Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-02-25

~ ate criminals ana
all long term con-
yic,s Of the Province OF Ontario. Can
ada. are confined. Within its gloomy
precincts. occupying separate cells.
are three men whose sentences are
for life. English Law. just but merci-
less. has seized them in it, iron grip,
grin never to be relaxed until the
angel OF death strikes the letters from
the limbs Of the prisoners.
The crime for which these three
men are undergoing exptation was no
ordinary one. 1t involved conspir-
acy against the British government by
which, through the use OF dynamite. .
reign Of terror was to be tnaugurated
throughout Canada. and Thousands Of
innocent lives sacrificed. The inter-
yention Of fate, Pr0vidence-call 1t
what YOU will--prevented the outrage
from being successful, but the failure
Of the plot was not owing to any lack
Of zeal on the part Of the human in
struments employed to carry out the
design. To Detective John Wilson MUIR
ray is due the credit Of having gath
cred together the evidence which shed
light on the past careers of the "dyna-
mite trio" Evidence which proved
them to be Outside the rank Of ordi-
nary criminals who execute desperate
deeds in the hope Of financial gain.
placed them in the category OF
men who would willingly wade
through seas OF blood to accomplish
their political aims.
At seven O'Clock on the evening OF
April 81, 1900. the little Canadian town
OF Thorold, lying along the waterway
of the Welland canal. within easy
walking distance of the Niagara from
tier, was shaken to its foundation by
two terrific explosions.
Masses Of solid rock were torn up
by the shock. immense spouts Of wa
ter leaped high in the air. window
panes we're shattered into minute
CRYSTALS and for few awful seconds
the firm earth trembled as though In
the throes OF an earthquake. For miles
around the people, terror stricken and
amazed, waited dumbly for the after
math, descent of death and destruc.
ton. which would sweep them and
their homes into the black chaos Of OBJ.
livion. But 1t did not come. the blind
gods Of chance had averted calamity
almost too horrible tn contemplate.
The Welland canal is the Domin-
ions channel of commerce between
Lakes Erie and Ontario. Lock No. "a
is located at Thorold. Above 1t. in the
canal, is a level about one mile long.
40 feet vide, and 20 deep. with sec
Ond level, No. 25. beyond It, There is
drop of Is feet in the lock. and from
IL on TO Lake Ontario, there is series
of drops. each level being lower. like
series of steps. down which the wa
tiers make their way. The gates of the
Thorold lock hold in check 10000. 900
cubic feet of water, and the sudden
smashing of the gates would have re-
leased this miniature sea and trans
formed 1t from an unrunled expanse Of
still water to a rushing. roaring. furi-
Gus torrent. surging in deadly deluge
over the lock, over the lower levels.
celebrating their gates. freeing their
Hoods of waters. raging over the
Grand Trunk railroad tracks and
spreading out into the valley of Ten
Mile creek, wiping out homes. running
lands. devastating property, and.
ghastltest Of all. completely destroy
Ing the town of Merriton and sacri-
hctng hundreds upon hundreds of hui
man lives. II would have paralyzed
Canada's great waterway. prostrating
her water trade from the Great Lakes.
One OF the eye-witnesses OF the ex-
plosion was Miss Euphemia Constable.
li.year-old girl who lived with her
parents about 800 yards from the lock
No ~. She was going to see friend
across the canal about $50 o'clock,
and when nearing the bridge. which Is
Oy the lock, caught sight of two men.
One was walking down by the tool
house TO the far end of the lock- The
other was standing at the end of the
bridge. and then stepped over to the
swing bridge. He laid down valise
ne was carrying and got on the bridge
Just as the girl passed within Ave feet
OF him. He had one hand on the va
Use and the other covering his face.
but sudden motion ON his part re-
vealed his features and she obtained a
good view of them. He stepped
through the side Of the bridge and OF
from the middle. and carried the Va
Use to the end Of the lock.
Thus. at each end of the lock stood
one Of the men. aud each had = valise.
As Miss Constable walked past she
heard the man farthest away cry:
Hurry on, Jack. or 1t will go on"
ard he ran down the road leading to
he falls. Turing her head the girl
Saw that the second man was tying
rope to the end Of his valise When
~ was secured he dropped the valise
into the lock. sprang up onto the
bridge and ran after the first man on
the road to the falls.
Then came the thunderous roar Of
the first exploding charge. After the
iirst shock Miss Constable lost con-
seriousness and knew nothing Of the
second explosion. Both Of the valises
lowered into the lock contained dyna-
mite They were fired by fuses and
ne explosions were not quite stimuli
'aheous. They broke the castings on
me head gate. tore up the banks on
both sides OF the lock. knocked peo-