The Washington herald., 1914-11-29

| The method Of starting them varied.
! Most were started by means OF phos-
! phorus and chemicals, or Greek fire, s.
which, in liquid form, took fire when
| spilled from a bottle; others by means
OF clockwork firing phosphorus, others
by candles placed amidst combustibles.
The time set for the fires was early
evening. At each of the hotels fired a
room had been hired, and the occupant,
! after preparing 1t for the fire, had taken
his departure. In each case the fire was
| confined to the room in which II was
started, in some cases by the hotel en-
| ployes, in others by the fire depart
ment.
Although much excitement was caused
in New York by the evidence OF this at
| tempt at organized incendiarism, and
the police were active in seeking the
perpetrators OF the crimes. making sew
eraI arrests. none of the conspirators
was taken in New York.
One OF them was arrested some days
later in Detroit, having escaped TO Can
ada, and returned to the United States.
He proved TO be Robert c. Kennedy. a
captain in the Confederate army, who
had been a prisoner of war at Johnson 5
Island in Lake Erie, and had escaped.
Thompson Authorizes Arson.
Kennedy's arrest and subsequent rev.
elations showed that the attempt to burn
New York was part OF a plot for a cam
paign or arson, developed by Confeder-
ates In Canada, who expected Northern
citizens belonging to an anti-war. or
"Copperhead" organization called tho
Sons Of Liberty. to aid them.
The government had received warning
OF the plot to burn New York from NJ
NJ. jackson. the United States consul at
JaIf eli j.,
ada. Mai. Thomas 7. Eckert, chief Of
the military telegraph. had become i'm
pressed with the gravity of the reports
received from its Spies and on November
"A had gone TO New York to impress on
the authorities there the need OF Wig
iIance. He found Maj. Gen. John A. Dix,
the military commander at New York
incredulous. The aid of the police was
enlisted. without success
While in an omnibus Mai Eckert met
a man whom he recognized as one OF
the Federal spies in Canada. The man
followed him TO his hotel and there
stated that he had just come from To-
rOnto with details of the plot to burn
New York. He named twelve hotels that
were on the list to be fired.
ECkert at once laid this proof before
Gen. Dix. As a result extra police and
soldiers. in plain clothes. were posted
At ana lne EN-
ployes of the hotels were warned to
watch constantly for fire.
~ Meanwhile the plot was ripening Tho
official records show how il had been
put on foot. as they contain a letter
from Jacob Thompson to Judah P. Ben
jamin, the Confederate Secretary of
State. bearing date OF December ,. 1854.
in which Mr.. Thompson described the
success OF a campaign of arson in North
g@fk
his authority by Confederates in Can
ada
He stated that he had advanced g. 600
of Confederate funds to "a Mr.. Minor
Major" who represented himself as a
Confederate agent to burn steamboats,
on the Mississippi and that soon after
wards several boats were burned In ST
Louis involving an immense loss OF
property to the enemy"
The letter continued: Money has been
advanced to Mr.. Churchill. Of Cincinnati.
to organize a corps for the purpose Of
incendiarism in that city"
certain Lieut. Col. Martin having
nothing else on hand" had expressed
a wish to organize a corps TO burn New
York City and was allowed to do
So"
PIotters Go to Church.
The confession of one Of the arson
squad. who was captured and hanged.
and revelations made after the war, give
all needed details of the plot.
One OF the arson squad, John W Head
ley. years after gave a full account of
the enterprise in a book. Confederate
Operations in Canada and New York"
There were eight men in the party.
They travelled from Toronto to New York
by pairs. Headley being with Lieut.. Col
Robert NJ. Martin. the leader. The names
OF five others he gives as Capt. Robert
{. Kennedy, OF Louisiana: Lieuts. John
T. Ashbrook. and James T. Harrington.
OF Kentucky: John Price. of Maryland |
and James Chenault. of Kentucky. The
other he could not recall.
The party expected the active co-opera-
ton OF the Sons OF Liberty. and had let |
tiers to James A. McMasters. the orders
putative head in New York. to whom |
they revealed their plans. He aided them
for time and endeavored to Introduce
them to Gov. Horatio Seymour. ex-
Mayor Fernando Wood, and other lead
ing peace Democrats, but apparently
with no tangible results. He next with /.
drew his cooperation, though without ex-
posing them.
The fires were to have been set on
election day. November s. but the chem |
icals needed were not ready, and the
conspirators passed their time pleasantly
while waiting, attending places OF amuse-
ment. lectures and church services.
How Fires Were Set.
The method of starting the fires Is
described by HeadIey On his arrival in
New York he had put up at the ST
Denis Hotel. Broadway and Eleventh
street. He also took rooms at the Astor
House. City Hotel and Everett House.
Martin took rooms at the Hoffman. Fifth
avenue, and two others. The other con-
spirators swelled the list of rooms taken
until nineteen hotels were marked for
On the evening of November 25. the
plotters were ready for action.
Il reached the Astor House at TO
o clock" writes Headhy. got my key
and went to my room on the top story.
facing Broadway. After lighting the gas
jet I hung the bedclothes lightly on
the headboard and piled the chairs, draw
ers OF the bureau and the washstand on
the bed.
Then I stuffed some newspapers in
the mass and poured bottle OF tur
pentine over 1t all. concluded to .un-
lock my door and fix the key on the
outside, as 1 might have to get out In
a hurry. for 4 did not know whether
the Greek fire would make a noise Or
not.
IT opened the bottle carefully and
quickly and spilled It on the pile. III
olazed up instantly, and the whode bed
seemed to be in flames before could get
but.