Chapter 8 cont. PLOT TO BURN THE BRIDGE A dispatch from Chicago, of date August 8, 1860, was sent to and published in the Democrat, stating that Josiah Bissell, a young man, smooth-spoken, plausible, an architect, engineer and bridge builder, and a prime mover in the raid against the great bridge, was arrested in that city by Officer Dennis, of Pinkerton's police force, and that Walter E. Chadwick had been arrested at Rock Island by Officer Webster upon warrants charging them with conspiracy to burn the railroad bridge across the Mississippi river at Rock Island.  The dispatch gave the further information that on the morning of August 8th, indictments had been found against the accused by the grand jury of the recorder's court, then in session, and that a large quantity of inflammable material in bottles had been seized by the officers at the time of the arrest of Bissell; that Bissell was the agent of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and Chadwick an attorney in cases pending against the Rock Island Railroad company.  In its mention of the matter the Chicago Press and Tribune had the following to say, after describing the parties under arrest: "In April last, Mr. Bissell came to this city and stopped at the Richmond house.  He had a business interview with Cyrus P. Bradley, a well known detective of this city, and after finishing other important matters, came out plumply with the proposition to pay him $5,000 if he would cause the bridge to be burned.  He paid Mr. Bradley a compliment, saying that if he, Mr. Bradley, undertook it, it would be done.  Bissell at the time lamented the previous failure last fall and that it must be done sure this time.  He said the law-suits would never move the bridge, 'but let it once be burned and we'll get out an injunction against rebuilding it.  Do you see?"  Captain Bradley did 'see,' and took the bait.  Not long thereafter Superintendent Tracy, of the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad company, and Hon. B. C. Cook, of Ottawa, attorney for the company, were acquainted with the facts and from that time to day before yesterday Messrs. Bissell and Chadwick, with C. P. Bradley, silent partner of this interesting bridge destroying firm, enjoyed plain sailing straight into the lion's jaws.  They have had conversations in this city in a card room carefully prepared with a skillful shorthand reporter, taking evidence 'behind the arras,' and at times citizens well chosen for standing and probity have been placed equally well to hear how it was to be done - the burning of the bridge. "On Tuesday, by previous agreement, a package of combustibles came by express to this city from St. Louis.  It contained fifty champagne bottles filled with a highly combustible treacle-like fluid, known as Greek fire.  This was to be kept as Bradley's stock in trade, among other things.  All seemed to be ready for the harvest.  Officer Dennis took Mr. Bissell into custody at the Richmond house that evening and Special Deputy Tim Webster and Mr. J. R. Reed, bridge master of the railroad company at Rock Island, served the papers almost simultaneously on Chadwick in that city.  This latter arrest was neatly done.  Mr. Chadwick was invited to the depot to look at some papers in Webster's possession.  Then it turned out that the paper was accidentally in Mr. Webster's valise in the cars and just as the two went into the car of the up-bound night train, to see the paper, Chadwick did see and too late, that it was a warant for his arrest and he a prisoner and the train already under headway for Chicago.  Chadwick and Bissell joined company here under arrest yesterday.  These men were tried for the crime alleged against them and on December 15, 1860, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty against Bissell.  Chadwick was never brought to trial." Timothy Webster, who made the arrest of Chadwick in Rock Island, came to Davenport immediately after the attempt to burn the Rock Island bridge in the summer of 1858, and remained here for several years.  He was not known, however, as Timothy Webster, but as J. R. Reed, and from the logic of events it became apparent that his object in taking up his residence in Davenport was to employ his time as a member of the Pinkerton detective agency in the interest of the Rock Island Railroad company in ferreting out the instigators of the plot to burn the bridge.  Mr. Reed was well known in this city during his residence here and in 1860 was elected alderman from the fifth ward, but for reasons best known to himself at the time he declined to qualify for the office.  He was a Jacksonian democrat, a great admirer of Stephen A. Douglas and took an active part in the presidential campaign of 1860.  In this relation it might be well to add that in the later '60s Allen Pinkerton, of Chicago, a member of the famous detective firm bearing that name, published a pamphlet in New York city in which Timothy Webster is given the credit of discovering and making known to the authorities the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln while on his way from Springfield to Washington for his inauguration as president of the United States, which was to take place on the 4th of March, 1861.  Letters from Hon. N. B. Judd, Governor Curtin and others plainly indicated that the plot was discovered and frustrated by members of the Pinkerton force and not by persons in New York, who have claimed the credit.  In the pamphlet above referred to Mr. Pinkerton gives credit to Timothy Webster in the words following:  "Timothy Webster, one of my detective force, accompanied me upon this eventful occasion.  He served faithfully as a detective among the secessionists of Maryland and acquired many valuable and important secrets.  He, among all the force who went with me, deserves the credit of saving the life of Mr. Lincoln, even more than I do.  He was a native of Princeton, New Jersey, a life-long democrat, but he felt and realized with Jackson that the Union must and should be preserved.  He continued in important detective service and after I assumed charge of the secret service of the army of the Potomac under Major General McClellan, Mr. Webster was most of the time within the rebel lines.   True, he was called a spy and martial law says that a spy, when convicted, must die.  Yet, spies are necrssary in war, ever have been and ever will be.  Timothy Webster was arrested in Richmond and upon the testimony of members of the 'secesh' army in Washington, named Levi, for whom I had done some acts of kindness, he was convicted as a spy and executed by Jefferson Davis, April 30, 1862.  His name is unknown to fame but few were braver or more devoted to the Union cause than was Timothy Webster."  While in Davenport Timothy Webster secured appointment as bridge superintendent, succeeding Seth Gurney, the first incumbent. 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