Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-12-15
OFFICIALS DISCOVER
PLOT TODESTROY
FORT RILEY BY
DYNAMITE
Practically All Members Of
One Battery Are Under sus-
picion Of Being Involved in
Sinister rlot.

CHAPLAIN IMPLICATED
BY PRIVATE QUIRK
(ny Evsaing tseFsla a. y. Isesrd Wtrea
junction City. Kaa., Dec. l5.--Thaf
three commanding officers at Fort
Riley have been receiving threatening
letters ever since last March follow
ing the first inccnGlary ilrp bccams
known today. The rccipicnls OF tho
lettera were Brlgadier General W. =.
/ schuyler. Colonel Chatics A. y. Hat
field and Colonel n ID. hoyie.
The letters were written In scrawl
and appeared TO have been Dcnned by
different persons.
Rumor today has Il that practically
all the members OF one battery are b..
lleved 10 be involved IN the plot which
l. said to have for its purpose, the
destruction Of the entire fort The
four members OF battery H.. nov un-
dor arrest, are kept IN close eonllne
nent and no one II permitted TO talk
with them.
The Rev. Charles W. Brewer. for
merry a chaplain 10 the army. now
the pastor oi a Baptist church a. Olu.
stee. Okla, was accused In a confess
sion OF Private Michael Qulrk OF in-
plIcatlon In mysterious series OF cx-
psoslons which has kept the military
authorities at Fort Riley IN state o,
apprehension nearly six months.
cuirk. In n confession 10 Col Eli ID.
Hoyle. sixth Field Artillery. com.
mapdant at Fort Riley, said that he
blew up the bridge across the kaw
river June -, blew up the cavalry
stable June 80. when twenty seven
cavalry horses were ki led or burned
10 death, and also biew up the water
main which supplies the army post
with water.
Qairk declared In his confession
that he committed these crimes al the
linstirntion OF Brewer. who sought
revenge because he had been court
lmRr.laled and dismissed from the SER
vice for conduct unbecoming an Off.
Icer and a gentleman.
Quirk also implicated Mrs. Anna
lJordhn. wife OF q convict In the mlil-
ltary prison at Fort Lenyenworth. Mrs
Jordan was arrested In Kansas City
last night and Brewer. according "a
Information received by the United
States commissioner. was arrested at
Olusice. Okla. A United States dep
u uiy marshal from Wichita, according
TO the commissioner has gone 10 Olu-
stee 10 bring Brewer for arraisnment
i Mrs. Jordan was arrested s0.nr tinle
ago for aiding ner husband 10 escape
from the guard house ut Fort Riley.
where he was held on a charge OF
steallng. She smuggled revolyors 10
her husband with which ne held NJ
the guard and escaped. lie was re-
capturcd the next day and now IL IN
the military prison,
Friends OF the REV SIR. Brewer
declare that there n no truth Ia
Qulris accusations. 50 far as Brew
er IL concerned They say he was
not here waen Qulrk alleges he met
the ex-chaplaIn and Mrs. Jordan IN a
motor car on the road between June
tion City aud Fort Riley. According
10 Qnlri's story. brewer told him they
were ON the way To blow up The bridge
and asked him TO 40 along. Qnirk
snid he placed the explosive which
blew up the bridge. * wns az Brew.
er's suggestion also. he said. that no
blew up the stable and the water
main.
QuIrk has been In the guard house
at Fort Riley nearly a month on sas-
plcion that he wan IA some way con
necied with the series OF fifts and
explosions which have kept nearly
half the garrison on guard it nights
Tor the last five months. No seui for
Colonel Hoyie and made confession.
Officers In olusteo immedlately Were
i. asked 10 arrest the Rev. Az. BREWER
and the police IN Kansas City we're
asked to arrest Ma. Jordan. Others,
: llt waa reported here this morning.
are implicated. aud more arrests prob
ably win be- made.
4 In addition 10 the three explosions,
: three attempts have been made 10
burn barrnck buildings az night the
big hay sheds have been burned. and
!. the big sforehouse On the maBenge4
grounds banned with loss OF szn0.,
Goa Investigation by the military aii
ihOritles convinced them that an OF
these fires were Of incendiary origin
n Since the arrest OF Quirk there have
been no fires.
The government has offered re-.
ward OF 81 900 for the arrest OF the
person or persons who caused tbs
iires and explosions and Detectives
have been working around the post
Tor several months. AZ reeuli OF the
evldence they collected. Quirk was
u placed under arrest.
! Charles ~ Brewer vas chaplain o.
the sixth Field Artillery stationed At
Fort Riley. until he was dismissed
from the army Inne ~ last. following
conviction hy court martial OF charges
OF having heen intoxicated ut an an
listed mems dance Ia the Artillery Ex
change NJ Fort Riley, kas., and with
behaving IN an ungcntlemanly mannel
In the presence % enlisted men and
, their Wives March n insl