Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-08
EEATLY DONE.
AN ALLEGED BLAcKMAILER CAUGHT
IN THIS CITY.
a san Francisco Detective and Decoy
Letter Do the Work in HAND
some style.

On Friday last detective Cofey, of San
francisco, came to this city and effected an
important arrest. 1t was that of young
man accused Of being blackmailer He
had exposed himself by applying for
letters, and received one that was placed in
the mail as a decoy. He claimed that he
was not the party wanted, and had called
Tor the letter at the request Of another per-
son, whose identity he declined to expose.
The REc9RD. UNION withheld the publ
cation of the facts, at the request of the
arresting officer, who wished to see if any
other person applied for letters similarly
addressed. He has apparently abandoned
the hope of making further arrests, as the
facts were on Saturday given to the San
Francisco papers. The Chronicle story
thereof is as follows:
"a few days ago four ladies' of promi-
nencs in this city received letters written in
crude hand and badly spelled, which re.
CURED them to advance 500 to the writer
or take the consequence of losing their
llVes or those of their relatives if thew
Jailed to comply with the request. Their
spirits we're much perturbed at the receipt
OF such ssnguinary epistles. which breathed
OF the days Of the Italian and Greek
brigands.
The letters were given TO Chief of Po-
lice Crowley, and detective John Coffey
wss detailed to epprehend the blackmailer.
Inc following IS sample of the letters
i want about 500. You have plenty of money.
you nave to send between three days about :. 90
70 the address +. Rhenius. sacramento. If you
don send 1t to the right time you or one of YOUR
family loses his lie by my hand and then / kiIl
myself BY - would kill myself BY now
Try IL flFst this way and be sure as soon as YOU
make any trouble YOU win be killed BIZ my
hands OF by my companions. Wherever you go
meet you and kin you and one of your fam
ny ana then myself --i it, that's what
40. Don't Try to catch any of u.s. we don't fear
all the world. We send another man to take
the letter, and If he does not come bacx you
may make your testament.
''F. RRESIUs, Sacramento.
Detective Cofey Immediately mailed
letter 10 the blackmailer's address and went
TO Sacramento on the same train as the
missive. About o'clock he was rewarded
Tor his efforts while standing near the gen.
eral delivery window in the Sacramento
postOttice, by having young man call for
a letter addressed to F. Rhenius. The
young lady clerk asked him several times
If that was his name, which he admitted.
be also said that the letter was expected
from San Francisco He was handed the
pocket. Detective Coffey followed him
out of the postoffiee, and on Fourth street
sccosted him by saying:
You have made mistake about that
letter.
The blackmailer said that he had not,
as 1t was his name on the envelope. The
detective took him into custody.
The arrested man gave the name OF Felix
Schmidt, which IS correct, and said that he
received the letter for man in San Fran
cisco, who promised him $50 if he found
any money inclosed. But when searched
at the station q list was found in his peck
cts OF the persons to whom he had ad-
dressed the threatening letters. He at
tempted to blackmail the following per-
sons into sending him 500 each: Mrs. d.
D. Shattuck, S14 Powell street; Mrs. Bars
tow, 927 Pine; Mrs, G. H. Woods, 919
Pine, and Mrs. Il. Davis, 1O11 Bush.
Schmidt says he is 10 years old, but he
looks much older. He lived in this city at
80 Sacramento street. He came here by
the way Of Texas, and few days ago he
told clerk in the German Consulate that
ne had run away from home He was
taken TO the city prison at o'clock Friday
night and was placed in the tanks. Yes
terday four charges of felony were entered
against his name