Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1887 — OF THE DEADLIEST SORT. [ARTICLE]

OF THE DEADLIEST SORT.

Ths Bomba Found in Lingg’s Cell, and What the Other Anarchists Say of Them. Some Charge That It Was a Put-Up Job—Engel’s Desperate Attempt . at Suicide. Chicago, Nov. 8. The excitement caused by the discovery of bombs in Lingg’s cell in the County Jail continues at white heat. A careful examination of the bombs has proved beyond question that they were filled with dynamite. How they came into the posssession of the prisoner still remains a mystery. The box containing them was a common starchbox that had been in Lingg’s cell for some time. He used it to throw odds and ends into. When the deputies ran across it, during their search of the cell, it apparently held nothing suspicious and was kicked out of the door witu the other rubbish. In the gallery were a couple of prisoners who were there to carry down the trash. Picking up the starch-box, a piece of gas-pipe rolled out. Deputy-Sheriff Hogan saw wh.t it was in an instant, and put it in his pocket without saying a word. He took the box into his hands for closer inspection and heard something rattle, although it was empty. The result was that a loose false bottom was discovered, and beneath were found the remaining tiiree bombs. There were fifty people in the jail at the time who saw the bombs and the box. Engel’s foolish attempt to commit suicide led to the investigation which exposed Ling’s murderous plot. August Spies received a letter from Professor William M. Salter yesterday, asking him to Sut in writing his views on the finding of the ombs in Lingg’s cell. After its completion tho reply was handed to Fielden and Schwab, both of whom indorsed what Spies had written. Tho letter is as follows : “Chicago, 111., Nov. 7, 1887. “Mr. Salter: It is useless for me and my friends to say that we had no knowledge of anything of the kind. No sane man would have bombs in his cell or countenance any such a thing in a cell—think of it!—subject to a search at any moment and at all times. The first intimation I received of the matter came from Sheriff Matson last evening. I could not believe it at first, and can hardly believe it now. I haven’t spoken to Lingg for— I think nine months. I don’t know much of him, but I think that ho is a monomaniac. Had only seen him once or twice before we were put together ami charged with 'conspiracy.’ I don’t believe that a single one of the other prisoners had even as much as a suspicion, for, otherwise, they would undoubtedly have reasoned the man out of his folly. What use was he going to make of the shells? Throw them into the jail? What intention, what object could there have been in such an undertaking? I repeat no Bane man would be capable of such a thing. “Ling.’, as far as I can judge him, seeks to be martyred, and, to be candid, would like the rest of us to go with him. Did he put those instruments into his cell so that they might be found? This is the question I have been asking myself. If he had them there for any purpose, this is the only one that looks plausible to me. He wants to die, thinking thereby to help the cause of labor. But he wanted us to die also. Perhaps he thought that tHe best and surest way to bring this about was to place a few bombs in his cell. » * * I have never met as peculiar a man as ne is before in my life, and for almost a year I have considered him a monomaniac, and have had nothing to do with him. “You ask mo to condemn his action. It's useless to condemn the action of an irresponsible man 1 If any one holds us, or any one of us, responsible for-Lingg’s deeds, then I can’t see why we shouldn't be held responsible for any mischief, whatsoever, committed in the world. And it has actually come to that. We are being made tho scapegoats for everything. Very sincerely yours, A. Spies.’’ “In the above I fully concur. “Michael Schwab.” “I also concur in the above statement. “S. Fielden." Adolph Fischer also addressed a brief note to Mr. 8a ter, which says: “I don’t know what to think of it. I cannot comprehend that Lingg intended to take the lives of the jail officials, who in every respect have treated us very kindly. Neither do I believe that Lingg wanted to commit suicide, because he possesses to much courage. The whole affair is a puzzle to me. May my fate be what it may, I will be grateful to the jail officials for their kind treatment to the last.” Engel acted like a big, gruff bear with a sore head all day yesterday. He had completely recovered from the ill-effects of his attempt at suicide. He not only acknowledged to Dr. Gray that he had taken the laudanum with suicidal intent, but also told the doctor that he had taken sixteen morphine pills at one time Friday night for the same purpose. He said that he had both the pills and the laudanum in his cell for over a year. Dr. Gray gave it as his opinion that the reason the pills did not cause death was that the sugar/coating had so hardened as to make them insoluble, and consequently not more than one or two of them had dissolved. Beginning to-day, everybody will be excluded from the jail and the prisoners will not be let out of their cells again until the night before the execution. It is. claimed that 10,000 names petitioning for clemency have been collected in the city within the last three days. The jail guard has been doubled, and the police find some trouble in keeping the streets about the prison cleared. Every caller is subjected to a series of questions, and unless he has some business requiring his presence in the building he is unceremoniously “lired” down the stone steps and hustled along by the guard on the outside. Inside the jail two or three dozen deputies, armed to the teeth, patrol the corridors, while a like number bar the entrance to the jail office. The two old gallows in the County Jail on which it is proposed to hang the anarchists have been repaired, and are now stored in the basement under the insane ward attached to the County Jail. One of the instruments of death is understood to be large enough for the execution of three men, and the other has been enlarged so as to accommodate four. Measures have been taken by some leading firms in the business center of the city to protect their property against dynamite." Quite a number of Pinkerton men are employed to patrol the vicinity of Marshall Field’s new wholesale building, at Franklin and Adams streets, all night. It has also been deemed advisable to provide the employes with small arms, and each man has been furnished with a revolver and has been instructed to use it if necessary. H. T. Sanford, the juror who sat in the anarchist trial, has been threatened with death on the day of the hanging of the Chicago anarchists. He is now living in St.’ Paul. Last Saturday he received a letter from State’s Attorney Grinnell, of Chicago, advising him not to come here, as his life would certainly be in great danger. Mr. Grinnell advised him to stay at home and look out for his safety on that day. Parsons wrote a letter yesterday, in which he charged that somebody on the outside not friendly to the anarch’sts smuggled the bombs into Lingg’s cell. This is the view taken by most of the reds, or, at least, they so express themselves. Lingg himself denies knowing anything about them. Five thous and United States troops are on the way to Chicago from the West. Every soldier is armed with a repeating rifle, two selfcocking revolvers and extra rounds of cartridges.