Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-13
OLIVER PLEADS NOT GUILTY OF THE
BOMB OUTRAGE.
LOOKS BAD FOR HIM, HOWEVER.
HE BOUGHT DYNAMITE IN ATCHIsON
ON WEDNESDAY.
II Is Said That He Was Mt the Bot.
tom of n Plot to Murder Major
ShOckIey and Rob Him of
$4,000 Pension
Money.

| Leavenworth, Kas., June 12.-(Special) }
| The attempt to kill Governor A. J. Smith
! and his family by the use of dynamite was
| about the only thing talked of at the Sol
| dieTs home and in this city to-day. That
| Joseph W. Oliver. the veteran now in the
! county Jail, is the guilty man is believed
by many.
A Leayenworth detective went to Atchi-
| son to-day and. in making the rounds of
| the stores in that place, found that Oliver
| had been there Wednesday, when he pur-
chased two sticks of dynamite at the gun
| store of Lou Erhart. The man who sold
the dynamite to Oliver furnished an accu-
rate description OF him. He will be here
at the preliminary trial Tuesday t. iden-
tify Oliver.
When the news came in that Oliver had
purchased the dynamite, it caused fresh
outburst of indignation against him. There
is not the slightest danger of a lynch
ing. although some men are trying TO stir
up mob feeling. Most people look on
Oliver as being crazy, and nearly everyone
who knows him will swear that he is in
sane. A watch will be kept on him to
keep him from committing suicide.
With all divers queer ways, he IS pos
sessed of a devilish cunning and is ex-
tremely dangerous. 1t was learned this
evening that Oliver put up n job recently
to rob Major Shockley, treasurer of the
Soldiers home, of $1,000 pension money,
and had he kept quiet ard not tried to get
too many into the scheme he might have
made a success of it. 1t is said that he
planned to shoot Major Shockley and the
four veteran guards who always accom-
pany him in taking the cash from the city
banks to the home TO pay the pensioners,
as they passed through the strip OF woods
in the South Side park, between the main
part of the city and the home grounds.
The night before pay day, man called at
Major Shockleys residence and told him
of the plot. The man was disguised and
was in great fear that Oliver would find
out that he gave the job away.
Major Shockley was not alarmed. but in
bringing out the money he had detail of
the city police accompany him, and the
south route was taken.
After Oliver left the home, there was a
little delay in paying him his pension mon
ey. He stormed around. and it is said that
he threatened to kill Major Shockley un-
less his money was paid Tuesday on an Or
der that he would send out for it. He per-
haps used part of this money to purchase
dynamite for the scheme that finally land
ed him behind the bars.
This evening The Journal correspondent
called on Oliver at the county Jail. He was
about what people were saying. He was
especially anxious to know what was being
published about him. In the course of his
talk, he said:
II am innocent, snd if they don't look out
the person who threw the bomb will get
away. No one saw me near the home res
ervation and 1 can prove where was Fri
day night"
on being questioned on this point he re-
talI bo hut
81 never handled dynamite in my life, and
/ would have killed Smith by shooting him
on the street. l would not have come up
behind his back to do it. 1 did not do that
way in shooting at the car conductor. No
one saw me near the home. and my pants
got wet by walking on the the sidewalk,
where there were weeds along the side.
1 don't need lawyer for this case. and I'll
conduct it myself. All / want is to get
Smith on the witness stand and question
him. They tell me he won't take the
stand"
Further on Oliver said II he was convict
ed they would put him in the penitentiary
for life and that he would sooner be hung
than go to prison. When the reporter asked
him If he would put up an insanity defense
he did not like it. and said that hundreds of
veterans told him he was crazy.
Oliver is "a years old. and he was born in
Indiana. He never married, ana says that
the only relations he has are distant ones
living in Oregon. He is getting a pension
of s. n month because of heart disease.
He has no money to pay lawyer.
Oliver is a crank who goes wild on every
passing fake. During the excitement over
the "airship" he wrote a long letter to a
Leavenworth paper telling how he had in
Vestigated the ship business with q clair
Voyant, and that they had affidavitS to
back up their statements.
Mrs. Smith Is resting easily and will soon
be in her usual health. She was removed
to the city this afternoon.
1t is said that Governor Smith will not
allow anything TO be disturbed around his
home until the board of Soldiers home
managers get here and view IL. Colonel
Sidney Cook is expected from Herington
tomorrow morning.
Congressman Hull. of Iowa, is here, It is
said, making demands that Governor Smith
be retained at this home. Mr.. Hull is said
to be the congressman who changed his
vote and retained General Franklin as one
of the home managers. His son has just
been appointed an assistant surgeon at
the home.
The people of Leavenworth and the vet
Grams al the home look with horror on the
effort to assassinate Governor Smith, and
sympathize with him in his affliction; but,
at the same time. they are not pleased with
the effort that is being made to turn this
into an issue to have Governor Smith re-