Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-24
a WARMING FOR WALES.
An Attempt 10 Bleed the Prince or
His Pocket-boOk.

LONDON, Dec. 1S.-London has had a
genuine sensation to-day. Early this morn,
ing young man and his wife, John and
Sarah Magee, were arrested ut Kensington
on the charge OF having attempted to pro-
cure money from the Prince OF Wales by
writing threatening letters. They were
taken into court and formal charges were
preferred against them, and they were then
remanded to await examination. 1t appears
that the prisoners had written two letters,
but, as these letters were not read In court
to-day, 1t is impossible to give their exact
language, or to state, except In general
terms, what they contained. 1t is known,
however, that the letters made demand
for E75O, and intimated In unmlstakable
terms that, unless this amount was forth
coming, the Princes life would be In
jeopardy.
The prince, 1t Is said, paid only passing
attention to the first letter which the Magees
sent, but when the second came reiterating
the demand for money and the threats OF
violence, his Royal Highness turned the let
ter over to the police and left them to do
whatever they thought best. The police ut
once quietly set about planning the capture
of the blaekmailers. They sent a message
rs though coming from the Prince of Wales
to the address given In the letters, directing
the author or authors Of the latter to appear
at specified time and place. The assurance
Upso bANNh Nuab oOhlOpOuy MOulu IntBI Ilbll
at the appointed hour prepared to hand over
q package containing the money they had
demanded. The Magees at once fell into the
trap which had been set for them. They
appeared at the spot designated this morn
and were presented with package of farth-
lngs. AS they started to leave with their
supposed treasure the police threw off their
DISCUSSES and arrested them. The woman
thereupon made II voluntary confession of
the whole plot. At any rate the police say
that the confession was voluntary. The
woman, however, has since declared that
she was forced by the police against her
will to confess something. 1t is enough that
she fears the confession made by her in the
ilrst moments Of CONSERVATION after her ar
rest may be bad for her on the trial, and
that she Is therefore trying to weaken
Its effect by asserting that it was
forced from her by the police. A represent
tative OF the press called upon an equerry
OF the Prince OF Wales this afternoon to
learn any facts obtainable about the attemI
TO eXtort money. The equerry knew some
thing Of the contents Of the letters. These,
he declared, represented that Magee was an
emissary OF a secret society, and that he
had been ordered to kill the Prince of
Wales, but, the letters further intimated,
Magee did not wish to carry out this man
date. There was no help for 1t, however.
unless he could get money enough to go to
America. He wanted $50 therefor If
this amount reached him at once he would
bid a lasting goodbye to secret societies
Atlantic.
Nothing further can be learned tonight.
IL is believed that disclosures of an imDor-
tant nature may be made when the ease
comes before the court for thorough inyes-
tigation.