The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-12-23
SUPERINTENDENT ALL AT SEA
George Bragdon Who Got Evidence
AgainSt Darnell, Named to Investigate
the Plot to Blow Up the Pleas
ant Irairie Powder Plant.

A "bear' story in regard to a plot
to blow up the plant of the Hercules
Powder company at Pleasant Prairie is
being sent out from Chicago and it is
declared that special federal agents,
George Bragdon Of Milwaukee, who
won his spurs by his work in the OAR
nell case, and Martin aLinz of the Chi
cago Office, have been detailed to get
facts in regard to the plot and if pos
sible prevent the plan for the destruc-
ton Of the plant being carried out.
Bragdon and Linz are now at work
in the matter and it is said that they
have discovered that plot to blow up
the Pleasant Prairie plant was Matched
either in Milwaukee or Chicago The
details of the plot are alleged to be
known to the federal officials but they
have declined to give out these facts
1t is said that trucker employed at
the plant was working with outsiders
to carry out the plan. Superintendent
tx this morning and he said eff we
are to be blown up, know nothing
about it. We have seen no signs of
unfriendliness from any one here or
elsewhere and we have been following
our usual course. Of course the plant
like all other powder plants is being
guarded night and day but we have not
put on any extra force of guards and
the guard is about the same now as it
has been. IF there has been any one
among the laborers who may have had
any information of this plot or the ex-
animation into it I know nothing Of it.
We have truckers employed here but
all of them are men who have been
with the company for a long time and
every one of them is beyond suspicion.
OF course such a thing might be going
on and we would be the last to hear
of it but we would probably hear. We
have emphasized the fact that we are
making nothing but black powder.
Not pound made here has been ex-
ported and [ do not see why anyone
would want to blow up this plant. We
are of course ready and willing to aid
federal officials in any investigation
they may want to make but we have
not been asked to aid them up to this
time We know absolutely nothing
about the story and hope that it is
groundleSs.
Color is given to the story by the
explicit facts which are said to be in
the hands of the government and from
the further fact that Bragdon one of
the best men in the federal secret SER
vice has been put to work on the case.
The report from Chicago declares that
the federal officials have been in pos
session of facts in regard to this con-
spiracy for the better part of two
weeks and have been carefully watch
ing to see to it that the plot is not car
ried out. It is said that the men be-
hind the plot have so carefully hidden
their tracks that they have not been
found. So far as is known none of the
federal operatives have been at the
Pleasant Prairie plant but Superintend-
ent Smith admitted that it was possi-
BILE that they had been there without
his knowledge. He also admitted that
it was possible that some of his own
employees might be men in the employ
of the federal government but he de-
clared that he thought that this was
very improbable.