF the plot TO destroy Mr. Steven
sons property 20 Inspector Byrnes.
rIrzGERALDs ACCOUNT OF THE PLOT.
According to Fitzgerald betewen the 9th of
November and the 5th of December John OCon-
nell was the Master Workman OF Local Assembly
No. 8. o3O. He had unlimited power and reduced
the executive committee from nine TO five mem
hers who il was believed. could be relied upon
70 do his bidding O'COnnell was chairman Oh
the pommtttee and the, other members S were
Thomas Reardon, Patrick 5. CLOSE AenrY A.
Fitz.erald and a firth man whose name Is with
held as he did not take part IN the suOSeouehC
proceedings. This committee had charge Os INC
Steyenson case and Fitzgerald ordered that boy
cott he placed upon the beer made at the oteVen-
Son brewery and circulars were distributed among
the labor organizations denouhclhS MI 1Oe'en
'0T The baTcott did not work well and another plan
WAS devised Men whose records showed that
they could be trusted were INSTRUCTED TO seek en-
DIoyment AT the brewery II they were hired they
yvePe 10 destroy all the beer IN the process 91
lmanufacture This was TO be done oy seoretN
throwing large amount OF SusnahC SreaSe ma InTS
the watts This would taint the beer so that 1t o9q9
not be used even in the lowest resorts ms
scheme did not work, because Mr. Stevenson
who was expecting trouble, critically examined
the credentials Of all the men who applied FOR
work, and in this way all the members Of Local
Assembly No 5000 were excluded. The fact
that several labor agitatOrs did apply to MI
Stevenson for woElt at the time when Fitzgerald
90 his man wns agreed upon is believed By the
poiice to be corrobOrative of Fitzgeralds state.
ments. ,s.. ,on+ an Srzir, min civ
dasnito the efforts OF Local Assembly No. $3.50 to
cripple it, and the executive committee held sew
eral meetings TO discuss tho situation; IL was
finally decided that IL was q case IN wnlch 0nIy
heroic measures would prevail and it was resolved
to resort to dynamite and let explosions take the
place of argument persuasion nIoy. anu conId he
obtained that would remove a large part OF the
Stevenson brewery. At meeting OF the Local
Assembly, this money was asked for and obtained
without anv explanation being given as to its In
hat IN