Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-13
DISTILLERY PLOT.
THg ACCUSED SECRETARY OF THE TRUST
DENIES TEE Ci4RGR
Tha! he Coaspirsd With the Government Official to
Blow Up the Shuisldt Esiablshmsnt-Ihe
Nature Of the Explosive il the Hands Of the
0tiesrs-COmmiSi1ne Mason Worried

CHCAGo, February 12.-Charles J.
/ Gibson. Secretary of the whisky trust,
who was arrested here yesterday, left
/ for Cleveland last night. In an inter
view before leaving he said, regarding
/ the charges against him: This Is IA
/ damnabe plot 10 ruin ne. but IL VIII
| fail. / have been instructed by my at
torneyS to say nothing, but will say
this: | am innocent Of any crime
But about the solution in the bot
ties; what of that?'
THAT is only medicinal wash.
When IL is tested the secret service Of
icerS will find how ridiculous they have
made themselves"
"What was the nature OF our relations
with Dewar?"
Il decline to answer. 81 you for
moment suppose that l would further
any such scheme of wholesale deStruc-
tion of life as is talked Of? am man.
and have a Ihau's heart. Such talk is
nonsense.
One of the government officers Sald
Il would not do what Dewar has been
doing for the last few weeks for the
So. 600 promised him. Dewar has car
ried with him that internal machine
since it was given him. 1t consists of a
tin box about the size of al oyster eau,
open on one end. In this is i
section of gun barrel. in one
end of which is fitted turned
steel c0nical bullet which protrudeS
from the open end OF the can. Behind
the bullet is heavy charge of gunpOw-
der. a smaller tube runs into the open
end OF the gun barrel. Dewar was 10
pour some OF the infammable liquid into
the tube and then place the box on the
floor under a large vat OF high wines in
the diStillery, with the bullet directed
upward. On exposure TO the air the
chemical would ignite and soon cause
the powder to explode. The steel bull
let would be driven through the bottom
of the vat over head The spirits would
pour down on the fame beneath, and in
a moment the whole building would be-
in flames
1t was about the 10th of January when
Gibson delivered the explosive TO De-
war. aud Gibson has daily been expect
ing news of the carrying out OF the plot.
Since the 10th Gibson has written sew
eral letters TO Dewar and sent him sey-
eral telegramS. All these are in the
possession Of the authorities. OF these
solicitor Hart says; "He frequently
admonishes Dewar that he is not using
the dispatch he ought in the matter.
Last Monday the Department dictated
decoy letter TO 20 Gibson, having De
war write. The letter was TO the effect
that he lDewarl had made several at
temptS 10 carry out the plot and had
failed on account of the liquid. lie
said he thought il had lost its virtue.
He instructed Gibson 10 come TO Chlca-
20 Wednesday aud bring new bottle
OF Cstun. He told him 10 bring evl-
dence that he intended to pay him for
the lob. Gibson answered by telegram
that he would come % Chicago WedneS-
day morning. Dewar met him al the
train and made an appointment to meet
Gibson az the Grand Pacific.
The officers who were watching Dewar
followed Gibson 10 the hotel and arrest
ed him. I'm the grip was a shirt. few
colia.s. d bottle Of liquid and 100 shares
of Whisky Trust stock assigned TO De-
war. 1t was part OF the deal To pay
Dewar i'm part with stock, SAID Hart
..aud he evidently brought the bonds to
show Dewar and spur him on TO do the
deed. think the fluid is Sulphuric
acid aud phosphorus. know that as
soon as il is exposed for a moment to
the air ii eXplodeS.'
WASHINGTON, February l2.-Mr. Ma
son. Commissioner Of Internal Revenue,
| is evidently much worried over the al
/ legged Chicago whiSkey conspiracy, and
denied himself TO callers to-day on the
plea that he was not feeling well.
lie left instructions with his private
secretary. however, TO tell all newspaper
men who might call that he had nothing
| 10 saw about the alleged conspiracy eN-
cept that the Associated Press dispatch
| from Chicago was substantially true, ac-
cording to the information received by
him. The private secretary added that
the case had been managed by the Com
missioner. and that Solicitor Hart had
zone To Chicago as hi, legal represen-
tdtiye.
President Greenhut, Of the Whisky
Trust. and DR.. Rush, of Chicago, are
here looking after legislative matters.
Greenhut said he knew of nothing Glib
son had been doing which would not
bear the light Of day, and he thought
fuss had probably been made over some
trivial matter. He was certain there
was nothing which could in any way in
volye the Trust. whatever GibSon'S in
dNidual actions might have been. Dr.
Rush was of the same opinion. lie
thought il likely that the whole buSl-
ness was repetition Of the dynamite
scare in Shufedt'S diStillery two or three
years ago. and perhaps the work OF
somebody's Imagination.