Evening journal., 1891-12-07
AN EPIDEMIC OF CRANKS
New York Seems Overrun with
Murderous Madmen. sl
ABAND OF BOMB THRoWERs EXISTS.

1t Is Believed That other Capitalists
Besides Russell Sage Were 20 Have
Been Blown Up II They Did Not SUR
render Control OF the Railroads.
NEW York. Dec 7.-An epidemic OF
cranks, ON murder bent, has strnek this city.
Tine first OF these made his appearance a
week ago Sunday, when John George Roth
fred three shots at Rev John Han, DID,
the eminent divine. Fortunately his aim
was poor and the reverend gentleman was
spared. The second crank to appear was
Wilson, who, on Friday, startled the world
by his almost successful attempt TO kill Rus
sell Sage, the wen known broker, with dy-
nainite Sunday another dangerous crank
came TO light. He is Oscar Weyrauch, fifty
years old, bookbinder In a threatening
letter sent by him to Conrad Harris, re-
tired wine. merchant on Saturday, he de-
mands $500 within two days. He adds.
"If You don't take notice Of this, my re-
quest, you will be the next to follow Russell
Sage, and win blow your brains in the air
without hurt anybody else.7
II May co Hard with Harris.
Mr. Harris promptly turned the letter
over 70 the police and Il itresulted in the mad
mans capture. He submitted quietly TO ar
rest, but said 1t would 20 hard with Harris
| If ever he secured his release Harris says
he first met Weyrauch fourteen years ago in
Heese Germany. Weyrauch was wealthy
bookbinder at that time and prominent
citizen He has since squandered his for
tune in wild dissipation. Harris said he had
helped the mailman at various times, but
i .1 80
rauoh was committed to the Bellevue insane
pavilion.
A Band of Bomb Throwers.
No new light was shed yesterday on the
identity Of the crazy dynamite thrower who
tried 10 slay Russell Sage HE singed, trunk
leas head, with its wifd staring eyes, was
recognized on Saturday as that Of a crank
who had bothering Museum lecturer Horne,
but his name IL atill unrevealed The ma
niecs supposed accoinplice, William ID.
Southworth. was arrested yesterday by In
spector Byrnes, but upon being shown the
horrible face in the picking jar at the
morgue snid that he had never seen il be-
fore Horne identified Southworth az one
of the fanatics he had met in the company
of the dynamiter, and Southwortk admitted
acquaintance with Horne.
= BY this link Inspector Byrnes pretty near-
| er aad Southworth belonged 10 a band of
lunatbs bent on waging war on capital and
/, capitalists. Both men wore the badges Of
I I, their order and their talks with Horne were
I identical IN incendiary character.
us----. tra---s-sH U---A--
!. II is not unlikely that Inspector Byrnes
/ has hah dozen kindred cranlSs under lock
Q and key at police headquarters, and that he
win be- able 70 tell that ma many crackbrains
were concerned in the dropping Of the bomb
! in Russell Sages Office last Friday after
! | noon
Three persons have positively identified
4 the severed head, but each crank they said
!. il belonged 20 was found 10 be alive One
!. man was willing TO take oath il was South
|. worths head until Southworth was brought
before him
= Southworth told Benjamin Norris, son Of
! the proprietor Of the Cornish Arms hotel, at
I. II West street, that he had been engaged to
lecture at Worth's museum on tile subject
Of carrying people to San Francisco as freight
7 ut one dollar q head, and that be WAS sup
ported by friends in the Masonic temple, at
Sixth avenue and Twenty-third street.
Z Southworth also told David B. Shaw that
= be was about to deliver a course OF lectures
i throughout the country on the subject Of
Z organizing secret society, Of which he was
!. to be the head He would promulgate the
I idea " getting the votes Of people to do
away with all telegraph companies railroads
Y and other monopolies in the hands Of indi-
Z yiduals and place them in the hands Of the
government
a. "He then asked me, p said Shaw, III had
Y any money He said it would take from
y ESQ so 500 70 engage hall for the FIRST leo
Y Y ture. In his conversation he referred to Jay
Gould, Russell Sage and other capitalists.
- He said these men had too hong control of
" railroads, and be wanted the people to con-
y troll them. The people he said, could then
travel 10 San Francisco and equally distant
points for about ST. Only two or three meet
ings, be said, were necessary to arouse the
u people to a point where they would be az
Y strong as Henry Georges party"
u Assisted by MasOns.
Inspector Byrnes says that he learned
y that the Freemaaons gave SOuthwortt
y money to help him along, Southworth told
= = The inspector that be was born in Nashville
Tenn, June IA, 1s8l. In 1884 he was doing
g newspaper work on a San Francisco ionrna
and making speeches. One night he spok'
(, In the Metropolitan temple and the crusl
4, Of people was so great that he was ARRESTED
= for blocking the street.
= After the political campaign of 1884, h
u v said, he was committed TO an insane asylum
- - He told also that he was once arrested II
~ Chicago for sending Italians to Arlzonl
~ without paying their fare,
What scout Horne Knows.
- When Captain Harry Horne, the soou
> lecturer and William D. Southworth, tn
ee crank, we're brought together, Horne a
nd once recognized Southworth as one Of tn
ar companions Of the bomb thrower. South
DO worth was introduced to him by the MAJ
IS whose head is in the morgue. Southwortl
IN and several others, he said, were waiting a
Is the foot Of the stairs in the museum whe.
the dynamiter presented a letter to him.
The scout said: II met Southworth ses
eral times. They told me that they like
III me as a lecturer and offered me $50 to civ
OF 3 lecture for them, OF $3.50 for two lecture
", Each Of the cranks wore a badge-a sllel
ty and three letters-'G. A. L.
as "They told me that the subject Of my le
rs. ture would he that railroads should be Co
OF trolled by the government and that pc
son should be carried on the railroad at Il
tame rate as freight They talked abol
Jay Gould and Russell Sage, and how the
ICE would be bombed If they didn't attend u
nd lecture, but said that / would not be askI
49,