St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-09
THEY WANTED WEALTH
Sensational Story Regarding an Alleged
, Plot to Kidnap W. H. Van
derbilt.
Ee Was to Have Been Kept Cap
tive Until He Yielded Up
S1,500,000.
His Disappearance Was to Have
Been Used in Stock Manipu-
lations,
But For Unexplained Reasons the
Wild scheme Failed of
Fruition.
THEY WANTED WEALTH
a Remarkable Story.

Remarkable story
Special TO the Globe.
NEWARK. \. j., Oct S.-A most re-
markable story. occupying three columns, is
published in tO-dayS Journal of this city.
The writer's name is Capt. Thomas White.
who STYLES himself Late of her majesty 5
Cape Mountain rifles. Cane Town, Africa. -
The narrative is TO the effect that recently
q scheme was perfected TO kidnap w. IL.
Vanderbilt, take him 10 sea or some out of
the way place and in the general lowering
of the price of stocks that would enSue, the
promoters of the scheme would get in on the
low market. Then Mr.. Vanderbilt
was to be released, the market would
go up and those VINO had bought
stock would realize fortunes. In case the
market failed to become affected by the
kidnapping. Y anderbit was to be compelled
to give 81. 800. 600 to his captors and forever
remain quiet on pain of death. The scheme,
so the story says. failed because of the
cOwaTdice at the last moment of one of the
leaders in the project. The narrator who
tells the story says that over year ago he
received letter asking if he was willing to
engage in an exciting undertaking. He
answered in the affirmative and
RECEIVED THE FoLLowING:
few days ago very distinguished, very
brave and enterpriSing man came after me
with double scheme, both ends of which l
think can be carried ont. One position would
not suit me. 1t is not my line. 1t includes
your favOrte role-ni@ht, darkness. mystery,
espionage. etc, for all of which [ have no
fitness. Do you want fortune? How far are
you prepared 10 90 for il? Does the end JUS
thy the means: To do great right is it ever
needful To do a little wrong. Mind you, I
don't say there IS wrong to be done,
but there is to be Il powerful and
formidable expedition in which will be good
men. with high post for you. But-there
are Butts. Write making appointments for
New York and I will meet, sound and intro
duce you. Secrecy. Yours hopingly,
Foreseeing that there was an adventure
on hand and being always ready to take a
part in one, says the story-teller, l wrote,
saving | would meet him when and where
he liked, and in reply received the follow
ing:
Dear: Yours on newspaper rag to hand.
Y. says tomorrow, Friday, at (naming place
in Harlem) from, as, you say $50 to p. m.
The house is used as ''Tandy Woo" The
game pursued is magnificent. There is cash
in it for you, more than you have handled in
some one sum since you were preached, but
there are butts Of a serious nature. OF course
whatever events you will be secret. Brave
We know you to be, but secret even if your
conscience could not stomach the PROPOSE
ton. Men must live. Yours faithfully and,
in the spirit of Mr.. Mephisto Senior. What
q pretty Faust you would make. +
AGREED TO THE SCHEME.
Ny friend led me TO a lonely part of the
bic city. and, as we passed up and down in
the darkness fitfully Illuminated by the
distant gas lamps. he told ms the plan, and
introduced me to most mysterious, and,
al the same time, educated man. He was
a Spaniard and nobleman by birth, but
spoke nearly all of the languages of Europe
like a native. He also spoke Chinese, and
one of his favOTite DISCUSSES was wearing a
pig tail. The unknown posed great in
fuence over the lower orders. many of
whom of his own nativity, residing i'll New
York, appeared to know him Intimately.
This man, my friend said, had
introduced himself to him and told him he
had a good position and l, having heard of
his previous history, and knowing the role
would suit in order to get into, what later
! found was
a MOST DESPERATE SCHEME.
was told that a project was on foot to
60 to a small country with an expedition,
enlist the sympathy of the natives, capture
the government. build railroads and become
every one rich man. In order to get
money 4 rich man in Washington, whose
disappearance would depreSs the European
stock market, was to be kidnapped,
money made in Europe by the fall
in stocks. and then when enough capital
had been secured to release the captive. /
Gid not like the idea. but in jest. said: ''If
you want to affect the stock market. why
not capture W. II. Vanderbilt" My friend
seized my arm and turned me till we stood
face to face. and looking me straight in the
face, whispered: My God! you've guessed
it. | did not mean to tell you yet, but you
hit it, Like flash of lightning the whole
diabolical but splendid plot was exposed to
my view. Vanderbilt was the game and
biackmail their aim. | was informed that
the foreign nObleman before spoken of, was
often in VandeTbilJ'S company. He was
10 be the decOy. The millionaire was to be
enticed into the neighborhood of a certain
fashionable but lonely part of New York.
There he was to be quickly and eXpedi-
tiously quieted and dragged into the house.
In a few minutes a heaTSe would leave the
house with coffin. 1t would be taken to
the riverside where a small tug was wait
ing. and the unfortunate gentleman would
be at sea in two senses. You are re-
CURED" said my friends. ito do the kid
mapping. You will receive S25, and
the command 1 have before spoken Of.
Should the attempt miS-carry and you be
arrested
POWERFUL FRIENDS
wiIIeffect your escape" But" said, ''sup-
pose the stock market was not affected?'
'Well," he replied. there is another plan.
1t is to get Vanderbilt to sign an order fOr
$1,000, coo and release him when it is
ho ho fo1f /,
and we must have money for our purpose
No one will be hurt." L" said my friend
was asked to do the kidnapping, but it
is not in my line. VIII you
do it?" Well, the hour was late
and l told him l would meet
him again at a certain saloon. After a
further caution to be secret, we parted for
the night. | never went to the place of
meeting. At least. l went but in disguise
For some time | kept watch over the place
where these men met and the gOingS and
cOmings of the leader and from what / saw
] believe that an attempt to carry out their
design was commenced one evening. but
for some cause unknown to me it miscar-
ried. On the evening in question four
men. who from time to time inter-
changed words in low voice,
passed backwards and forwards in
and out of the house, where l have already
stated the victim was to be taken, for some
hour or more. After time
ANOTHER MAN CAME UP
and spoke to them and they all departed in
a body. presume the man who was to
entice Vanderbilt into the neighborhood
failed in his object" Were you not sur
prised," asked the reporter, THAT when
you had failed them they did not alter theiI
plans or the localities?' well, no: l am
under the impression that the others did
not know that my friend had told me of
the plan" "What is your idea of the
true motive of the plOtterS." queried the
scribe. ''Well, that is very hard to say.
l have thought the matter over good deal.
The undoubted
LEADER OF THE GANG
is an adyenturer. pure and simple, of good
family, a brilliant conversationalSt and
linguist and with a solid education he
finds an easy entrance to the best society.
At the same time he is well known to the