Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-24
STORY OF PLOT
GAME FROM PARIS
EXPLOSIVES SAID TO HAVE BEEN
SHIPPED TO RIO.
THOUGHT TO BE A HOAX
Rests on Statement Of Man with Bad
Observation-Disclosures Quick to
Guard Against Posi-
BILE Danger.

Paris, Jan. 21.-The reports cabled
from Rio Janeiro, that the Brazilian
authorities were warned from Paris
of possible attempt to blow up the
American battleship fleet while in
the harbor there, are true.
Some time ago certain suspicious,
Indicating the existence Of plot to
destroy the whole or portion of the
fleet, either at Rio Janeiro or in the
Straits of Magellan, were aroused here
and naturally communicated to Rio
and Washington. A chartered steam
er was reported to have conveyed ex-
plosives' for the use of the conspira-
tors to Rio Janeiro, arriving there
about the middle of December, and
John Fedher, whose name is men
toned in the Rio dispatches, was one
of the men whose name was revealed
here as implicated in the conspiracy.
The alleged plot is supposed to have
some rather startling ramifications,
but the evidence along this line is far
from conclusive and rests chiefly upon
the statement of an individual whose
record was subsequently proved to be
anything cbut creditable. Consequent,
ly the whole affair is regarded with
much skepticism and indeed the pre-.
sumption has been raised that it may
have been a deliberately concocted
scare.
Abandoned, If 1t Existed.
In any event, it is now believed
H,a~a fhot tho Y1nf nf,ro1lu did nyiSf
the timely warning and precautions
taken have completely frustrated the
plans of the conspirators at Rio Jan.
GIRO and compelled them to transfer
their operations further south, If not
to abandon them entirely. The latter
hypothesis is considered here to be
most probable.
Only few people here treated the
story seriously; others regarded it as
fantastic, while many dismissed the
whole affair as myth. The reports
Monday from Rio Janeiro have been
characterized as another weird chap
ter of the fantastic recital. 1t is be,
lieyed here that the action of the Rio
Janeiro police grew out of the infor'
nation forwarded to Rio from Wash
ington and this city.
Washington Had Been Warned.
Washington, Jan. 21.-That the
American government was cognizant
Of the existence of the belief Of ul
terror designs against Admiral Evans
battleships in the harbor of Rio
Janeiro was admitted Monday in ad,
minisrtation circles. The news first
reached here by way of Paris, where
somebody communicated it to the
American embassy. There the off.
Gals at Washington, which in turn
sent 1t forward to the American EN-,
bassy at Rio and also forwarded it to
the navy department.
The intimations contained were
vague and indefinite as to details, yet
In view of the great Importance of the
matter and the possibilities which
might develop were the officials on
the scene not informed, no time was
lost in transmitting it to Rio Janeiro.
The data forwarded to Washington,
1t is understood, contained the names
of some of those persons who, 1t was
alleged, were engaged in the anarchis'
tic plots, but their names were not
disclosed at the department.
While admitting that some damage
might be done under the most favor
able circumstances by persons having
evil designs against a battleship, many
OF the officers who discussed the mat.
ter pointed out how difficult this
would be in the absence of the. most
approved apparatus in mine laying
operated by skilled persons.