New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-17
NEW MEXICAN POISON PLOT.
REMARKABLE ACCOUNT OF PLAN FOR MUIR
DERING A NUMBER OF TERRI
TORIAL OFFICIALS.


Santa Fe, ~ NJ. May 16 (speciaD pre-
liminary hearing took place to-day before Judge
John r. McFie upon the charges against Colonel
Edward II. Bergman. ex-superintendent OF the
Territorial Penitentiary; his son. Henry: his as
sistant. o. L. Merrill and T. b. Hart an ex-
convict, OF conspiring to accuse T B. Catron ex-
Delegate to Congress; the former City Marshal
of Albuquerque. Frederick Fornoff. Horton
Moore and John Mosenbecker OF a plot to muir
der prominent people. II brought to light the
most sensational criminal plot ever known in
this Territory. II true.
An ex-convict, william II. Garner had made
a sworn statement in which he accused Catron
Fornoff. Moore and Mosenbecker OF having
hired him. through John II. Williams and John
E. Tate Of Missouri, to murder Colonel Berg
mann. Ex-Judge N. B. Laughlin. Attorney J.
B. Crist. Ex-Governor Thornton Mayor J. w.
Sloan and others.
The plot. according to the story. was broached
in barn near CRANKY Mo. where Tate. Will
Jams, Catron and Garner had their first meet
ing At that meeting Garner states he was
asked to murder Sheriff Chavez OF Santa Fe
County. and was offered 81, 200 for the Job. He
refused 1t and 1t was said to have been given to
the Borregos Chavez was soon after MUIR
dered and the Borresos hanged.
In 1895, at Wiiamsfield Garner was again
approached by Tate and Williams and asked to
kill the above-named New Mexican officials for
$1,000 each. Garner apparently consented. and
started for New Mexico. but went as far as
Tucson, Ariz. and from there to California.
keeping In communication with Tate and Will
Jams all this time. In 1896 Garner was In
structed to go to Albuquerque to meet Fornon.
who would give him further instructions. with
him. Moore and Mosenbecker II was arranged
that Garner should be sent to the penitentiary
on some trumped-up charge, and there, at
dinner at which Bergman. Thornton. Crist'
Sloan and Laughlin were to be together, to pol
son them with strychnine. which Fornoff was to
get into the penitentiary.
Others to be killed by train -wrecking
with dynamite. for which purpose George Wat
son. of CRANKY. was to be hired. He was to be
assisted by ]. w. and Frank Wilson and Samuel
stansberry. a blacksmith, Of Corsicana Mo-.
who had made the drills with which the post
Office at Waddel, Mo, was blown open Garner
alleges that one Of the guards named Burns.
smuggled the poison into the penitentiary on
pieces of bone which Garner picked up and
secreted In his cell He was to get $4,000 for
going to the pententiary in addition to the
81, 200 for each man he poisoned. He said he
had freouent communication with Catron while
in Santa Fe.
Garner never carried out the alleged plot. but
made the above statement before leaving the
penitentiary, and was promptly rearrested when
his time was up and confined in the jail where
he made a second affidavit denying all the above
statements in his first affidavit. and accused
Bergman and Merrill OF having concocted the
first statement and by promising him his liberty
and reward persuaded him to pass OF the
first statement as his own Garner was cross
examined on the stand this afternoon. but AL
though involving himself in several contranc-
tions stuck to his story that his first statement
was q fabrication. devised by Bergmann and MS
assistants to ruin Catron.
Frederick Fornoff and Moore denied all the
statements and knowledge of the conspiracy or
the plot, and Garner was again placed on the
stand The examination will be concluded to-
morrow. Four statements alleged to show the
evolution Of the conspiracy plot. and bottle or
strychnine found at the penitentary, were
placed in evidence by the strict-Attorney Tne
matter has created an immense sensation In the
Territory as It is by many believed TO be a
sequel to the Chavez-Borregos murder trial ana
the pardon bureau" scandal OF some years ago
Hart was discharged and will turn States evil
dence.