Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-05-28
coFFEYWLLE EXPLOSION.
Report of the Alliance Members of the In
vestigatinS Committee.

COFFEYvILLE EXPLOSION.
Report of the Alliance Members of the In
vestigating Committee
TOPEKA, Kan. May 21.-The peoples
party members of the Coffeyville in
committee who had been
holding their report until the republic
ans should have submitted theirs have
become weary at the continued delay ;
of the senators and have published
their findings in the Alliance Advocate
The report first declares that no evil
dence was given in support of the pho
chemical explosion theory /
and discusses the evidence on that point |
at length
In regard to the second theory. that I,
of malicious intent on the part of Up
ham to kill his wife and adopted daugh-
ter, the report finds that the only testi-
mony in support of this is that the
servant girl of Mr.. Upham told a col
ored man, who told Mr.. Conner that the
family relations of Mr.. and Mrs Up
ham We're not pleasant
The third theory, that it was revenge
on the part of the union labor party on
account of the vidette expose, no evil
dence being offered in support OF this,
except from assertions in newspaper
articles, was dismissed as unsupported
and untenable-
The fourth theory that 1t was a
scheme of Ed 2. Greer, Bion s Hutch
ins, c. a. Henrie and probably others
to add force and emphasis to the second
vidette expose, thereby injuring the
union labor party and throwing suspi-
cion on the Vincent brothers as being
anarchists and dynamiters, was dis
cussed at length and all the evidence at
the trial reviewed with strong leaning
against the alleged republican conspir-
ators The probable connection of
Henrie in disguise is dwelt upon in ex-
tense. The Montgomery county attor-
neys are given scoring and Upham's
actions are declared suspicious Hen
rie's efforts to prove an ahbi are shown
to be himsy in more ways than one
Additional proof" the report con-
tinues, ''that the managers of the re-
publican campaign are guilty of aiding
and abetting the preparation and the
sending of the box is found in the ap-
pointment of CA. Henrie clerk in the la
Dor bureau, large amount Of testimony
plainly showing that he had been &C
tive in opposition to the republican
party until August, 1855 The evidence
also proves that on account of personal
dishonesty, immoral habits and general
want of truthfulness, he has lost the
respect and confidence of his former
associates (page 55S). His willingness
to betray his associates and to perform
any disreputable act seemed to be high
| recommendation for the managers of the
| republican campaign to employ him.
| The evidence shows that he was EN-.
ployed in preparing the matter of the
so-called expose. A large portion of the
| time while in the employ of the repub-
| lican central committee he spent IL
travelling to Cincinnati, New York and
| different cities in Kansas. where he had
ample opportunity to procure the neces
sary material for a dynamite explo
| sion.''
After dwelling ON Henrie's political
record at length the report says: 1t i:
impossible to think of an explanation
of c. A. Henrie's appointment, except
that he knew about the damnable plo'
of preparing and sending the box, an6
that, for the purpose of keeping him
silent. the position was given him. The
refusal of the legislature of 1889 to in
| vestigate the explosion seems to us con
1rmation of the theory that the manage
of the republican party were connected
with it Surely such serious crime
| accompanied by such results, openly
charged to a dominant party, ought IL
be worthy of an investigation"
Attention is given to Joe p. Winton
of Winfield, and Sid Cure and the gov
ernor's expression to Leland j. Webb
LELAND, we had to do it, is quoted
In conclusion, the report says: lou
conclusions drawn from the foregoing
review of testimony are that there wa
conspiracy on the part of some one I
do certain things for the purpose @
breaking the ranks of the union 1abo
party and adding strength to the reput
ican party in the political campaign G
the fall of 1855 The vidette expos
was the first step in that line, this wa
followed by the second expose and tn
preparation of the box of dynamite
which would have been in Winfield
! Kan, October 10. had it not prema nature
ly exploded in Coffeyville.
''We are further of the opinion tina
) C. A. Henrie had some connection wit
the preparation of, and delivered sal
box at Coffeyville, to be shipped by e,
press to Winfield, to be explode
somewhere; and under the excitemen
following the explosion a raid woul
probably have been made on the otfic
of the Nonconformist-
1--WE are further of the opinion ths
Bion S Hutchins and Ed Greer wer
cognizant of what was being done,
not direct participants of the same
, ''And further that no man could hav
, been appointed commissioner of labo
+ who would Eot appoint c. A Henrie I
position as clerk in said office
"a
to the position which he holds to-da
as a reward for the part performed b
him, and to prevent him from revealin
what he knows of the affair whic
would irnplicate other parties
EZRA CARY,
Chairman.
l 7. VI. TEMPLEToN,
NJ. Sem,
G. w. CRUMLEY.''