The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-05-09
CONSPIRACY OF 1884
Historic Incident of Chicago War Tim,

Historic Incident of Chicago War Time
 History Recalled by an Official.
 An incident of the great Chicago con- spiracy of 1864 was recalled the other day when party of United States off, cials visited the new federal building. While they were inspecting the quar- ters of several of the officers in the Ad- ans street front, one of the party pointed to 143 Adams street, remarking casually that that was where "Dr. Ed wards once lived"
 Who was Dr., Edwards, anyhoW?" asked one of the visitors, who was not as familiar with ''Old Chicago. as Frank w. Smith, or Fernando Jones or Ossian Guthrie.
 Well, who Dr. Edwards was is an in teresting story that is worth repeat ing" was the reply. And perhaps our friend, here, Colonel Keefe, could tell you more about Dr. Edwards and 14S Adams than any other living man, not even excepting Captain Horace Elliott, that veteran Chicagoan so long connec- ted with the city police department
 The gentleman referred to was a qui- ct, retiring, good looking member of the party, rather below the medium height, had gray hair, wore a mustaehe and imperial, had a keen, penetrating eye that sparkled when he was interested. and his step was as light and springy as man of twenty.
 The story was at once called for, and one member of the party told it.
 Tt was in 1884," he said. "Confede- rate President Jefferson Davis had appointed Jacob Thompson, c. c. Clay and J. P. Holcombe to go to Canada to negotiate with representatives of cer- tain Sons of Liberty as a society or ganized and managed by Clement L. Vallandighanl, of Ohio, was called; These Sons numbered three hundred thousand in all, eighty-five thousand being enrolled in Illinois, fifty thousand in Indiana and one hundred and ten thousand in Ohio. Their avowed pur- pose was to organize provisional gov ernments to provide for a Northwest ern Confederacy.' The draft for men to serve in the Union armies was to be re- < to be held. demanding the close of the war by the recognition of the Confede- racy, and a general uprising in the northwest was planned to take place i'll July, then later in August and then in November, 1864.
 Chicago at it's Camp Douglas had from fifteen to eighteen thousand Con federates, who were prisoners of war. There were between. seven and eight thousan prisoners at Springfield, about liverYman about midnight last night. six thousand at Rock Island and prob ably five thousand att Alton. The prime purpose of the uprising was to free these prisoners, arm them and take possession of Chicago, loot the banks and houses, burn or otherwise destroy the great public and leading private buildings, take control of the railroad and telegraph lines and lake marine, and divideSthe northwest by thus se- curing and maintaining possession of Chicago, which was it's key.
 eThe important and perilous work of unearthing the conspiracy and of bringing the conspfraters to justice was placed in the hands of Colonel Keefe. He had enjoyed the respect and conf dence of Chief Of Police q. F. Bradley, Captain John Nelson, deputy police su- perintendent, and Captain Horace Elli- ott. nephew and confidential friend of Chief Bradley, who was then in. charge of the city detective force.
 "The officials who were then here were General Hooker, Colonel B. J. issw.ot and Mayor John Wentworth.