The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-06-23
PLOTTERS FAIL
TO TRAP WILSON
Dark Plot to Buy U. S. Rifles
Causes Sensation.
DEAL INVOLVED MILLIONS
Attempts to Secure Discarded Fire
arns Involved Questionable Trans
actIons and Bold lntrisue-Admin-
IstratIon Frustrates Efforts.

actIons and Bold lntrisue-Aomin-
IstratIon Frustrates Efforts.
New York, June 21.-Details have
inst been discovered of several sensa-
tionaI attempts to buy from the UNI
ted States government its aoo'ooo seS
ond-hand Krag-Jorgensen rines.
Facts that have been revealed leave
little room for doubt that attempts 10
secure these rifles have involved more
questionable transactions and dark
dealings than any other matter tnat
has arisen in Washington in many
years.
The names of innocent and un-
suspecting government ofneials have
been traded upon by some OF the men
who have been engaged in these at
tempts to win a fortune over night.
These are the rifles which have
been discarded by the United States
army, which have been eagerly sought
by the belligerents ever since the Eu-
ropean war began, and which recent
ly figured in the now exploded Meyer
Gerhard conspiracy.
Reports of one attempt to secure
these rifles, more daring than any
other, have just reached here. 1t Is
asserted that one man went SO far In
his effort to obtain these guns as to
offer an enormous campaign contrtou-
ton in the interest of President VIII
son-$1, zoo, 900 are the figures named.
This man is said to have found the
means of getting his offer to the presi-
dent himself, but was promptly an in
dignant1y squelched.
1t has long been matter OF COM
mon knowledge in Washington that
every possible effort has been made,
without the slightest success, to move
the president and his advisers to q
decision to part with these rifles. Sick
ening details of underground activi-
ties have poured in upon the depart
mentlofhcials until they have practical
ly despaired of making the world un-
derstand that money cannot buy these
firearms from the United States until
after the war in Europe has ended.
Familiar as government officials
were with the extraordinary efforts
put forth to obtain these rifles, they
were not prepared for the reports of
this offer of an enormous campaign
contribution. To say that they were
astounded at the audacity of the act
is putting 1t mildly.
It Is said the name OF the man is
known who is supposed to bave offered
this $1,200.0o0. When he was con-
fronted with the reports he declined
to make any statement.
When inquiry was made at the
White House in Washington in re-
gard to the rumors, no information
was obtainable, except the statement
that the president had on a few occa-
sions talked with the man whose
name was suggested.
The man whose name is connected
with this astounding proposal is an
American. The indications point TO
the fact that he was not representing
any Of the belligerents in this matter,
but was seeking to make a fortune
f. himself, Indifferent as to who OBJ
tanned the guns from him so long as
the price was satisfactory.
All the elements that a Stevenson
or Dumas might have drawn from
his brain are found here fresh at
hand-millions of dollars dangled be-
fore avaricious eyes, the prospect of a
sudden fortune acquired through fab
ulous commissions. plottings and coun-
ter plottings. secret meetings of those
who are striving for the prize, dicta-
graph records OF conversations, shad-
owings by the detectives, the efforts
Of beautiful women and the bandyfng
Of the names of high government on
cials who are totally ignorant that
they are being made to play part in
this game for gold.
The 355,000 Krag rifles, which this
government has discarded, are stored
In various arsenals about the coun-
try, but the most of them is at Rock
Island. Ill These rifles were placed
in the discard about six or seven
years ago in favor OF the new Spring
field rife. because the latter had an
improved loading device and a longer
range.
The rifles are supposed to be worth
only about IS or Sc each, but in the ef-
forts that are being made to get them
In roundabout ways, prices all tho way
from $40 up to more than $50 are be-
ing asked Of the purchasers Of war
munitions. Even at 500 gun, the
amount involved would reach the big
total Of $7,100.000. Ammunition goes
with each rifle and the price being
asked for it by the men who arc try
I'M ~ oaf fho 4