Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-15
DETAILS ARE DISCLOSED
IN CAPTURED LETTERS
Correspondence of Man Accused OF
Poisoning Soup at Club
Banquet.
ILLINOIS PRISON MENACED
Bankers and Clergy in Dozen Cities
of u. S. Marked for Death.
Chicago Officials Are
Investigating.

CHICAGO, February IS
Search was started today for the
principals in what is believed by
the police to have been a plot to
destroy buildings and kill mem
bers of the clergy, bankers and
others in a dozen cities in vari-
Gus sections OF the United States.
Discovery of the alleged plot, ac-
cording to the police, resulted
from examination of personal ef-
fects. of John Allegrini, conhdant
OF Jean Crones, who is charged
by the authorities with putting
poison in soup at the banquet
given Archbishop George w.
Mundelin at the University Club
Thursday night, and causing the
illness of 100 of the guests.
Chief of Police Healy. Chief of De-
ttCtitSS 4NicuOioS anu ASPNeS
Chief of Police Herman Schuettler an
nounced today. after studying transla-
tions of letters written in Italian
found in Allegrini's rooms. that they
regarded as established the existence
Of an anti-clerica1 Organization, headed
by a Committee OF nfteen." Of which
Crones and Allesrini are believed to
have been members. .
Police are searching for Crones, who
is a former assistant chef at the Uni
charged with conspiracy to commit>
murder.
Contents Of Letters Guarded.
The police were guarded in making
public the contents Of Allegrini's cor
respondence, but it was stated that
plans and specifications were found Of
several large downtown buildings in
Chicago which, it is said. had been
marked for destruction by the commit
tee. These included the Peoples Gas
Light and Coke Company building. one
of the largest office buildings In Chi
cago: the Union League Club and the
federal building.
That an attempt to blow up the state
penitentiary at Joliet, Ill. was one Of
the plans of the alleged plotters. the
police said today, was indicated by one
Of the Allegrini letters.
Recently it became known that dy-
Mantle in quantities sufficient to wreck
many buildings had been found secreted
in the penitentiary.
The letter, which was not signed,
read:
There are many good men penned
up like hogs in Joliet. What Won
free them 1t would be hard You
know p is there"
The attempt to wreck st. Patrick's
Roman Catholic Church in New York
year ago also is believed by Capt. Hunt
TO have been part of the alleged plot.
According to the detective, who did the
translating. certain leaders in a con-
spiracy which is said to be interna-
tional in scope have headquarters in
Rome.
He added that some of the letters
contained detailed descriptions of
bombs used by the conspirators Some
of these. he said. were designed to
wreck buildings. others to kill police
men and still others to spread death
walking away from church discussing
the sermon.
Committeeman Known.
Names of the Committee of fifteen"
are said to be in the hands of the po-
lice, and it was predicted that the ar
rest of some Of the committee members
would be made before night.
Chief of Detectives Hunt has COM
municated with Nashville. Tenn: Sa-
Ida. Col: ST. Paul. and St. Louis in the
hope of apprehending Crones in one of
those cities.I
out today that the illness of fifty
guests who attended the knights of
Columbus banquet October last might
have been due to activities of the al
cot G~.f ;S
lieved the illness Of the banqueters
was caused from ptomaine poisoning
but discovery of the plot to poison
guests at the Mundelein dinner has
fitness Of the other banqueters may
have been due to similar plot
In connection with the alleged plans
Of the conspirators to destroy public
buildings and church property police
records show that twoscore or more
Chicago churches have suffered fire
losses within the last few years At
the Moody Church. 1t was said, no less
than six nres. said TO have been of In
cendiary origin. have been discovered
and extinguished with small loss dur
Ing the last year.
Other churches in which fncendiary
1res have been discovered include
Grace Episcopal Church, which was
destroyed September 26 last; Oakland
Methodist Church. Norwood Park Meth
odist Church. Auburn Park Methodist
CnurCu 81. ScOdStidn 3 Roman CathO.
lie Church. Evangelical Lutheran. ST.
Nicholas Church, Trinity Reformed
Episcopal Church. and three other
that Crones and Allegrini may have
All Saints and Saint. Adams.
One of the interesting Developments
in the case yesterday was the finding
Of letter in Alegrini's pocket. in
which reference was made to a fund
collected for the widow of Gaetano
Bresci, who assassnated King Hum
bert Of Italy. Subsequent develop
m0nts have led the police to believe
Episcopal churches-Sf. Chrysostom's, s,
had knowlsdge of the plot to assassi-