The record-union., 1893-03-14


work. They appeared to be there in dis,
gu3se. This was enough for Walter: he
decided that there was danger.
"As / and my assistant approached the
two men stepped out into the street, one
OF them holding partially concealed in
crush mans skull. Mr.. Vanderbilt
was entirely unconscious of any danger,
and so was Walter to all appearance. He
was Whlstllng careleSsly as he gave the
signal 10 us. We had to hurry in order
to be in time, but we intercepted the man
with the stone in his hand; ran him and
his companion around a corner without
giving them time for resistance and
turned them over to policeman, In two
minutes they were in custody and | was
following Mr.. Vanderbilt, who still kept
on down the avenue with Walter at his
heels. This incident, l think, illustrates
the business fairly well. OF course, in
the case of the President these general
ideas of constant observation and guard
within cali are extended into a complex
system OF espio mage. 1t will undoubt-
edly be efficiently conducted and nobody
need fear for the welfare of the President
elect.
There have been exciting incidents in
the secret history OF finaugurations, and
more than once there is every reason to
believe that the life of the President-elect
has been preserved by means of the Wig
lance OF his private guard.
But, on the whole, we have no such
record as can be found in the history of
any of the South American republics.
That section seems to be the hot bed for
consplracles and plots in the line of poll
ties. But now that the principal actors
III the HayeS-Tilden trouble are dead. it
is perhaps timely to recall a bit of as yet
unwritten history in connection with that
time. Few even of Mr.. Tilden's best
friends were aware that a counter plot
had been formed to prevent him from
assuming the Office OF President, even
though it is well known now that there
was really, to begin with, no plot to seat
him. About thirty well-known Repub-
licans of the East got together during the
eyentful sessions of the Electoral Com
mission, and determined that as it was
certain Mr.. Hayes would be declared
elected, it would be advisable to insure
the carrying out of the acts of that body;
and that is why four stalwart Republicans
could be seen on guard night and day in
Gramercy Park, and. when occasion de-
manded, at the country home of Mr.. Til
den. There was a belief current some
weeks before the announcement OF the
decision of the commission that Mr.. Til
den was preparing 10 go to Washington
under cover, and was to declare himself
President OF the United States. 1t was
absurd, OF course, but, nevertheless,
there were Republicans who counte-
nanced 1t, and who were in the counter
plot to defeat 1t. In fact the four men
who were named to watch every move
ment made by Mr.. Tilden are all alive at
this day, and at least three of them are
holding Government positions.
The most thrilling plot to assassinate
Presldent-elect was that which Allan
Pinkerton unearthed in the stirring days
OF 1861. An Englishmau named Web-
ster and the eX-Jesuit priest Howard
were the two men who assisted Mr.. Pink
erton throughout the long search for
facts concerning this most appalling con-
spiracy, The facts am going to tell YOU
are from the lips Of the men who foiled
the Baltimore conSpiratorS.
ut was early in February that Allan
Plnkerton was sent from the West to look
after the interests of the PHILADELPHIA.
Wilmington and Baltimore road He ar
rived in the Maryland metropolis early
IN February, 1861, and among the first
men he met was welI-known detective
to whom he had often given employment
in the West. Knowing what an ardent
Lincoln man Pinkerton was, he informed
him that while rounding with the Balti-
more FLOODS the night before he had
heard young Southerner announce him
self as one OF ten or more who would
willingly aSsasSinate Lincoln.
'Pinkerton had felt the pulse of that
Southern city, and he knew that the sem
timentthere was ripe for the formation
of a conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln.
He put Webster on the track in one di-
rection, Mrs. Warn in still another, but
the real work was given to Howard, the
ex-Jesuit priest, man of splendid at
tainments and absolutely reliable. How
ard went into the work with the right
spirit. He was for the time being the
most vindictive Southerner TO be found
in Baltimore; and soon got into the good
graces of the most spirited of the young
soldiers of that city. He Joined their
military companies, their clubs, and he
was soon head over heels in the conspir-
acy. a Captain Fernandina at this time
very influential in Baltimore, proved the
head and front of the dastardly under
taking. Howard soon enmeshed him.
and the Captain was introduced to Pink
erton, the latter posing as the head of a
gang OF Would-be assaSsinS from New
Orleans. Pinkerton has put down the
words that Fernandina used, and they
show how desperate these men were.
Lincoln" said he, "shall never be Pres
ident. My life is of no consequence. [
will sell my life for his as Orsini gave his
for Italy. on might as well try TO blow
down The Washington Monument with
your breath as TO change our purpose.
Die he must and shall"
1t then developed that Colonel Kane
Chief of Police, was in the conspiracy.
Lincoln was to enter Baltimore from
Harrisburg on February I'D, via the
North Central road. The consDiratols
were to kill him while going from the
Calvert-street station to the Washington
depot, and as there would be little or no
police protection the work would be
dead easy" as they put it. They had
even arranged plot to Kill him on the
ferryboat should he come via Havre de
IG.l i
Webster and Howard were two OF the
men who were in the ''darkened room
session." The plan was simple. Fer
nandlna announced that there were nine
teen white ballots and one red ballot in
the box before him. The man who drew
the red ballot was to do the killing No
one was to know who drew it. Each was
pledged to keep the color of his ballot a
secret from even the co-conspirators
Then the pledge was taken with hands on
the box and on the Captains stiletto.
which lay by its side on small deal
table. Suddenly the room was darkened
and the drawing began. Each left the
room after taking a ballot. Webster and
Howard took devious byways to the
Pinkerton headquarters, entering about
the same time. Each drew out his ballot.
They were both red Here was a Climax
Had the conspirators known who they
were all the time? The next two days
sunlced to clear the mystery. Eernan-
dina, to make sure of the death of Linz
coin, had put eight red ballots into the
box. SO there were six men on duty to
do the killing.
'Pinkerton felt it was high time to
warn Lincoln. The latter had lett his
Illinois home on February l1th, and at
that tihle he was in Philadelphia. There
Pinkerton met Mr.. Lincoln and Judd.
and all the facts were laid before them.
Mr.. Lincoln was fearless man and re-
fused to change his plans.
~ will raise the flag on Independence
Hall tomorrow, and speak to the Penn