The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-03-21
From the Philadelphia Times.
A Vast Scheme to ExtOrt Money.

Our sister city, of New York, has been astounded by
the exposure of of the bodest schemes to extort
says, 81" will, doubt long be remembered, not only
on account of its audacious rascay, and the fea u
measures made use OF to accomplish the nefarous de-
sign but also instance OF signal failure IN supen
dous and we'll planned project of fraud, which, had it
succeeded would have enriched the vanous authors in
the sum of $5O,O00.'
John Jacob Astor recently deceased in New York. left
the bulk of his propertyan immense sum, only to be
counted in millons-to his son. William b. Astor. The
latter gentleman resides at No "a Lafayette Place, and
has Office in the upper part OF the city Mr. Astor has
received lately several Letters from man, signing him
self ..E K Eastwood" demanding from him $4,000,
and threatening his life and property. in Of his
usal TO give it, The 18th inst. fixed the last day
of grace. MIR. Astor went to the police He was di,
rected how to act. He advertised in the Herald
receive it by calling. Officers lay in wait A man
named Franklin G. Bragg called for the money,
and being handed package of worthless notes, walked
off with 1t, and was followed by the police officers to
grocery store the OF Cliff and Fulton streets,
where officer Bowyer accosted him, in relation to the
package He replied that it was package which he was
instructed TO leave at the bar OF the United States Hotel
addressed to A. r. ID. Green, who would call for it, He
was then told 60 and deliver it, and warned against
ntimating that he had been spoken to- He delivered ii,
and he left the hotel, arrested Officer Reed. after
waiting at the hotel, observed Biggs approach the bar
and ask for the package, which was handed him, and
with which he left followed by officers Bowyer and Reed
to the Battery, and thence to the corner of Maiden
Lane and Broadway, where he entered omnibus, in
which officer Bowyer also took seat officer Reed remain
ing outside AT the corner Of Canal street and Broad
officers took him into custody at the Of Canal and
Mercer streets, with the package in his possession and
conducted him to the chiefs office. On searching his
person. letter found, purporng to have been writ
ten to him by Eastwood, evidently in the hand d.
rectng him 10 follow the instructions in the communca-
ton. and that failure would place his own life in
jeopardy The letter set forth that he must go to the
United States Hotel and inquire for the package alluded
to, which would contain $4,000 in bills, and that he
must get it exchanged, and send it through the post
Office to certain address, and that he must under no
circumstances communicate any information respecting
it, unless he should get into difficulty in which case he
was al liberty TO tell all he knew.
Since the arrest of Bggs and Bragg, who, by the way
brothers law, information has been received by the
chief of police that Mr. William Smith, OF St Georges
Manor Long Island, had also received similar threaten
ing letters parporng be signed by John George Jones,
stating that if he did not send $1,000 to certain direction
communication sent to Mr. Smith with those sent to Mr.
Astor it became evident that they had been sent by the
same party, and written by the same individual The
cuscd were committed for examination by the chief of
police.