The record-union., 1895-12-17

CHICAGO. Dec. 16.-Somebody sent
George NJ. Pullman and p. D. Armour
a premature Christmas present. or
rather two of them, which. if they are
not Internal machines, are deadly
enough TO have seriously dishgured the
countenances of these two gentlemen,
had they received and opened the pack
ages, which came through this morn
ing's mail addressed to them
Anything OF unusual appearance ad-
dressed to milionaires is generally
closely scrutinized by the postal au-
thorities for the reason that more than
any class of people they are the targets
Of the cranks. SO it happened that
when the mail was being made up this
morning two oblong boxes addressed
to the two magnates at their Prairie
and Michigan avenue residences, re-
spectively, were held and a telephone
message sent to each TO hold all mail
before opening ii. They did not need
this warning, but that is another story
Last night at j. O'Clock a man called
at the Armour residence and asked for
Mr.. Armour. The butler who answered
the door told him that gentleman could
not be seen. The same man also called
at Mr.. Pullman's house, made similar
request and was also refused access
This morning the visits We're repeated.
This man, whose name is =. A. owen,
and who is now under police surVeil-
lance, suspected of knowing more about
the matter than he cares To tell told
d queer story. He says that last night
about . o'clock, while he was stand
ing in an alley back of a State street
theater ne overheard two men engaged
in low conversation, the burden of
which was that they intended 10 blow
Messrs. Armour and Pullman into the
next world through the agency of two
internal machines which they would
receive with their mail to-day. One of
the fellows had a black bottle, out Of
which he took some frequent draughts
each time saying TO his companion,
We'll. here's TO old Pullman and Ar
mour."
The eavesdropper says he lost no time
in Soing TO the millionaires and giving
them warning of the threatened dan
ger If the fellow expected reward for
his revelations he was disappointed.
telephone to Inspector Stewart Of the
Postal Department brought that official
On the scene, and Owen was taken to
his office in the Government building
and put through a mild sweatbox ex-
perlence. He stuck to his story that
the only role he played in the affair
was that of benefactor. He made a
written statement for the Inspector.
which was substantially the same that
he made to Armour and Pullman early
in the day.
There is now no doubt that the con-
triTances were deadly internal ma
chimes. The theory of the officials is
that the machines were deadly beyond
doubt, but that sender, who they be-
lieve is Owen, did not intend death for
the recipients. but merely for the pur-
pose of reaping a reward for warming
them. On this theory Owen is being de-
tanned, and as there are no postal laws
which cover such a case, the police
have been asked to step in and have de-
tailed two detectives on the case. Owen
may be arrested before morning He is
an employe of Deeds Metallic Packing
Co, 1888 Marquette building, and an
expert worker in metal and a machin-
ist. There is another theory that Owen
intended at first to kill both men, but
weakened at the last moment. There is
but little evidence, however, to con-
meet him with the case