The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-13
THAT DEADLY BOMB,
Elam's Scare Was the Work of n Fla
cetiOus Friend-The Joke Turned.

Eiam's scare Was the Work of Fa-
cetiOus Friend-The Joke Turned.
The deadly bomb which Mr. Edward
Elan found in his overcoat pocket on
Thursday evening was only a part of a
silly joke which C. c. Cunningham carried
into execution. Superintendent Powell had
the joker before him yesterday, and gave
him lecture that may prompt him to put
aside any such affairs in the future. The
joker was crestfallen before and after the
interview with the police. He was some
what alarmed before the superintendent
sent for him. but he felt safer afterwards
although he probably realized that his
foolish act had certain element of danger
in it, especially at time when cranks are
apt to be bred by the publication Of such
affairs. About 10 o'clock in the morning,
before Cunningham had let the police know
that he had placed the gas pipe in Mr..
Elam's pocket, several detectives and Chief
Splann and Superintendent Powell took the
alleged bomb to spot on the river bank
below the city. A fuse was attached, and
securing explosion in this way, a fire
was built around the gas pipe. The heat
failed to explode the affair, and the officers
became Drawer. After opening one end of
the pipe it was found that it was filled with
putty. When Cunningham saw in the pa
pers the excitement the finding of the gas
pipe had produced, he was a badly-scared
man.
He sat down and wrote the following let
ter to Mr.. Elan:
Friend Elam-
Say. old man. L did not mean to cause
you so much of sensation, but L got that
d-m thing out at Smith & Days tin fac
tory-as they placed it in my pocket-for
a jOke-I intended for you to find 1t before
hotel Thought
more about it until this a m, when /
saw the paper. The thing scared me to
carried out at the hotel.
Now they are giving me hot chase
and DO not know the outcome-but l hope
you will stand by me-they MAJ put me
behind the bars until they find out there
is nothing in it, Come over to the hotel if
you can. Hoping you will pardon me for
causing you so much inconvenience remain
Yours in haste.
CUNNINGHAM"
G. G. Cunningham, the man who caused
all the excitement, travels for paint and
varnish mandatory of Toledo, o. He
makes his headquarters at the Grand Hotel,
where life was made a burden to him yes
terday by the people about the house and
his comrades of the road. They scored MIN
without mercy. Cunningham was at Smith,
Day & Co.'S chair factory Thursday and
while there L. ]. Sweeney placed the now
famous bomb" In his sample case He
wasn't much disturbed at finding it there
and the boys at the factory told him to
take 1t to the hotel and have some fun with
IL. 1t appears that a year ago they had
rugged it uD to brighten a colored indi-
vidual who persisted in hanging round the
works and had become nuisance 1t was
forgotten until a few days ago when they
hunted il up, busted il off and placed IT
where a policeman who had been in the
Office TO use the telephone stumbled over it,
bombs" and was somewhat exercised until
the boys told him IL was a dummy. 1t was
next tried on Cunningham, who lugged it
success as an excitement producer until it
proceeded To make up for lost time. Cum
ningham and Elan were playing the slot
machine al the time and the former in
tended To tell Elan about the bomb" but
in the diversion forgot all about ii and
they separated, Cunningham to enjoy a
good nights repose and his victim TO SILVER
at his supposed narrow escape and won
der who had designs on his existence Cum
ningham awOke To find himself in imminent
danger of being arrested as "A murderous
Anarchist and the conditions were at once
reversed, he doing the worrying and Elan
the chucklng.
The circumstances surrounding the affair
did much TO raise excitement The resem-
blance of Mr.. ELAN 10 John i. FrenzeI
bore part IN this. Then there was the re-
cent story of plot on the part of ex-street
car EMPLOYEES.