Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-12
PLOTTED CARNAGE.
Terrible Accusation Against .
Whisky Trust Man.
A SCHEME FOR DEATH AND HAVOC.


$50 Lives Put in Extreme Peril, IncIud-
ing the Only Witness Against the Plot
ter-Allegcd Facts in the Case.
CHICAGO. Feb. I2-George c. Gibson.
| secretary of he whisky trust was arrest
ed in front OF the Grand Pacific hotel yes
terday morning on charge of attempting
TO bride an o finer from properly perform
ing his Official duties This is the tech
nical reading OF the charge under which
Mr.. Gibson i confined but if the govern
| ment employees are to believed he is inn
plicated in 8. scheme to destroy a vast
business property and endanger the lives
| OF 80 people The story, as told by A.
! Hart, solicitor o. internal revenue, who
came on from Washington City, is thrilling
| in the extreme
The Story Told by Hart.
His story Is as follows: Some time ago
the attention OF the government at Wash
| ington City was called to what appeared
| TO be peculiar transactions in Chicago.
The whisky trust people had been en-
deavoring TO secure the appointment of a
| certain government official, and the hard
| work they put in to accomplish their end
reused grave suspicious. Consequently it
was decided to have a thorough investiga-
| tioa, and Officer Brookes was sent out
| from New Y rk to look over the field. The
| trust people had for a long time been
| making serious charges against the Schu-
| feldt distillery, and its methods of doing
| business Were thoro ughly investigated
but nothing wrong could be disc overed.
The Attempt to Bride Dewar.
Brookes continued his work. however.
until a startling incident occurred that
completely changed the current of his
| search. T. : DeWar. special agent and
gauger on duty at Chicago, says he was
, approached by Gibson, who after many
interviews commenced to sound the Off
cial as TO his monetary needs DeWar did
| not reject the idea with scorn. hut led the
fellow or, and finally one day was re-
warded by having Gibson come 70 the
point, and tell what he wanted. "It's a
piece Of work that won't bring YOU under
suspicion aid the tempter. ~aud there's
$4,000 in it for you now. while by the
time the job i completed I know we will
have raised it TO s., coo
Wanted DistiIIery Removed.
What we want TO do i TO remove Shu-
feldt's distilery II i a standing menace
to our tru>;, but can show Won how we
can do i, and vet not cause him
any financial loss. Then Gibson. it is al
! legged, went IN TO explain his Internal
plan at length. DsWar being a special
gauger. has The right to go about the
prem ses OF distillery at any time and
examine the casks and test the contents
Consequently he would have an excellent
opportunity 70 use dynamite or any other
| explosive Wi; bout being observed \ GER
| tain machine that had ALREADY been con-
| structed could he used. loaded and pre-
! pared with an application OF fluids. and
| exploded at will
| Devilishness of the scheme.
| By diagram the exact place in the
| basement WIS pointed out TO DeWar
| where he should leave the machine. When
| the explosion came il would drive hole
| through the tanks of spirits which filled
| the room. and they would drop down to
| mingle with ne fire underneath. The en-
| tire structure would soon be DESTROYED.
| There was one point in this plan that was
! not brought 70 the attention of DeWar,
| although Gibson and his associates were
| undoubtedly aware Of it when they made
| their arrange rleucs Every human being
who might have happened to be in the
| buil3inC ut the time OF the explosion
| would have been instantly killed and il
| Is estimated that there ara fully $50 en-
| ployes AZ work every hour during the day
| and night
The Growing Diabnlism.
| Still another hidden detail OF their plot
| has been brought to light. and Mr. De
| War has reason to congratulate himself
| that he was honest He was told by Glib
| sou that the machine was SO constructed
tha- it would afford him ample time TO
! leave the building Il was an utter false
| hood Not b. even the most fortunate
! circumstances would DeWar have been
| able to get away before the explosion oc-
Cured, and his body would have re-
manned there with the others. charred and
bIackened Thus the only man who could
| have testjf against Gibson would have
been easily and cheaply disposed of.
| Luckily Dew ar was an honest man. and
| he gave the story 70 the authorities.
Pound in Gibson'> SacheI
When CHS IN was arrested ne did not
seem surprised but requested To he al,
lowed to ge; i'd OF his sachel This the
| officers re used TO allow. and Gibson was
/ taken TO tie federal building where the
| sachel wa examined The oalv thing
| found in ii Il at interested the officers was
pint botJl- containing a colo-less fluid
! and small funnel These articles ap-
! peared to Je oi the greatest Importance 70
the authoriJi-s. and they guarded them
/ jealously 6 ib-on was taken before Com
missioner Horne at once and held in s2l,
/ 600 bail
/ Pooh -Poohed by q Trust Man.
P. J. Hennes>ey. one of the Chicago di
rectors OF the whisky trust, was seen last
night AMI did not appear in the least dis
turbed over De arrest OF Gibson. There
have been So many sensational stories,
said Mr.. HenresseT, about the whisky
trust and Sluteldt's distif.ery, all Of
which have come TO nothing, that look
upon tbs a one of them was with Mr.
Gibson most u the afternoon, and he as
sured NE thai the story was made out o.
whole cloth nd that he could easily prove
his innocence in the matter" A. Peoria
Mr.. Gibson's home, no one believes thai
there Is word of truth in the charge
Paid 80 Per Cent. of Its Deb:s-
WASHINGTON CITY. Feb. 12-The comp
t-oller Of the currency has declared a sec
oDd dividend ~ r.sr cent in favor of tn,