The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-16

Attempted Extortien, aud Sending Threat.
sniDg Letters to Mr.. VIM. II. Aston, the
Millionaire.
The Chief OF Police, for the last few days, has
been engaged In ferretng out the writers OF certain
threatening letters sent to Mr. VIM. B. Aston, of
No "a Lafayette Place. The letters demanded the
payment, under prescribed directions, of $4,000,
in default Of which payment as directed the writer
threatened to take the life of Mr.. A., and destroy
his property. The parties arrested and accused of
the crime, are men called Franklin Bragg and
Isaac A Biggs
Annexed is the leading letter
To Mr. WIN B. AsroR, No. 81 lafayette Place
Your life depend. upon your complying strictly with
the directions Of this letter In the first place. will
give you the csuss Of your receiving this letter My
father ohsnic and was partner With your IL
thtr from 1914 1917 the manufacture spurious
coins for trading In the fur and ndis trade. This
coin was used in those eoantrss hold all the state
nents ads and ell the particulars and instructions
given my father. and the amount manufactured, IS
was set forth by his account snd memor sndums,
signed by my father and his brother. The whole
amoust manufactured 90 100000, the average co
of which $3.50 to the 81 O0O and your father fur
amount Of $50 500 The drst shipment vas made in toe
latter part Of 1914 the amount shipped this time
UoS In july Of the same year they shipped
and from that time till Nov, 1877 the whole amount
shippod. including the above neiOned
O0O All the done by father,
except of the coin that done
by my father and mole; tho whole that was received
BY my father amounted TO only $lsS 600 for their
expenditure and support. leaving . balance In your
fathers hands Of 81 602 600, Of which my father
the amount due them SlS8 S33 without interest and
tho profits that made the business. Besides,
my father made . statement every month, of the
amount afsctured, and expen dtnres asd remarks
upon the schedule, with ali the particulars, and
signed his name to 1t. And my uncle also signed the
Ao1A q ham - fhAu& infA
the hands Of their sister that in Of any detec
tion clue to the nature of their business. they
father wanted my uncle to to Philade phia to pur
chase materials for the coin, a. my uncle was good
their srrvs, in Philsdsph,s my uncle was taken
| sick suddenly, and died before eight O'Clock on
the following morning Physicians pronounced him
to quit the business a. he had been long In It, and
had been successfui 1t was agreed by your father
and my father TO quit at end OF Az this time
your father WAS generally supposed to DO worth g..
1000; while my d.thsr vas supposed to b. worth
ID pS1oSs 20 real estate. smouatins sat-
600. Your father thinking that It might create
the buying Of hm.eif in his own name L vas &C.
eordingly DONE with the undsrsta nding that after
they had Suspended the msnuf..sarins business. in
proceeds Of their basins he paid for tho res.
out these proceeds On the 18th OF Decsm1er 1877
my father also taken sck and the 20th he died
similar to my unole. Up to this time, my father had
business In HE last account he forth the real
sstats above mentioned He also stated ell the par
81 rSs 20
count that have any knowledge Of his keeping pre-
vious his death he informed his wife, my mother,
that he had placed certain papers In his SISTERS hands
and Instructed her to call for them have them
opersd until MIR. John jacob Aston came to her;
and informed her that they had unsettled business be-
tween them. and in he Astor, did not oommuui-
this to her. then she was to ssk him II there
ais iua uote her hat in In
ask him how things stood between them IS to money
matters, and to get hts statement, and he did not
show lsrge balance In my fathers favor, then SEQ
what he did show and ask him what the of their
business and hew It that there not large
amount coming us, and II his account did not ap-
pear satisfactory then to go to my fathers sister and
get all the papers whioh had been left with her and
my neither thought proper And nov, sir your father
never gave my mother any Information respecting my
fathers sars; and scco ding to his directions, my
mother called upon your father for the informsso
spoken Of, but Jour father gave her sAts-
faction My mother, therefore, and got the pa
psis and examined them and was aston nd1d and did
not know what pursus but finally concluded
the whole matter remain ra,her than to
the business the world until became Of age which
Was in 1896 MY mother then comma icated to me
the nature Of the business and CAV. me the papers,
and told me ell In relation to my fathers desth AZ
been foul play and that John Jacob Ator had caused
my fathers death, AID also my uncle's. and that
the pagers and called upon your father and spoke
him concerning the information had received, not
ststing how hsSonsd u me witn .sson;nmsns .ua
desd, and asked where got ny information frea.
Uniformed him that that kuo"lsdes he could no. OBJ
ever belonged to my fstbsr and that he had held it,
he would have given It up to my mother
think that I hs,e property Il yours, / viii give
you $40 600 to commence business with, for
Yourself as always had high regard for ysur father
told him about the business generally and said that
would consult with my mother abouti It. did 80 and
III IT,
comm need business and in 1881 my business had in
crrased 10 sl60 00o but In 1882 failed owing to my
being too Largely and tn: 1T
mother received settle with my creditors ct 70 cents
on the dollar; then applied to your father for far.
f.ttlsd" VERY we'll. said I. ! was leaving, whom
he s.ted me how much | wanted or expected. 70.
| piled, wanted Satisfaction and would have It. At
that moment / met you ming in the ONCE. Your
father ssked me to wait. said, Mo- will settle 1t
:DthsI .sy AID sf him and from sn.s TIM. ns,s
has been msds to accomplish that object have fur
nhed you and your relations with tenants and ser
date death Of yourself family and destroy large
amount Of your property and entirely out OF the
Of this 20 OF ss
will prevent what set forth and will take place I'M
less the following Is complied with in strict accordance
New, sir you strictly forbidden giving any insor
nation to any one In rsspn to receiving this letter. or
Of any for infor alton It will be OF to
You or any one ebe while you live As an intimate
with you and your family and your relatives, shall
know Of It In you do, and you will only know Of
tho resut by seeing and feeling the oonseque noes,
ms nds of you follows: On Tuesday morniug,
March 9th. 1849 with you to stand at your once
door, the outside with well sealed package CON
tanning $50 funds Of this city, In bills Of
frsm $50 to $5UO-noDe larger. And ct the time
above mentioned, person will call upon you and ask
nthie 10 Mir Astcr Your answer 10 yes He will hand
you o package At that moment you are to hand him
| the above package, containing $4,000, and say
| nothing except that gentleman will call upon you
for IL. The person WHO presents you with tie above
package knows nothing Of this transaction, neither
does be know me, NOR the perscn giving hm the pAok
spe to give you and shall never let him know who
am and will know the contents, nor the per-
con that will the package from him which you
| arr directed to give him. consequently he will not
knew any thing shout It, and the money will oe used