Plot to Blow Up Public Buildings.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 807, 30 May 1876, Page 7

Plot to Blow Up Public Buildings.

The ' New York Herald' of the 16th March publishes the details of a diabolical plot to burn or blow up the Federal Building and Newhall House, one of the largest hotels -in Milwaukee. The mam points have been testified to by competent witnesses under oath, and the men, Alderman Julius Jonas and Philip Goldberg, of Chicago, and W. A. Crosby, indicted by the Grand Jury for complicity as principals in a plot to destroy the books and records of the whisky prosecution, will hare to stand their trial. Iv July last, when the whisky trials in the district were in their infancy, and the Government had only just began to accumulate testimony, these three persons came to Milwaukee for the purpose of suggesting a plan by which the records could be obtained and made away with. The first negotiations were merely preliminary, intended to feel the way to something more serious, and so far satisfactory that more than one distiller was placed in poseession of the fact that a plot was on foot to put the entire records of the frauds out of the way. The whisky men at that period were anything but alarmed at the prospects of conviction ; so it was determined, before proceeding further, to sound their counsel as to the prospects of acquittal. Carpenter was understood to adviso that the entire practice of confiscation of distillers' property before trial was unconstitutional, and that the greater portion of tho internal revenue law was inoperative, also on the same ground, and hence the distillers at first felt inclined to draw back from the proposed plot. Soon, however, it became apparent that the Government was in possession of clues not suspected, and that very quickly the Ring would be fighting for bare life. As the trials advanced, and Carpenter's best efforts faded away before the inexorable logic of facts, the Ring became more and more alarmed, and negotiations, temporarily suspended, were resumed iv earnest. Then, for the first time, the plans of the conspirators were made known. They proposed to make a simple burglary of it. All the principal papers of the Government were supposed to be kept in the office of the Clerk of Court, Mr Kurtz ; the office of the District Attorney ; a room temporarily occupied by Mr M'Kinney, belonging to United States Marshall Hamilton ; a room temporarily rented by Acting - Supervisor Hedrick for the use of himself and the secret service agents, iv a block opposite the Federal Buildings, and the bedrooms of Acting-Supervisorllodrick, Mr M'Kiuney and the secret service agents, in the Newhall House. For the purposes of the plot narrow watch was kept on the destination of all papers relating to the whisky trials, aud it was soon discovered that very few, if any, of these all-important documents were inaccessible. To the credit of the distillers, the committee authorised to treat with the robbers refused to have anything to do with a scheme of robbery that might involve the murder of the watchman or the loss of any life, and then the robbers unfolded a new plan, which wap, in effect, to buy off the officials. That was abandoned, and the matter dropped for awhile. Later a proposition was submitted embracing a project to approach Prosecuting Attorney M'Kinney, his assistant, and other persons having access to the papers. The plan was instantly rejected. Then it was that, driven to desperation and there being no other resource, the subject of blowing up the Federal Building and the Newhall House was broached. To cover the atrocity of the design, the matter was treated in a half-jesting way ; but as the minds of the parties became accustomed to the idea, the jeet became earnest, and the horrible crime was actually discussed. The sura first asked, for reward for successful destruction of the records was J.OOOOOdoI, then 50,000d01, and finally 30.000d01. No details were given of the proposed plan. It was tacitly understood that the JGb was to be dove, but how and when was to be left to the discretion of the active criminals. Their sleeping partners were not to know anything more than that the evidence of their guilt had been destroyed. The expression "blow up the Federal Building," when exanrned, meant the explosion of dynamite in the offices of Clerk of Court Kurtz, United States Marshal Hamilton, Prosecuting Attorney M'Kinney, the District Attorney, United States Court Commissioner B'loodgood, the chambers of Judge Dyer, and the ccurt room. As all these apartments, with the exception of that occupied by the District Atfcovney, which is on the ground floor) are on the third floor, the explosion involved the entire destruction and ruin of the i third floor and roof. To make a good job of it the District Attorney's room, on the floor below, aad the offices of internal revenue, at the furthest end of the second floor, would probably also have gone. As these rooms are wholly deserted after nightfall, the job might have been successfully accomplished without a life bping ]ost, With regard to the Newhall bouse, the plausible excuße was made that au hour would be fixed for the explosion when the inmates were absent, and very few persons about, An alarm of fire was also to be given, and a small fire started below, in order to draw the persons occupying rooms out into the corridor and thus lessen the possible massacre. All these details were carefully planned, the materials and machinery to be used doubtless designated, and nothing was wanted but niPQPyThe distillers were unable to raise the fundp, Spme of those who were asked to subscribe refused to accede without information as to the intended use of the money, which it was well known beforehand they would never sanction ; others, who were desperate enough and vicious enough to eduction anything to hide

their guilt, found themselves at the end of their resources with the payment of the last assessment for the legal defence of the Ring. In fine, the Binewa of war were not forthcoming, and the scheme collapsed. About four weeks ago the first whispers of the above transactions were beard. Information reached the prosecuting attorney, and in such a shape that he was enabled to place evidence of a very convincing character before the grand jury, and upon that evidence the indictments of Jonas, Crosby, and Goldberg were returned.