Connecticut western news., 1897-05-27
THE DYNAMITE PLOT.
PENNsYLvAniANs ON TRIAL FOR TRY ING TO BLOW UP A FAMILY.


 That Is the Accusation Against the Prls- oners-Formsr congres.man Lsviwansr and Mrs. samuel knorr Were, It Is Ai- legged, the Intended Victims.
 Bloomsburg, Pa, May 26.-Lloyd s. Wintersteen and Clifton Knorr have been placed on trial before Judge Er- 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 l2 men were secured after list of 4s had been run through
 Knorr and Wiutersteen were called upon to plead to seven different indict- ments, comprising l5 counts knorr pleaded guilty 10 all the counts, hence. he will have no trial. winterateen pleaded not guilty. He says he can easily prove his innocence. Case No 1. charging wintersteen with Intent to commit murder by exploding a dyna- mite bomb. was the first one called.
 Levi Waller, upon whose life the att tempt was made, Is n son of an eminent Presbyterian divine and was a member of the legislature from this county. He is 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 and Congressman Charles R. Buckas lew, who was also United States minis- | ter to Peru and who was defeated by Hartranft for governor of Pennsylva- nia.
 Mir. wintersteen has a large law prac- tice and ia also actively interested in the Bloomsburg Car company. Blooms burg Brass and Copper company and 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 for | more than an hour. The whole coun- try rose up In indignation, and a reward | of q, 900 was offered for the dynamiter. Waller thought of Lloyd s. Winter steen's hatred of him and told his sua- picions to n 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 Bloomsburg.
 Rnorr made n clean breast of all the vlllainous dealings which. he said. he had had with his prompter and em- | I lpt hs la f- ter was arrested too.
 wintersteen, Knorr said. had hated Waller for several years. 1t began In a social feud and was carried into law- suits. Colonel Samuel s. Knorr. Clifton Knorr's father, and Wntersteen 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 Bloomsburg Iron company, acquired In iSS1 The colonel died in 1889. The min did not prosper.
 wintersteen had acquired two-thirda of his partners stock and was trying for the remainder when the widow. Clifton Knorr's stepmother, made legal complaint of mismanaKement Waller was her counsel, and the suit grew more bitter every day. Other suits fol- lowed.
 Clifton Knorr was not on his mothers side, though he lived under the same roof with her. wintersteen had lent him money from time to time, and. it is said, could do what he pleased with him. Knorr said Wintersteen frequent ly declared to him that Waller ought to be put out of the way. Dynamite was several times suggested.
 Finally wlntersteen offered knorr. so the latter says, several hundred dollars after the dynamlting was done, and sB, 900 or ss, 900 after his suit againat Mrs. Knorr for money loaned was ended. He told Knorr where to get the dynamite fin a quarry toolhouse. Arrangements for the explosion were perfected in Sep tember in Reading. Rnorr told how he put the dynamite under Walters porch. 1t the fuse and escaped to Read ing.
 Knorr twice put polsou-a powder Into his stepmother's cup at Winter steens suggestion in December, 1888. 70 the confession says. The servant Flrl saw him and empticd it out without telling her mistress. Tn January, lSso. wlnterstecn suggested killing her by diphtheria germs. Knorr said, and they were purchased hy mall from New | York.
 But the conspirators found they would have to inoculatc Mrs. Knorr. and knew no way to do it. The rtepson scattered the germs over her dress. but they had | no effect