Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-19

plosiyes.
CHICAGO, Feb. Tiff the story told
by the agents of the national treasury
department now in this city is true one
of the most diabolical of dynamite
plots, involving great loss of life and
property, has been discovered and its
oonsummation prevented Just on the eve
of putting it into effect.
The Western Distillers and Cattle
Feeders Association, better known as
the whisky trust, is a corporation with
a capital stock of $35, 100000, and con-
trolls the price of high wines throughout
the country as it controls all the distil-
leries, with two or three exceptions.
The most important distillery outside
of the combination is that of H. Fl.
Shufeldt, in this city, and it was against
this concern that the plot was arranged.
The exposure of the conspiracy oc-
Cured this morning. George j. Gibson
of Peoria, ILL.,, arrived here at o'clock
and on complaint of Solicitor general
Hart, of the treasury department, who
came here from Washington for the
purpose, was arrested as he alighted
from carriage at the door of the Grand
Pacific and hurried across the street into
the government building, where he was
locked up. The arrest was made as
quietly as possible, and the fact was not
made public till some hours afterward.
The charge laid at Gibson's door is
that he offered Government Gauger 7.
s. Dewar, who is on duty at Shufeldt's
distillery, bribe to blow up the dis
tillery with dynamite Solicitor Hart
tells the story of the plot as follows;
"Some months ago the Washington
department were assured that things
were not just straight from the fact that
the trust people tried their best to have
certain man appointed inspector of
the department from this district. We
set watch Soon t. S. Dewar was
communicated with, and this man Glib
son opened up correspondence with
him. We have the correspondence.
Gibson felt his man cautiously, telling
him at first that Shufeldt's concern was
in the way. He got little bolder soon,
and finally, led on by Dewar, who was
all the time in consultation with the
department, he made straight PROPOSE
ton. He offered Dewar $4,000, and
then increased the offer to $25 900, to
blow up the concern. Gibson stated
bllut llC Hdt Wy HuHlltt IldCHlut tntsa
could be located just outside of one of
the large tanks, so that few
moments after it was placed it would
explode. There wonld be plenty of
time, Gibson told Dewar, for him to get
away, and that he was the only man
who could place it, because of the fact
that as government officer he had ac-
cess to all parts of the building. The
SC .
continued Mr.. Hart, "would have been
that the machine would have exploded
between two of the immense tanks,
making terrible destruction and leav-
ing a sea of alcohol on fire. Gibson lied
when he told Dewar that the machine
would not go off until he had time to
get out, for it would have exploded at
once killing the man who placed it the
very instant before he could possibly
get away, thus destroying the only evil
dence against the trust people, and at
the same time saving to them the S25 900
that Dewar was to have received. In
addition to the destruction of Dewar
and the buildings, the success Of the plot
meant, unquestionably, the death of 150
men working in the place.
CAS- | say, Mr.. Dewar, under our in
conspiracy to the point of doing the
diabolical deed, and when Gibson was
arrested he was waiting uneasily, ex-
pecting to hear of the explosion and the
destruction of all those lives and all that
property.
"We have in our possession all the
evidence to substantiate Dewar's story,
the dynamite machine, the letters, tl.t
m or hfstYr md
fact, everything. The case is practicai}
over. So far as our department is con
cerned the case is made.''
"Have you any evidence to show that
others beside Gibson were implicated Ill
the conspiracy ~ Mr.. Hart was asked,
"Mr. Gibson is the secretary of t
trust, and while we might reason tl.S
Gibson was not alone in this, and Is
somebody higher UP in the trust
the responsible party, we have NIT .
of evidence tending to implicate a3.j
else.
Everything we have points to
son, and to no other person.
The machine, the materials to Ia
effective and the inculpating dGcut
were in satchel which Gibson c.yt
at the time of his arrest.
Some unknown person who h
knowledge of the conspiracy ware
the owners of the distillery on Mono,
of the danger which beset them af5
fixing the date for the explosion ~
or to-day, and they were car5
fully guarding the premises day ana
night.
Two previous attempts, which were
attributed to the whisky trust, but MOI
proved, were made TO destroy Shufoldt's
With dynamite. One of them occurred
wo years ago last fall. Detective Dan
Joughlin Of the city police force, was
letailed in the case, and it was while at
york on il that he made the aequaint-
nee of the little German, John P.
tunze. Both of them were afterward
ried for completely in the assassination
t DIR. Cronin. Coughlin is serving
lie sentence for the crime, but Kunze
ras acquitted.
This afternoon Gibson was taken be-
IRE United States Commissioner Hoyne
nd released on bail of 10000. He de-
lined to make any statement in regard
, the matter.