The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-04-11
TO KILL Mr.. DEPEW
BOLD PLOT OF A BsND OF CALI.
FORNIA BANDITS.
They Had Planned to Wreck h
Vanderbilt Train, Kill Chauncey
Depcw If Necessary, and Abduct
Cornelius Vanderbilt-A Member
OF the Gang Gives the Plans
Away.

San Francisco, April S.-GeOrge r..
Gard, late chief of the Southern Pa
cifc company's detective service, came
up from Los Angeles last night and
gave publicity to a remarkable story.
The plot, according to Mr.. Gard, was
nothing less than a conspiracy to hold
up the Vanderbilt special train and
abduct Cornelius Vanderbilt. The Of
ficials of the Southern Pacific company
(who were informed by Mr.. Gard be-
fore the Vanderbilt party reached Ell
Paso) have been taking all possible
precautions to prevent the carrying out
of the plot.
"Shortly before the Vanderbilt party
reached Ell Paso," said Mr.. Gard, II
received a letter which detailed in
some degree the plans of a gang Of ex-
tremists for making money by kidnap-
ing Cornelius Vanderbilt. AS to my
informant, 1 do not think it necessary
to say any more than that he is in San
Francisco. The letter was written
from here, and the men who are work
ing out the plot, so it was given to us,
were making San Francisco their base
of operations. The letter went on to
say that the men had been conspirlng
for some time, but had not been able
to agree on any plan for making a
haul until the story appeared in the
papers that Vanderbilt and Depew
were on their way to California. They
Immediately picked Vanderbilt for a
shining mark and proceeded to lay
plans for a hold-up. My informant
was one of the gang, and in his letter
to me he said that he would continue
to act in the role of conspirator and
keep me informed of their movements
and any further developments in their
plan. The letter was the most strik-
ing epistle I ever received, but l was
convinced Immediately of it's genuine
ness, for I knew the person that wrote
it as we'll as his history and %associa-
tions. l lost no time in going to j. A.
Muir, superintendent Of the Southern
Pacific at Los Angeles, and laying the
whole a S before him.
"From what I could Judge by the
letter. the conspirators had at the time
perfected no plans further than to
agree among themselves to hold up
the Vanderbilt special train at some
point in the San Joaquin valley and
make the best haul that was possible.
If no money vas to be had any other
way, Cornelius Vanderbilt was to be
kidnapped and every one else in the
party was to be killed, if necessary to
the accomplishment of the end in
view. The anarchists, if they may be
called such, had laid their plans to
hold up the train in the San Joaquin
valley, and it, therefore, is unneces-
sary to fear any violence below Bak-
fierseld. This side Of Bakersfield the
special train was run only during the
daytime, and it is barely possible that
this precaution upset the plans of the
conspirators. Neither Mr.. Vanderbilt,
Mr.. Depew o any of the members of
the visiting party were informed of
the anticipated hold-up, and left the
city last evening on their way East
without learning that they had been
made the objects of a conspiracy by a
gang of d~esperadoes."