Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-09-12
WANT FORTS LIFE
Some One Ssni an IsierDsl Ha' chine Which Was Discover.
 cred Just in TIme.

Sea Girt. N. J., Sept 12.-An at tempt to assassinate Governor Fort of New Jersey has been thwarted by the watchfulness of post office em- ployes who discovered an internal machine addressed to the governor in the mails. The package was a cleverly contrived combination of powder. bullets and matches which had been so arranged that opening 1t in the ordinary way certainly would have caused an explosion. Hao it been received by the governor and opened hurriedly without any sus- picion of what 1t contained, there is little doubt it would have killed him.
 That the death dealing package was intercepted before it had reach ed its destination was due to the vigilance of the postal officials who have scanned the governors mail with unusual care since the execu- tive's recent crusade against the violation of the law at Atlantic City. The attitude taken by the governor when he directed that the exercise and other similar laws at the great seaside resort be strictly enforced and even threatened to order out the militia if necessary to that end, aroused great resentment in some quarters. It was to guard the gov ernor as much as possible from an- noyance that the unusual watch was put on his mail. Several days ago when package of somewhat un- usual shape was found to bear insuf- ficient postage it was taken by a clerk to one of the postal inspectors. The inspector became more impress ed by the shape and condition of the package than by the shortage of stamps and at once wrote the gov ernor informing him Iat a package of suspicious appearance addressed to him was being held at the office. The inspector asked for permission to open it without forwarding it to its destination. The permission was given. The inspector and his assist ants carefully removed the wrap pings from the package to find that their worst fears were confirmed. It was real internal machine, crude but so cleverly constructed that it was capable of doing tremendous damage.
 It contained quantity of powder and bullets with matches so arrang- ed that a hurried opening of the package would have set off the pow der and hurled the bullets in all di- rections.
 That the sender had grim sense of humor became apparent from an examination of the package. On a bit of paper was written message to the governor which read: "Please notify us promptly of any change in your post office address 7 Another read: You will know me better after we are acquainted. Another line by which it is believ- ed the sender sought to give the im- pression that the machine was sent by foe of constitution government instead of personal enemy of the government, read:
 And the gun against this rotten government"
 Governor Fort said to-day that he did not care to discuss the matter. "It speaks for itself," was his only comment about his narrow escape. Pieces of the wrapper from the pack age are now in the possession of the government, having been forwarded by the post office inspector.
 It was learned here to-day that the officials of the Philadelphia post of flee will make close examination in the future of all packages addressed to the governor. Every package which reaches the Philadelphia office bearing the governors address will be submitted to inspectors and off, cially passed upon, before it will be permitted to reach the governor.