The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-04-24
TRIED
To Blow up the Canal Lock bui
We're too Drunk.

NIAGARA FALLS, N. ". APRIL 23.If
Karl pullman, John Nolin. and John
Walsh, the dynamiters, who last Sat
urday morning tried to blow out a lock
on the Welland canal at Tnorold. had not
been so rec IN the use OF ,heir whisky,
the chances are that a good many of the
people Of Merriton and the country round
about would have been drowned. Then
men did their planning when they were
sober, but when the time came for their
last and most dangerous move they were
drunk. AS a result they did their work
careiessly and used topers judgment in
their selection OF a time TO put their plan
INFO execution. They lowered dynamite
into the lock at 1880 o'clock In the even-
ing. when they could be plainly seem
Had they waited until midnight and gone
to the scene sober, they would no doubt
have blown out the lock Persons ia
miliar with the regions say that n The
lock at Thorold been opened the rush OF
water from the surface level above would
have swept the town Of Merritone om Of
existence, destroyed a section OF Thorold
and devastated large area.
The Canadian authorities are at present
as much IN the dark as ITO the motive as
70 the motive OF the dynam.ters as they
were on Sunday, They are also without
positive knowledge OF the identity OF the
prisoners. Three theories have been ad-
vanced that the men were hired by Boer
sympathizers: that Fenians instigated Il
and that the men were hired to do the Job
by enemies OF the Conner's syndicate.
hoping by the destruction OF the Cana
dian waterway 10 prevent for this eason
the passage Of any grain through TO Mon
treal. The latter theory found supporters
as soon as It was suggested, and today
every one along the Ce-aadian border, the
detectives and other officers included. ex-
pressed their willing belief in this solu-
ton Preposterous as It sounded, still,
the officers said, it was a shade less RI
diculous than the other theories.
Referring to the cause today. Charles
Young Of this place, said:
There IS not the slightest doubt In my
mind that the men wore too.s for some
body Of men. The force behind It may
never be learned but II It is ! am satis-
fed there will be a sensation.
The result OF the injury so far as It
has gone into the attempt TO wreck the
Welland canal lock by the use of dyna-
mite was aid before the state department
today in a special telegraphic report from
ONltcu states consular Agent 3ruSn at
Clifton, town OF Niagara Falls on the
Canadian side OF the boundary The re-
port completely exonerates Buffalo grain
handlers from all connection with the
crime and strongly ntimates that the at
tempt was the working out of "a regularly
organized conspiracy among certain per-
sons In the United States believed to be
affiliated with the Irish secret associat-
ions.
40 does not appear ,..at the state de-
partment can do any thing at this stage
OF the matter, though later on, II the
CANADIAN authorities shal have managed
TO secure the necessary evidence upon
which 20 base a criminal prosecution of
the perpetrators OF the crime the de-
partment viii be called upon TO secure
the extraditlon Of the men 10 Canada for
punishment, II they shall be found within
the United States Under the existing
British extradition treaty IL Is also an
extradiable offense 20 conspire In the
United States 10 commit a crime against
property In Canada, so that the promoters
OF the scheme may be called to account
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