Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-12
Dangerous Internal Machine
Intercepted in the Mails.
is OPENED IN POST OFFICE
Inspector Suspicious of Package
Held for Postage Due.
POWDER, BULLETS, MATCHES
please Notify Of Change Of Ad-
dress" on Wrapper and Anarchis-
tic Legends Within the Cover.
ial From a Staff Correspondent.

Special From a Staff Correspondent
SEA GIRT, n. J.. September 12.-Iov.
Fort of New Jersey has had a mighty
narrow escape from death, or at least
from bodily injury. Had an Internal ma
chine mailed to him been delivered as In
tended there is no telling just what might
have happened.
1t is presumed here that the attempt to
kill or MAIN the states executive was
inspired by his vigorous Atlantic CITY law
enforcement crusade.
The package was bulky and shy little
postage. That fact attracted the atten-
ton of the postal authorities in Philadei-
phia. They at once became suspicious.
1t is regarded as EXTREMITY fortunate for
the governor that his enemy failed u
put enough stamps on the package.
The day after the executive issued sis
statement demanding that the AtlantlG
City saloons close Sundays the package
was mailed in Philadelphia, addressed to
Gov. Fort at Sea Girt.
Opened in Post Office.
After the postage due mark had been
put on the package was detained by In
spector w. S. Ryan. The latter notified
the governor of that action. and explained
that it was believed the bundle contained
an explosive The governor immediately
authorized the opening of the package.
1t was found to contain explosives IN
dangerous quantities.
The state executive received the punole
late yesterday. The sender had evidently
believed the contents would remove the
opener from earth. With grim sense
of humor he pasted on the BACK OF the
outer wrapping the request:
Please notify us promptly OF any
change in your post office address"
The affair was ingeniously contrived and
did not differ in general appearance from
other bulky communications received by
the governor. 1t Is believed that had 1t
been forwarded in the usual course OF
business the individual who would have
opened it would have received the full ef-
feet of the explosive.
What Inspector Found.
In his letter accompanying the package,
Inspector Ryan wrote to Gov. Fort:
with reference to the package mailed at
Philadelphia, addressed to you, and with
drawn from the mails. / have tie honor
to advise that the package in question
was mailed evidently with the view to
inficting bodily injury to the person open
ing same. The contents consisted OF pow
der, bullets, matches. etc., and sealed In
such a manner that the greatest eau
ton was necessary in removing the cover.
LAS there is no writing on the cover
of the package, or inside OF same, 1t VIII
be difficult, if not impossible, to discover
the guilty person. l have arranged with
the officials of the Philadelphia post Of
flee to keep watch for packages addressed
to you, and to submit to me those that
may appear in any way suspicious.
The wrapper and such portions or the
contents of the package opened by me as
are mailable are herewith inclosed."
Inside the package was blue enve-
lope, on the outside of which was pasted
Tha
contained tin-foil tube, and one made
of paper in which were the explosives.
Pasted all over the explosive packages
were many inscriptions, such as;
And the gun against this rotten gov
eminent"
Get right with Cod"
You will know me better after we are
acquainted"
Signed: sealed and delivered extra
lone touch of nature makes the whole
world kin. One word from Morgan peels
a bears skin"
Other Curious Devices.
Most of these had been clipped from
newspapers. One was printed in ink on
a long thin strip of cardboard. to which
was attached button such as is worn on
a regular army uniform. There was also
piece of red. white and blue ribbon.
Pasted on one of the tubes were the
names of several trusts. including the
whisky, rubber and tobacco trusts.
When the governor was asked If he had
anything to say about the Internal ma
chine, or had any thought as to who
sent it. he declined to make any state
ment further than he thought the matter
spoke for itself He had no intention OF
making the incident public until num-
Der of friends advised him to do so.
His secretary, VINO would have opened
the package had it arrived loaded, has
been thanking his lucky stars ever since
the receipt of the letter from the Post
Office Department Many odd packages
are sent to the governor. Heretofore they
have been opened without investigation
as to their contents. G. +. G.