The Grit-advocate., 1906-03-30
FIENDISH PLANS
ATTRisUh ED TO INNER CIRCLE
OF MINERS.
CONFESSION OF ADAMS

Meant to Blow Up and Burn Trainioad
Of Non-Union Miners-Explosivs
Known as "1sil Fire" Said to Be
Invented by Pettibone.
Boise, ldaho.-FollOwing Is a state.
ment made by James Mcfarland, de-
tective manager, respecting that por-
tion of the confession of Adams cover
Ing the alleged plan to kill lot of
non-union miners while they were
passing through Pocatello:
"On February 2Sth, while taking
down the statement Of Stephen w.
Adams relative to the numerous out
RACES and murders committed at the
instance of the inner circle OF the ex-
ecutive board of the Western Fedora
ton OF Miners and while talking about
certain high explosives, he informed
me that George A. Pettibone made an
explosive known as hell fire. or Pet
tibone dope that in his opinion was
the most dangerous explosive made,
|
started by this explosive could not be
extinguished by water In other words,
a building sci on fire by this explosive
would be burned to the ground regard
less OF the efforts to put it out.
This explosive was made OF stick
phosphorus, bisulphate of carbon, al
cohol, benzine and spirits of turpen-
tine. These ingredients being prop
| m Al in lnS h
glass shoppers, the shoppers being
properly sealed.
In order to explode these bottles
and start fire, you simply threw the
bottle against a substance that would
cause the same to break, which would
cause frightful explosion and fire, a
fire that could not be extinguished by
water.
The great strike in Cripple Creek
commenced in August, 1903, and dur
ing the fall the mine owners were ship
ping in nonunion miners from the
Occur d'Alenes and other districts. 1t
was at this time that Meyer ap-
preached Adams in the presence Of
Pettibone, in the latters store in Den
yer, and informed him that he wanted
him to meet him again at the store
|
he would go with him down TO the
train.
He said he wanted him to go to Po-
catello, Idaho and carry with him
some Pettibone dope which he was TO
throw into any train that was sup
posed to be loaded with scabs and set
the train on fire as it passed through
Pocatello.
10 tntn hot n q
to appointment, he met Meyer at Pet
themes store. where Meyer provided
him with telescope gripsack. In this
gripsack was tin can, which he
thought contained two quart bottles
and three pint bottles of the Pettibone
dope. Moycr bought him ticket for
Pocatello and told him to get berth
in the sleeper SO that he would get a
good nights rest, and to watch every
train that came through Pocatello, and
If he could find out the train that was
loaded with scabs he was to fill 1t full
OF this Pettibone dope, or hell fire
just throw the bottles through the Win
dows and they would explode.
"On arriving at Pocatello, Adams
made some inquiries relative to the
supposed scabs that were to pass
through, but so far as he could learn,
If there were any scabs being trans
ported through the town they were
scattered throughout the trains. There
fore, he concluded he would not take
any chances in burning up train OF
innocent passengers, and did not use
this dope.
Having been informed through
Meyer. Haywood and Pettibone that
the mine owners of Cripple Creek were
shipping in scabs through from Ari-
zona by way of Ogden, he went there
and found that such was not the case.
Notwithstanding the fact that this
hell fire, or Pettibone dope, was Sc
curely sealed in bottles. he found that
1t was smelling strongly. so he took
the telescope containing these bottles
of explosive along tie railroad track.
he thought, little distance east OF Po-
catello.
ut was quite little distance from
the town, something near mile,
where he planted the bottles in little
trench in front of an old building. The
building had no floor In it, and looked
as though it might have been an old
mill at one time. The bottles were
still in the tin can when he planted
them there and covered them with a
little dirt. He tore the telescope up
and threw it back into this old build
ing
while he remained some time in Po-
catello, he cannot give the location OF
where the bottles of explosives were
buried, but said that he could walk to
the scene if in Pocatello, and he be-
lieves that the explosives are still
there.
"He went to Ogden and subse-
uuently came back to Denver and re-
ported to Meyer, Haywood and Petit
bone that it was simply impossible for
him to execute the work he was de-
tailed to do without taking innocent
peoples lives
Thirty-Six Hour Bill.