The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-18
FIENDS CAUGHT.
Commissioned to Kill President
Mckinley.
Italians Mareea and Weida
Came ON Kaiser Wilhelm.
AN ORGANIZED GANG.
Eleven Italians and Three Aus
tralians Were Selected.
All Have Been Detained By Emil
grafton Authorities.
KNIFE AND PISTOL.
Weapons to Use by Assassins
Agreed Upon.
We're to Surround President
and Strike the Blow.
PLOT WAS DISCOVERED
Hatched at Anarchists Meeting
in Naples.
Secret Service Agents ShadOwed
Weapons to Use by Assassin,
Agreed Upon.
We're to Surround President
and Strike the Blow.
PLOT WAS DISCOVERED
Hatched at Anarchists Meetins
in Naples.
Secret Service Agents ShadOwed
the MurderOus Men.

New York, Aug. 1S.-The Evening
World today prints the following rela-
tive to the news received from Wash
ington yesterday of the detention at
the barge office in this city by secret
service agents of Notable Maresca and
Michil Weida. supposed anarchists, who
arrived yesterday on the Kaiser Wilhelm
II. These two men are understood to
have come to this country as conspira-
tors whose object is alleged was the as
sassination of President Mckinley. The
Evening World says:
Instead of two. a high government
official informed the Evening World to-
day that there are fourteen anarchists
under arrest at the detention prison of
the bureau of immigration. They are
all charged with being in a conspiracy
to assassinate President Mckinley, and
have been taken single and in pairs
from incoming ocean lines within the
last ten days.
United States secret service agents
learned that an anarchist circle in
Naples had cast lots to determine who
should be the assassin. Eleven Italians
and three AustrianS were selected
Closely followed. they sailed for differ
ent ports. Their object was to strike
individual blows at the president at
the same time. That would make sue
cess sure
''As fast as the men arrived secret
service agents disguised as emigrants,
went among them and they were ar
rested. Maresca and Weida, caught
vest arday, were the two of fourteen
The conspiracy was made on a night
early in August. By working with the
Italian police the secret service agents
got wind of great meeting of the
circle in Naples The men selected for
the work in this country were quickly
notified what they were to do,separated,
going Singly or in pairs to different
ports in Europe Some went to France,
ff f1sarc n n
crossed the channel to England. Step
by step they were followed to the gang
plank of steamers.
THE fourteen are now detained by the
emigration authorities and are either at
the barge office at the battery or the
detention quarters at quarantine
lone report is to the effect that some
are in Ludlow street Jail, having been
taken there from Ellis island in order
to thwart any attempt to rescue them
by Paterson anarchists.
So far as known, according to the
Evening World, the plan was for each
man to proceed to Washington at once
on a certain day. They were to sur
round the president and await an Op-
portunity to strike. The blow was to
be by a pistol and knife. One of the
number it was certain would be sue
cessful The question of escape was not
considered, the men being willing to
sacrifice their lives for their principles,
The two men who did not meet their
fellow anarchists were Maresca and
Weida-
Chief Wilkie of the secret service di-
vision of the treasury department had
his agents at the pier when the steam
er docked. The two men did not come
in the steerage as did the others.
MareSca came as a steward in the steer
age and Weida as coal passer. They
could have landed without going
through the fOrmality of the barge OF
fee. When Maresca boarded the Kaiser
Wilhelm II at Naples. August Z. secret
service agent was close on his heels.
Maresca prOfessed to have no money
when he boarded the steamer and made
application to be taken as cook. Failing
in that he asked for a stewardship. There
was a vacancy in the steerage cabin and
he secured that. 1t was not known that
he had a companion. He and Weida did
not come aboard together. AS far as is
known no one saw Weida come aboard
and he was not discovered until six
hours after the vessel sailed. When
found he was secreted as a stowaway. He
was put to work in the hold with the
coal passers and kept busy until the
boat reached quarantine
The Kaiser Wilhelm touched Gibarltar
August and then sailed for New York.
It is not known that either of the men
saw the other during the eleven days of
the run.
steamer was boarded a quarantine by
secret service men who asked to see the
steerage and cabin lists and the ships
roster. First Officer LanZ took the de-
tective forward where they could see the
crew. Purser Meyer remembered record
ing the name of Maresca at Naples and
Maresca was identified by Meyer when
the former was brought out for identif-
cation. Maresca professed to be unable
to understand English. After looking
Maresca over w. P. Hazen, in charge of
the secret service bureau of this city,
said:
Il think that is the man."
Maresca was sent below when the ship
was docked When the liner tied up at
her pier, Maresca was informed and he
was under detention. He was asked
where his baggage was and replied in
Italian: ''Weida has it,
This was a new lead and Weida was
summoned from his work at the furnace