The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-12
A DIABOLICAL PLOT
To Destroy an Antitrust Dis
tillery.
IF THE STORIES ARE ALI, TRUB
George ]. Gibson, Of Peoria, Ill. Cbarps WIFE
Bribing United States
Gauger.

agents of the national treasury department.
now In this city are true, one of the most
ulsoollcal OF dynamite plots involving great
loss OF life and property has been discov-
ered and Its consummauon prevented lust
on the eve of putting it into effect The
western Distillers and Cattle Feeders, 40
ISOLATION, better known as the WHISKY
trust, Is corporation with capital stock
Oh $50, OO@,O 900 and controls the price of high
WINE through the country as 1t controls all
OF the distilleries with two or three excen-
tlons The most important distillerv ont
side OF the combination is that of RI H
Snufeldt In this city, and was against this
concern that the plot was arranged. Tba
exposure OF the conspiracy occurred this
morning, George j. Gibson, of Peoria.
illinois, arrived at o'clock, and on com
paint OF Solicitor General Hart of the
treasury department, who came here from,
washington for the purpose. was arrested
as ne ahghted from a carriage at the door
OF the Grand Pacific hotel and hurried
acrossthe street into the government build
ing where he was locked US. The arrest
was made as quietly as possible and the
IscI was NOT made public until some hours
afterwards. The charge laid at GibsonIs
door is that he offered Government Ganger
1. ,. Dewar, who is on duty at SbufeIdYs
olstllery, bride to blow I'D the distiIIaI.v
with dynamite
solicitor Hart tells the story of the Mot.
de says Gibson opened conmunications
Win DeWar some time ago, telling him at
hrsG tnSt Shufeldts concern was in the
way and they We're trying TO get il ont of
the way. Finally he offered Deyvar $40 OOo
| and then increased the offer to s25 600 To
oloW up the concern. Gibson told him he
| nad dynamite machine that couI6 he ex
ploded between two large tanks. releasing
and settlng on fire sea Of alcohol: there
would be plenty of time for Dewar to pet
away ana ne was the only man who could
place the machine, because of the fact that
as government employee he had access to
all parts OF the building. ''Gibson lied. J,
SAID Hart, when he told Dewar the ma
| chine would not go off until he had time tn
get out, foriJ would have exploded at once
killing the man who placed it before ha
could possibly get away, thus destroy
ing Ihe only evidence against the
trust people and at the same time saw
ing to them the $4,000 bride, in
addition to the destruction of Dewar and
the buildings. The success of the Mot
meant unquestionably the death of 15O
working IN tue place. AS Isay, Dewar, under
our instructions, went the length of the
conspiracy to the point of doing the diabol-
1OoA 0O0NAy anu H1lGu NTlUSOu was arrested
was waiting uneasily expecting to hear
OF the explosion and destruction of
all these lives and all that
/ property. We have in our possession ali
the evidence to substantiate DeWar's story
tine dynamite machine, letters, the con-
tract between Dewar and Gibson, in fact
everything. The case is practically over
so far as our department is concerned: the
case is made"
Have you any evidence to show that
others besides Gibson were implicated in
the conspiracy" Hart was asked.
"GlDson Is secretary of the trust and
while we might reason that he was not
alone IN TINS and that somebody higher up
In the trust was the responsible party we
have not bit of evidence tending to impIi-
cate any one else. Everything we have
points to Gibson and to no other person
The machine, the materials to make it eff
fecttve and inculpating documents were in
a satchel which Gibson carried at the time
of his arrest. Some unknown person vino
had knowledge of the conspiracy warned
, the owners of the distillery on Monday of
, the danger which beset them, and fixing
. the date for the explosion for yesterday or
, to day, and they were carefully guarding
the premises day and night. Two previ
: Gus attempts, which are attributed to the
: Whisky trust but not proved, were made to
! destroy Shufeldt's with dynamite. One OF
y
tective Dan Coughlin, of the CITY police
! force, was detailed on the case, and it was
? while at work on it that he made the &C
auaintance of the little German, John p
! !. Kunze. Both of them were afterward:
!. tried for completely in the assassination Of
:. DR.. Cronin. Coughlin is serving life sen
:, tence for the crime but Kunze was &C
: quilted.
= This afternoon Gibson was taken befor,
: United States Commissioner Hoyne, AM
= released on bail of $4,000 He declined Il
" make any statement in regard to the mat
ter.
;. In an interview to- night Gibson denie
~ the knowledge of any Internal machine, as
= serts he had no dealings with Dewar AM
7 intimates a conspiracy against him (Gib
= SON. Government officers here are OK
. ceedingly confident however, and sa
- they have the case well in hand
- 1t is learned to night that tn
e Internal machine was of an 'Ingeniou
-. divice. A gun barrel loaded with powde
3 and steel bullet was set into can wit
y, infiamable liquid under it. Dewar was t
y put the machine under vat and pour
chemical into the vent hole; this woul
20 ignite the liquid, the powder would ez
al plode, the bullet go through the bottom Q
70 the vat and the alcohol pour down on tn