THE DISCOVERT OF INFERNAL MACHINES AT LIVERPOOL.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 67, 17 September 1881, Page 4

THE DISCOVERT OF INFERNAL MACHINES AT LIVERPOOL.

A report received from a Liverpool correspondent sajs that for some time past it haß been suspected that a considerable traffic in explosives had been carried on bstween America and this country through the agency of certain people in Liverpool who are not lioensed to deal in such commodities. Recently more detailed information was received whioh oaused a sharp look-out to be made on all goods arriving from the United States at Liverpool. Major Greig, the head of the Liverpool Police, and Chief Superintendent Williams, of the Detective Department there, were entrusted with the enquiries, and Mr. Gardiner, Head Collector of Customs at Liverpool, waß also specially commissioned by Sir Charles dv Cane, Chairman of the Board of Customs, to closely watch all arrivals of goods, and generally to investigae the matter. Tho reports received wore to the effect that by one of the largest vessels of one of the principal lines of steamers sailing between the_ United States and Liverpool a number of infernal machines loaded with dynamite were being conveyed to this country. Several vessels were searched, but without any result. On tho arrival of a steamer belonging to a popular line, a day or two since, one partioular portion of the oargo aroused suspicion. This was a consignment of a number of barrels of cement, an article which, coming to Liverpool, somewhat resembles the proverbial coals being sent to Newcastle. Theße barrels were detained, and, in order to keep the matter as secret as possible, it was decided to examine them in the middle of the night. The examination took place in one of the wharveß at the Huskisson dock, none but Custom-house officials being present. Six or seven of the barrels were opened without anything being found, eventually a barrel was opened which afterwards was noticed to have on it a black oroBS not to be found on the others, and in this were found six zinc boxes, which, uptn further examination, proved to be infernal machines, with neatly constructed clock-work and some stuff that looked like dynamite, ready prepared. Dr. ( 'ampbell Brown was asked to examine the stuff, and pronounced it to be dynamite. Each box oontained about 31b of the mixture, one or two of them containing besides a quantity of mtro-glycerine. A olookworker was called in to examine the machinery, and he stated that the works were of a very simple but effective kind After being started, the machinery would run for about six hours, when a portion of the olockwork would move a powerful spring whioh would be brought into contact with a percussion cap, and so the explosives would be fired. During the examination, one of the officers incautiously Btarted one of the machines, but the action was, of course, immediately stopped. The Home Secretary was communicated with and one of the machines — the dynamite having previously been extracted— -was forwarded to London for examination. A few days after another uteamer arrived in the same dock. She also had on board some barrels of cement, consigned to the same persons. Those were, of course, examined, and in one of the barrels six more machines, constructed on the same plan, were foi! 111^! each of them containing 31bs of explosivt? m*tarial. In some 1 of the barrels, it is stated, come wll heads, bearing the name of O'Donov^ 11 *tossa, were found.