The Staffordshire and Potteries Examiner. — 1881-01-15 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

ALLEGED NIHILIST PLOTS IN ENGLALTD.  A working clockmaker named Hutchinson, resident in Birmingham, has communicated with the Russian Embassy in London with respect to an alleged plot to construct infernal machines in this country for Nihilist purposes. He states that in April, 1879, he was in London on business, and in a restaurant in Cheapside he met with two strangers, with whom he entered into conversation. One of the men was a Russian, and the other a German. The same evening, in the course of some more conversation, Hutchinson happened to state that he was a Birmingham clockmaker, and showed the men some of his patterns. The men then asked him if he could make all so! ts of clockwork and work to designs, and on an affirmative reply being given the strangers produced some rough designs, and from their explanation of them Hutchinson had no hesitation in concluding that they were for a destructive purpose. One infernal machine had to be arranged so that it could be fixed under the ground a little way, and from where the crutch was fixed over the pendulum wire a contrivance was to be construCted by which a small lead pipe could be attached, and through the pipe a wire had to be carried. A second machine WM to be arranged with sharp hooks to drive it into the bottom of a railway carriage, the clockwork movement being made to explode the charge at any time from one minute to 48 or more hours. A third machine was to be more simple, having to be so constructed that it could be put under a garden walk or any other path. Another was a dynamite bomb to be affixed under the seat of a private carriage. The last machine sketched out by the conspirators was to be of miniature size, so that it might be easily placed within a bouquet. Hutchinson suspects the object of the men was to be present at some demonstration in honour of the Czar, and throw the bouquet containing the deadly charge at the Royal carriage. The strangers seemed particularly anxious that Hutchinson should enter into an agreement there and then for the completion of the articles, but he asked time to consider, and at a second interview the foreigners brought an agreement for Hutchinson to sign,* enjoining the strictest secrecy on penalty of death, and promising £lOO on the completion of the work. Hutchinson, however, told the men he had Isla4 up his mind not to undertake the work. The _.,4llhati previously told him of an attempt which would shortly be made to wreck the Royal train on the Moscow journey, and, failing in that attempt, they would blow up the Winter Palace. The foreign. era were greatly exasperated when he expressed his final determination not to be mixed up in any such diabolical busineas, and one of them threatened to murder him for deceiving them. Hutchinson says that the German told him that he belonged to a Socialist organisation, which had designs against the lives of the German Emperor and Prince Bismarck-. After some correspondence had passed between !lint and the two men, Hutchinson put himself in communication with the Russian Embassy. A Birmingham correspondent, telegraphing on Friday night, states that Major Bond, chief of the Birniinghain police, Inspector Robinson, the head of the detective department, and Detective-sergeant Van. Heiden (who has made the fullest inquiries to the case) place implicit confidence in the statement Of Mr. Hutchinson with regard to the alleged I•;ihilist conspiracy. About Dec., 1879, Hutchinson Bought the protection of the Birmingham police, believing that some revenge such as has been threatened to him upon his refusal to undertake the diabolical work would be inflicted. So terrified had !lo been at these threats that he withheld his name in his first communication, giving details anonytuously of the overtures made to him, but subsequently he invited an interview. Both Count Minister and the Chargé d'Affaires to the Russian &Massy thanked Mr. Hutchinson for the praiseworthy manner in which he had acted and for the valuable disclosures he had made. Celia Bliinster ordered Mr. Hutchinson'e expenses to London to be Paid, but beyond this he has not had the slightest remuneration, nor has he applied for any. Between the London and Birmingham interviews with the conspirators Mr. Hutchinson preserved the utmolt fieency. He states that so alarmed was he that he eatsnot tall even his wife or foreman anything of the negotiations, simply remarking that they might exPoet something terrible to happen shortly.