New Britain herald., 1916-02-15
Chicago Police Discover Existence of Anti-cerical Organization Headed by "Committee of Fif-
 teen"---Arrests Expected Before Night
Sequel to Investigation of Poison in
 Soup at Banquet to Archbishop Mundelein

Ietters Found in Auegrim's Rooms
 Indicate That Certain Leaders in a
 InterIlational in Scope Have Head-
 quarters in Rome-Attempt to Blow
 Up Joliet Prison one of Plans
 Chicago, Feb. 15-Search was start ed today for the principals in what is, believed by the police to have been a plot to destroy buildings and kill mem berss of the clergy, bankers and others in dozen cities in various sections of the United States Discovery of the alleged plot, according to the police, resulted from examination of the per soKal effects of John Allegrini, con- fidant of Jean Crones who is charged by the authorities with putting poison in soup at the banuet given Arch bishop George w. Mundelein at the University club Thursday night and causing the illness of one hundred of the guests. Chief of Police Healey, Chief of Detectives Hunt, and Deputy Chief of Police Herman Schuttler an- nounced tolay, after studying transla- t1gns of letters written in Italian fcFsnd in Al1egrini's room. that they regarded as established the existence of an anti-clerical organization head ed by a committee of fifteen" of which Crones and Allegrini are be- 1ieved to have been members, the po- .ol,I fr,, r16 iC a former assistant chef at the Uni x<rsity club Allegrini is in jail 1 charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
 Marked for Destruction. 5 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 rttrked for destruction by the com mittee. These included the Peoples Gas Light SS Coke Go. building, one oI -the largest office buildings in Chicago, the Union League club, and Federal fbuilding.
 The attempt to wreck St. Patricks /. Roman Catholic Cathedral church in New York a year ago also is believed bv Captain Hunt to have been a part ofashe alleged plot. According to the detective who did the translating, cer- tain leaders in a conspiracy which is said to be international in scope have 2 headquarters in Rome. He added that some of the letters contained detailed descriptions of bombs used by the con- spirators Some of these, he said, were designed to wreck buildings,
 Sti1 others to spread death among church goers.'' when they are walking away from church discussing the sermon" Arrests Before Night.
 Names of the committee of fifteen" are said to be in the hands or the police and it was predicted that the arrest Of some of the committee mem bers would be made before night. .shief of Police Hunt has communl- cafed with Nashville, Tenn, Salida, Col, St. Paul and St. Louis, in hope of apprehending Crones in one of these cities
 Due to Similar Plot.
 Police working on the cases pointed out today that the illness of fifty guests who attended the Knights of Columbus banquet on October last, might have been due to the activities of the alleged conspirators. At first IL Was believed that the illness Of the banqueters was caused from ptomalne poisoning, but discovery of the plot 10 poison guests at the Mundeleln dinner has given strength to the be- lief that the illness of the other ban = queters may have been due to sim xilar plot.
 a In connection with the alleged plans Of the conspirators to destroy puohc buildings and church property, police records show that two score or more Chicago churches have suffered f1re losses within the last few years. At the Moody church, it was said, no less than six fires said to have been Of ~Nincendiary origin, have been dfscoV- Aaed and extinguished with small loss during the last year.
 Other churches Fired.
 fires have been discovered include Grace Episcopal church, which was destroyed September 26 last; Oakland Methodist church, Norwood Park Methodist church, Auburn Park Meth odist church, St. Sebastian's Roman Catholic church, Evangelical Lutheran .T kt. Nicholas church, Trinity Reforme q Episcopal church, and three Episcopal (Continued on Eleventh Page)