Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
SMALLPOX BY MAIL,
One of the Many Dastardly Attempts
That Have Been Made on
Anthony ComstOck's Life.
STORIES OF WELL-KNOWN HEN.
Amusing Meeting Between the Hero of
Darkest Africa and Speaker Reed
at Washington.
HOW BUFFALO BILL GOT his NAME.
Man Who Hit John L Sullivan With His Fist and
Lived to Tel the Story
STORIES OF WELL-KNOWN HEN.
HOW BUFFALO BILL GOT HIS NAME.
Man Who Hit John L Sullivan With His Fist and
Lived to Tel the Story


Society for the Prevention OF Crime, in the
New York World, williams who live upon
the mlsiortunes and shortcomings of the
miserable and frail of this city have made or
ganized attempts on my life. They Insti-
gated others to do what they themselves
lacked courage to do. For years 1 was in
constant receipt of threatening letters, many
Of which were followed by assaults in which
nv life many times hung in the balance.
81 can attribute my many hair-breadth
escapes from death to nothing but the direct
Intervention OF Providence. On two or three
occasions letters with harmless enough exte-
riors, bat whose contents were of the most
ghastly and infectious character, have been
addressed to me. On one occasion a large
envelope was sent to me containing small
poX injection. In this letter a desire was
expressed that l might contract the loath-
some disease. Owing, however, to the fact
that ! had had the smallpox 1 escaped.
On another occasion a package was deliv-
cred in my office, and in consequence of my
absence my stenographer opened it. 1t con-
tanned some horrible infection. short
time a aterward my stenographer was stricken
with an awful disease His flesh changed
to a dark, leprous hue and the poor fellow
has been a cripple ever since.
In 1875 L received an ANONYMOUS COM
munication 70 the effect that was tn be
Rssassinated by sand-baggiug on a certain
night when coming out of a church in
Brooklyn. The name of the intending as
Sassin was given. 1 employed a clever de-
tective, who wormed himself into the conn.,
dence OF this man, who was saloon keeper.
He discovered the whole scheme, / was TO
be sand-bagged. The villains were then to
make of in the darkness, and it was sup-
posed that the verdict at the inquest would
be congestion Of the brain, as sand-bagcing
leaves no external mark. Then nv detec-
tive discovered that they were going to
bring on fellow from Chicago, an expert
murderer named Wertheimer He came to
my office and drew knife upon me. but
got out of his way. He disappeared and 1
heard nothing OF him for six months, He
then resppeared one day and caught me
alone in nv Office. He Knocked on the door
and demanded TO be admitted. 1 declined
to let him in, and he was about to burst open
the door when l drew my revolver and took
him prisoner. He was bound over In the
sum Of 81, 900 to keep the peace, and in
default was sentenced to the Island for a
year.
"As was coming out of the United
States Court one day man spat in my face
to kill me. From his conduct 1 was con-
Einced that be belonged to the party that
was putting these schemes in operation
against me. promptly countered on his
neck and he collapsed like a bundle OF
bones and reposed gracefully in corner. /
gave him in charge of an officer Shortly
after that an ex-prizefghter, as L came out
OF the same court, threatened, in the pres
ence of several witnesses, TO kill me. An
aN+1 fonl- nHa oF
supposed, removed him to prison, / then
started across the City Hall Park, when he
reappeared and made an assault on me. the
officer having taken him around into Center
street and let him go. 1 managed to get in
blow on the forehead, which dazed him
for moment and before be could recover
himself l sprang on him, and seiziup him
by the throat, ran him backward until he
tripped over one of the chains that guarded
the sacred precincts of the park and a
policeman happening along at this most
opportune moment, my prisoner was handed
over to him.
AT the time I raided the Long Island
pool rooms mob was going to hang me to
the nearest lamp-pcst, and L think that lust
going forward TO do my duty and trusfino
the issue to a higher power were all that
saved Inc. Attempts to have Inc put ont of
the way did not carry, and L escaped from
many places where l know dangers threat
encd me. On one occasion some desperadoes
determined that if 1 went into the witness
box IL court to testify against one OF their
number whom l had been the means of
bringing TO trial they would kill me. This
coming to NV ears l armed myself with two
revolvers aud caused it to be peneralIv
known that 1 would defend nv life. I
stepped into the box, and nv eyidenc.
was the means of convicting the prisoner
and yet the threatened vengeance did not
fall.
when raided the gamblers in Saratooa
they sent me word tnat if dared to modest
them, or ventured to speak at a public meet.
ing at which was announced to speak. NV
blood would be spilled on the street and NV
body sent TO my friends in box. l delly-
cred the speech, but the audience was so
strongly in my favor that the disaffected did
not dare to create 4 disturbance"
At this point Mr.. Comstock disanpeared
into an adjoining closet, and a moment
Rfterward came out carrying large box
which was filled with a heterogeneous mas;
OF papers, icing the remains OF yarious
threatening letters which he had received
during ms eveuful experience, Mr.. Conn
stock inserted his hand among the noldy
and yellow papers and brought forth .
paStepnard Dcx. He proceeded to take tn.
porter the workings of an internal ma
chine.
'This," said Mr.. Comstock, "was ssnt
through the mails TO me in the wear 1890
with the purpose of blowing in pieces nv
self and any other person or persons who
might be so unfortunate as to be near me at
the time
The machine looked as though it had been
whitfield cut of cigar box with n dpII
knl'e by an amateur, and the reporter VEN
tured to remark that it did not look dancer.
ous. Mr.. Comstock thereupon turned If
over and showed large bottle filled with
gunpowder and another small one which he
said had contained acid. Pieces of pla,s
were packed around the bottle.
'Furtunat ly," continued Mr.. Comstock
IN their anxiety to make assurance doublv
sure the assassins had overreached them
selves by placing a double thickness of
elastic around the lever, which was DESIGNED
to set hre TO some matches attached 10 fuse
IN the mouth of the bottle of punpoyder.
The strength of the elastic had loosened the
pivot upon which the lever moved. making
the machine entirely ineffective when the
lid was taken off,
Stanley Meets Speaker Reed
All the civilized world knows how Stan
ley found Livingstone, but there has been
no widespread information as IN how IN.