The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-28
DYNAMITE CONSPIRACY
SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE AT THE
TRIAL OF LAWYER WINTERSTEEN.
Clifton KnOrr Tells How Diphtheria
Germs Were Procured to In
ect His Mother.

BLOOMSBURY, Pa, May H--The third
day of the trial of L. S. Wintersteen for
conspirac" murder by an attempt to
blow up esidence of Levi p. Waller
with dyn was resumed to-day. Clifton
Knorr ga, e long account of the events
following his fight to Reading. He said
that Wintersteen had coached him thor
oughly on the part he had to play and
promised to defend him in case he was ar
rested after the dynamite outrage. He
also told him how he had correspondence
with Wintersteen under the name of Miss
Name Wilson" to prevent being traced by
his letters. The story was long and some
what involved, but sounded more like a
sensational novel than a relation of real
facts. Wintersteen, according to Knorr,
displayed fiendish ingenuity in his plans to
battle the detectives and carry out his
plots. When the desirability of numbering
Mrs. Knorr was preached. witness said
Wintersteen had got diphtheria germs
to use in lieu of poison to prevent detection
of the crime These. however, witness said
he had not administered but had thrown
away
Knorr said: I'm Wintersteens house in
December, 1885, Wintersteen suggested
getting diphtheria germs to give Mrs.
Knorr diphtheria and get her out OF the
way. He gave me SIS and ! went to New
York and saw John Rothschild and he said
he thought he could get me some germs
from a doctor. / afterwards got a letter
saying that Rothschild could get them on
receipt of S.. which Mr.. Wintersteen bor-
rowed from Mr. Townsend a tailor. ! sent
the money by United States Express to 394
Bowery, New York city. A few days later
| received the germs and in the evening
showed them to Wintersteen in his Office.
l promised at Wintersteens suggestion, TO
scatter them over my mothers clothing, but
/ took them down and threw them away.
After this he suggested poison and gave
me So to get tartate of anthony; Wmch,
! he said. would be hard to trace; rms | got
and showed to Wintersteen and then threw
it away also, making no attempt to use lt
on my mother | gave my m mot soIne1
nitro chloride | put it in cup without
her knowledge. 1t was not poisonous
The cross-eXamination, which was con-
tinued by Attorney Shields, failed to shake
the testimony of Knorr in any material re-
spect When asked why he did not XIII
Mr. Waller with a knife or a reVoiTer,
knorr replied that he did not wish TO- The
reason 1 used dynamite he said, was be-
cause Wintersteen told me to. / had been
fooling with him long | was afraid TO
! further deceive him. l was afraid or ms
| anger and also feared that ne would not
| give me any more money. Thls testimony
| created a profound sensation. knorf was
on the stand ali forenoon a+.o,t,or
Knnrr US US indicted with Wintersteen. but
pleaded guilty Levi p Waller, VINO ~ -
| alleged Wintersteen had plotted TO MURDER
is the son of a former prominent FIespy-
| terrain minister, his wife being the daugh-
| ter of Charles r. Buckalew, ex-Unlted
| States consul to Peru and eX-state senator.
| Knorr the alleged tool of Wintersteen, IS
! the son Of the late Col. Samuel Knorr, for
many years one OF the leadlng henlpers %
the Columbia county par anu t one Ul
| Bloomsburg's wealthiest citizens; WINTER
| steen who is charged in Knorr's confes-
! sion with being the real consplrator IN me
| plot to Kill Waller, was at the time OF ms
| arrest one Of the most prominent attorneys
u or pi the night of Sept 10, 1896, an attempt
| 10 low dynamite
| house and sleeping family of Levi +. wal
| Ter This attempt caused great sensation
in Bloomsbury, as MT. W "a. We" eo,,p nv
! The explosion remained mystery until
| few days later, when Knorr, who had IN
! the meantime gone TO Reading was ar
rested in that city and afterwards made
! confession duplicating Wintersteen.
According to Knorr's confession, ne Ire Ire
uuently met Wintersteen in January, 1850,
on which occasions Wintersteen OFTEN
spoke of the injury Mr.. Waller was DONG
him as attorney in the equity sun OF ne
Samuel Knorr estate against the blooIs+
burg Iron Company. Knorr stated thaC
Wintersteen had even gone so far as 70
discuss plans about blowing up Ndller
while the latter slept, and offered Knorr
5000 if he would do the job, with a proIillse
of $1,000 additional when the equity SUIT
Knorr saws that arrangements were then
made and during the month or January
he stole five sticks OF dynaHiIe, ie nd Ma
caps from a quarry near town anu nv
them under the sidewalk. sept y Was Sc
lected as the night to dynamite waller ,9, >
house and after an alleged conIershhGiJ WIZ M
latter said that he hoped the dynamite
would blow Waller TO hell knorr went
to RIoomsburg got his dynamite, ana az
| o'cIocl< on the morning Of the 10th OF Sep
temPer placed the charge on Mai only
! tba can expIoded Knorr said that he was
anxious to finish the job. and that night he
went to the quarry. broke open the 1901
house and stole six more sticks OF dyna-
mite with new fuse and caps. He was
partially successful in his second attempt.
| The front of Mr. Walters house being al
| most torn away This confession Of knorr
| was corroborated at the preliminary hear
| ing by the testimony of MIR. Waller MINI
! self i C. Miller and considerable clrcum-
! stantial evidence.
|