Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-12
Guy Fawkes Outdone by the
Whiskey Trust.
A Diabolical Dynamite Conspir-
acy Discovered.
The Lives of One Hundred and Fifty
Men Involved.
A Government Gauger Bribed to Blow a
Large Distiiisry Up-Ths Chief
Conspirator Arrested.
Associated Press Dispatches.

/. partment, now in this city, are true, onI
of the most diabolical dynamite plots
involving great loss Of life and property
has been discovered, and it's consnmma
ton prevented, just on the eve OF its
putting into effect.
The Western Distillers' and Cattle
breeders association, better known al
the whiskey trust, is a corporation witt
a capital stock OF $4,000, 900, and con,
trolls the price OF high wines throughout
the country, as it controls all the dis
tilleries, with two or three exceptions
The most important distillery outside o.
this combination is that of II. III. Shu.
feldt, Of this city, and it was against
this concern that the plot was arranged
The exposure OF the conspiracy oc-
Cured this morning. George ]. Gibson,
OF Peoria, ILL.,, arrived 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 was alighting from q
carriage, at the door of the Grand Pa
cific hotel, and hurried across the street
into the government building, where lie
! was locked up. The arrest was made as
quietly as possible, and the fact was not
made public until some hours afterward.
The charge laid at Gibson g door is that
he offered the government gauger, 7. s.
Dewar, who is on duty at Shufeldt's dis
tillery, bribe to blow up the distillery
with dynamite.
Solicitor Hart tells the story of the
plot. He says Gibson opened negotia-
tiOns with Dewar some time ago, telling
him at first that Shufeldt's concern was
in the way, and that they were trying
to get it ont OF the way. Finally he offered
Dewar SIC, 900, and then increased the
offer to $25, 900, TO blow up the concern.
Gibson told him he had dynamite
machine that could be exploded be-
tween large tanks releasing and setting
on fire sea Of alcohol. There would
be plenty of time for Dewar to get away,
and he was the only inan who could
place the machine, because OF the fact
that as government employee, he had
access to all parts OF the building.
''Gibson lied,' said Hart, "when he
told Dewar that the machine would not
60 off until he had time to get out, for it
would have exploded at once, killing the
man who placed it, before he could pos
sibly get away, thus destroying the only
evidence against the trust people, and
at the same time saving to them the
$25, 900 bribe. In addition to the de-
struction Of Dewar and the buildings,
the success of the plot meant unques-
tionably the death of $50 men working
in the place.
"As say, Dewar, under our instruct
ions, went the length OF the conspiracy
to the point OF doing the diabolic deed.
and when Gibson was arrested he was
waiting uneasily, expecting to hear OF
the explosion and destruction Of all
those lives and all that property. We
have in our possession as evidence to
substantiate Dewar's story, the dyna-
mite machine, letters of contract be-
tween Dewar and Gibson and, in fact,
everything. The case is practically
over. So far as our department is con-
cerned, the case is made"
Have you any evidence to show that
others besides Gibson were implicated
in the conspiracy" Hart was asked.
while we might reason that hewas
not alone in this, and that somebody
higher up in the trust was the RESPONSE
bic party. we have not bit Of evidence
tending to imphcate anyone else. Every
thing we have points to Gibson, and to
no other person. The machine, mate
rails to make it effective, and theoincpl-
pating documents were in satchel
which Gibson carried at the time Of his
arrest"
Some unknown person who had
knowledge Of the conspiracy warned the
owners Of the distillery on Monday Of
the danger which beset them, and fixing
the date for the explosion for yesterday
or today, and they were carefully guard
ing the premises day and night.
Two previous attempts, which were
attributed to the ,whiskey trust, but not
proved, were made to destroy Ehufeldt's
distillery with dynamite. One Of them
occurred twoIyears ago last fail. Detec-
tive Dan Coughlin, of the city police
force, was detailed ON the case, and 1t
was while he was at work on it that he
made the acquaintance Of the little
German, John p. Kunze. Both OF them
were afterwards tried for completely in
the assassination of DR.. Cronin. Cough
lin is serving a life sentence for the
crime, but Kunze was acquitted.
This afternoon Gibson was taken be-
fore United States Commissioner Hayne
and released on bail of 100000. He de-
clined to make any statement in regard
:. to the matter.
In an interview tonight Gibson denies
knowledge OF any internal machine. He
asserts that he had no dealings with
Dewar, and intimates that there is a
conspiracy against him (Gibsor). The
government officers are exceedingly
confident, however, and say they have
the case we'll in hand.
II is learned tonight that the Internal
machine was an ingenious device-a
gun-barre1, loaded with powder and q
steel bullet, set into can with an in
fammable liquid under it. Dewar was
to put the machine under vat and pour
the chemical into the venthole. This
would ignite the liquid, the powder
would explode, the bullet 60 through
the bottom of the vat, and the alcohol
pour down on the flaming can.
PnoRIA. Eeb, l1sThe arrest Of "
Gibson IL Chicsgo today caused intense
surprise 81 TRUST headquarters. Preai'
e1t zleen n Want v WanhinSton teu