Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-05-28
THE DYNAMITE PLOT.
PENNsYLvANiANs ON TRIAL FOR TRY
ING TO BLOW. UP A FAMILY.

That Is the Accusation Against the PrIs-
oners-FormcrC Congressman Levi waller
and Mrs. Samuel Knorr We're, 1t Is Al
legged, the intended victims.
bloomsbury, Pa, May 2s.-Lloyd s.
Wintersteen and Clifton Knorr have
oeen placed on trial before Judge Err
mentrout of Berks county charged with
making an attempt by dynamite upon
the life Of Levi e. Waller and his fam
lily.
District Attorney Graham of Phila-
delphia, for the prosecution. and ]. II.
Jacobs, for the defense, examined the
Jurors, and 12 men were secured after
a list Of As had been run through.
Knorr and Wintersteen were called
upon to plead to seven different indict-
ments, comprising Is counts. Knorr
pleaded guilty to all the counts; hence,
he will have no trial. Wintersteen
pleaded not guilty. He says he can
easily prove his innocence. Case No. ].
charging Wintersteen with intent to
commit murder by exploding a dyna-
mite bomb, was the first one called.
Levi Waller, upon whose life the at
tempt was made, is a son Of an eminent
Presbyterian divine and was a member
OF the legislature from this county. He
Is a brother of David ]. Waller, late
superintendent Of public instruction in
this state.
Mrs. Waller, whose life was also en-
dangered by the explosion, is a daugh-
ter of former United States Senator
ana Congressman Charles r. Bucka.
lew, who was also United States minis
ter to Peru and who was defeated by
Hartranft for governor of Pennsylva-
mia.
Mr. Wintersteen has a large law prac-
tiee and is also actively interested In
the Bloomsbury Car company, Blooms
burg Brass and Copper company ard
keystone Foundry and Machine com
pany. He is a man of ample means.
A charge of dynamite was exploded
on the porch of the house of Levi e.
Waller, a leading attorney of Blooms
burg, on the morning of Sept. 10, 1896.
Part of the building was torn away.
The explosion was directly beneath
Walters window. He and his wife, who
were asleep in bed were stunned f7r
more than an hour The whole corn-
try rose up in indignation, and a rewe I'd
of $1,000 was offered for the dynami r.
Waller thought of Lloyd s. Winter
steen's hatred of him and told his sus-
picions to a detective.
The Arrest of Knorr.
On Christmas day Clifton Knorr,
young well connected, refined, a grad
uate Of Lehigh university and free
from any criminal associations, was ar
rested in Reading and placed in jail at
Bloomsbury.
Knorr made a clean breast Of all the
vlllainous dealings which, he said, he
had had with his prompter and en-
ployer Lloyd S. Wintersteen. The lat
ter was arrested too.
Wintersteen, Knorr said, had hated
Waller for several years. 1t began in
social feud and was carried into law
suits. Colonel Samuel S. Knorr, Clifton
Knorrs father, and Wintersteen had
been partners, the latter having COM
menced the study of law as the colo
nel's student. They made investments
together, the most important being the
controlling interest in the Bloomsbury
Iron company, acquired in 1887 The
colonel died in 1889. The mill did not
prosper.
Wintersteen had acquired two-thirds
of his partners stock and was trying
for the remainder when the widow,
Clifton Knorrs stepmother, made legal
complaint Of mismanagement. Waller
was her counsel, and the suit grew
more bitter every day. Other suits fol-
lowed.
Clifton Knorr was not on his mothers s
side, though he lived under the same
roof with her. Wintersteen had lent
him money from time to time, and, II is
said, could do what he pleased with
him. Knorr said Wintersteen freque t.
ly declared to him that Waller ough o
be put out of the way. Dynamite IS
several times suggested.
Finally Wintersteen offered Knorr, so
the latter says, several hundred doll IS
after the dynamiting was done, { I'D
IS, 900 or Sc, 900 after his suit against IS
Knorr for money loaned was ended. lie
told Knorr where to get the dynar .e
in a quarry Toulouse. Arrangements
for the explosion were perfected in Sep
tember in Reading. Knorr told how
he put the dynamite under Walters
porch, lit the fuse and escaped to Read
ing.
Knorr twice put poison-a powder
into his stepmother's cup at Winter
steens suggestion in December, 1896, so
the confession says. The servant girl
saw him and emptied II out without
telling her mistress. In January, 1896,
Wintersteen suggested killing her by
diphtheria germs, Knorr said, and they
were purchased by mail from New
York
But the conspirators found they would
have to inoculate Mrs. Knorr. and knew
no way to do 1t. The stepson scattered
the germs over her dress. but they had
no effect.