Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1887 — IT WAS A HOAX. [ARTICLE]

IT WAS A HOAX.

Alleged Attempt o. the Life of V. 8. Supreme Judge Waite. An appalling if not sensational story from Washington was printed in the daily newspapers Friday, givnig the particulars of an alleged attempt on the life of Chief Justice Waite of the United States Supreme Court. The affair was a hoax gotten up by S. G. Hopkins and A. B. Sperry for the purpose of selling the story to the newspapers. The storv was as follows: • & About haH paetsix a small box was sent to his house through the special delivery postal service. It was a pasteboard box about ten inches by six, looking something like a valentine box, and was addressed in a small cramped and apparently disguised backhand writing, “To The Hon. Chief Justice Waite, No. 1,415 I Street, N. W., Washington, D. 0.” Near the bottom were the words: “Important papers,” underscored. The thing enclosed was a glass tube about ten inches long and of the diameter of a lead pencil. The tube was bent at an angle of about sixty degrees and was fastened to the box by means of small nieces of heavy paper pasted over it. The tube for most of the length contained a jet black fluid, but about one and-adialf inches from theend was a percussion cap separating the fluid from a little more than an inch of coarse powder, apparently what is known as Atlas powder. At the other’ end of the powder was another percussion cap, and to this was attached the wire which was apparently intended to explode the tube. The wire was joined to a small rubber band, fastened to one side of the box, and another wire ran from the rubber toa hook and eye which was held in place by a piece of paper pasted over it. When Chief-justice Waite received the bQx he immediately opened it. By providential dispensation the wire, which was fastened to the top of the box, had become detached and the lid was removed without pressing upon the cap. It is supposed that in stamping the box, which always occasions a jar, the wire had become detached, thus saving the life of the Chief-justice. By the confession of Hopkins it was found the package contained only ink and a very small quantity of powder, just sufficient to burst a phial and alarm the person who might open the package. Sperry is the party who called at the Chief Justice’s residence Thursday evening and inquired whether a mysterious looking package had been received. Both Hopkins and Sperry were immediately arrested, charged with conspiracy to dafraud tho newspaper correspondents, and by the time the fellows get through with the courts it may not be a veny funny matter.