Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-01-01
rrom london rit-Bits.

Tho most exciting incident IN my
career?" John Sweeney. who retireo
from Scotland Yard 10 years ago, after
many years service in the crimina! IN
vestigatton department. stroked ms
chin meditatively, and thought care
fully for a minute before replying. we
were chatting in his Office In Regen!
street-for since leaving Scotland
Yard Mr.. Sweeney has built up a DIG
reputation as a private inquiry agent
archists, forgers. assassins. would-be
Tegicides, burglars, n garrotters with
whom Mr.. Sweeney has come n con
tact during his career.
1T Is difficult" he at length replied,
ito pick out a particular la
there have been so many OF them:
Perhaps it would interest o more II
I picked out an episode which really
was the most thrilling experience OF
my life. I refer to the dynamite scares
OF 1884, when there was a veritable
reign Of terror in London. owing to the
activities OF anarchists. who seemed to
have made wholesale preparations for
blowing up the greater part OF the
metropolis"
Reign Of Terror.
Many readers will doubtless remem-
Mr.. Sweeney refers to. 1t began in
February, 1884. when portmanteaux
containing charges Of dynamite with
clockwork detonators were found In
the cloak rooms of Charing Cross. Vic
toria and Paddington stations. The
clocks were so set that had h plot
not miscarried. explosions would have
done.
This dastardly plot was followed on
May 80 by an attempt to wreck Scot
land Yard and several west-end clubs
and private mansions. The unfor Carl
ton and the Army and Navy clubs were
Scotland Yard was much damaged,
while the public house. the Rising Sun,
on the opposite corner, was completely
wrecked by the force Of the explosion.
"scum Of the Continent"
Every available man in Scotland
Yard was or duty almost night and
day" said Mr.. Sweeney. For the only
way to checkmate these anarchist
f1ends was to keep a watch on every
one Of them. The organization of Scot
land Yard was not SO perfect then as
1t Is today, but it did not take US long
to shadow every suspected man, and
the miscreants soon began to realize
that they could not meet, however Sc
cret their club was. without one or two
OF us being present at every meeting.
But we carried our lives in u hands,
4Ol r. alSS0 IIlCIp yOo 11ldSL d1ldC1 . u
were the scum Of the continent. They
had no high motives behind their acts.
They were simply at war with society,
and their main object was to destroy
as many lives and as much property as
they possibly could.
Such was the vigilance Of Scotland
Yard at that time that every purchase
Of chemicals for explosives was regis
tered by the police within an hour, and
every recruit to the cause and every
visitor from foreign groups OF an
archists became Immediately aware of
Jul acquaintance with his personality.
It was an essential part Of our cam
realize that he was being watched, and
we took pains to prove by devious
ways that he could not evade U.s."
Betrayed Too Soon.
But in spite Of this vigilance on the
part OF Scotland Yard, the anarchists
nearly succeeded in blowing up the
Nelson monument in Trafalgar square.
To quote MI. Sweeney's own words:
1T occurred to a certain group Of
ruffians who met in a soho club that
h destruction by dynamite of Nelson's
column in Trafalgar square would in
flame the imagination Of anarchists
throughout the world, and strike terror
70 the people Of London, especially
e a hundred deaths occurred.
we mao news OF the attempted out
tage through the fnstrumentality Of
tpies who were members Of the move
nent, but unfortunately the plot was
betrayed too soon, owing to q proper
lesire on he part Of our spies to avert
catastrophe rather than make GER
ain Of punishment for the perpetra-
prs And ever then we were not quick
tnough.J for, although we kept a strict
tuard on the square. the anarchists by
tome means We're able to deposit is
Z takes OF dynamite attached to q time
tuse at h foot Of the column. Fortu-
lately the fuse had In some way been
hight have occurred which. to use
Eruger's famous phrase. would have
staggered humanity ,"