Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-12
DIABOLICAL PLOT
10 BLOW up Rival DistilIsry
With Dynamite
Agent OF Whiskey Taust Isisd to Hribs
Government otiioiai.

CnicAGo. Feb. ll.--lf the story told BY
the agents Of the national treasury Depart
ment nov In this city 10 true, one Of the
most diaeolieal dynamite plots, involvips
great loss Of life and property, has been
| discovered, its contamination being pre-
vented just on the eve Of putting il into
, effect.
The Western Distillers and Cattle Feed.
ers Association, better known as the
| whiskey trust, 10 corporation with capi
| tai stock Of $50 ,o0o. 900, and 1t con.
trolls the price Of high wines through
| out the country, ~ ii controls all Of
| the distilleriss with two or three exceptions,
The most important distillery outside Of the
combination is II. II. Shufeldt Of this city,
and against this concern the plo, was
arranged. An exposure of the conspiracy
occurred this morning. George Gibson Of
| Peoria, ils,, who arrived here at 5 o'clock,
on complaint of of Solicitor General Hart
| of the treasury department, was arrested
as he aiighted from carriage at the door
Of the Grand Pacific Hotel, ard hurried
across the street into the government build.
ing, where he was locked up The arres,
was made as quietly as possible, the fact
not being made public until some hours
afferward. The charge laid at Gibson's
door is that he offered government gauge'
| I. 8. Dewar, who was on duty at Shufeldt's
distillery, bribe to blow up the distillery
with dynamite.
| Solicitor Hart tells a story of plot A.
follows; "Some months ago the Washing.
inston department was assured that things
were not just straight, from the fact that
the trust people tried their best to have =
certain man appointed insps etor Of the de-
pattment for this district. We set u watch
Soon I. s. Dewar communicated with Glib
son and opened up n correspondence with
him. We have the correspondence. Gib-
son felt his msn cautiously, telling him n,
first that the Shufeldt concern WAS in the
way and they were trying 10 get II out OF
the way. lie GOT 4 little bolder soon, and
| duslly. led on by Dewar, who was all the
time in consultation with the department
offered De~ar $4,000. and increased the
offer to s25 900 TO blow up the concern
Gibson stated that he had q dynamite ma
chine that could be located Just outside n
large tank so that in few minutes after
il WAS placed i. would explode. There
would be plenty of time. Gibson tsld
! Dewer, for him to get out of the way, and
he was the only msn that could place 1t be
cause Of the fact that as a government OIL
| Ger he hsd access to all parts of the build.
ing. The result of the success Of the con.
spiracy would have been that the machine
would have exploded between the two
tanks. making terrible destruction
and leaving = sea of alcohol on Are
The machine would have exploded at once.
| killing the man who placed 1t the very In
stant, before he could possibly get away ,
thus destroying the only evidence against
the trust people and at the same time saving
to them the @25, 900 which Dewar was 10
have received. In addition to the desfuc-
ton of Dewar and the buildings the success
Of the plot meant desth to $50 men wor king
in the place. Dewar, under our instruc
tions. went the length OF the conspiracy to
the point Of doing the disbolical deed, and
| when Gibson was arrested he WAS
waiting uneasily expecting to hear
of the explosion ard destruction Of
all those lives aud all that property
We have all evidence to substantiate
DewArs story; dynamite mac hine, letters.
and the contract between Dcwxr and
Gibson. Gibson is secretary Of Trust
while We might reason Why Gibson WAS
not alone in this. somebody higher up in
trust was the responsible party, we have
not bit of evidence tending to implica,e
any one else. Everything we have points
to Gibson and no other person.
Some unknown person, who had knowl-
edge of the conspiracy, warned the owner,
Of the disiillefy Monday of the DANCE,
which beset them. fixing the date for the
explosion for yesterday or today and the,
were carefully guarding the premises da,
and night. Two previous attempts s,tribn-
ted to the whiskey trust, which were no
proved, were made TO destroy Shufeldt',
with dynsmite, one two yexrs ago last fall
Thi, afternoon Gibson WAS taken before
United States Commissioner Hoype. and
realeased on 4 bail of $4,000. He de-
clined to make any statement.