The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-21
Is Pretty Mrs. Hattie n. Russell Of
BrOckton a BlackmaiIer
MAYOR DOUGLAS BELIEVES NOT.
Three Maine Farmers Place Money In
Their Trunks Thinking banks Unsafe.
Money Gone, Trunks burst Open
Determined Attempt at Suicide.

| BOSTON, Sept. 21.-Mrs. Hattie M. Rus
yell, who has figured prominently in u
blackmailing case In Brockton In the past
few days. was arrested for the second time
by the United States authorities yesterday
United States Commissioner Fiske, charged
with mailing letters with intent to de-
fraud L.. A. Merrithew out OF a certain
amount OF money. She pleaded guilty to
sending the letters. but said that she did
not intend to extort money from him.
When Mrs. Russell was arrested at
Brockton 1t caused decided sensation, as
both parties are well known In that city
Mr. Merrithew is prominent shoe man.
ufacturer In Brockton and has the reputa-
tion Of being AN honorable, upright citi-
sen. 1t Is alleged that Mrs. Russell wrote
two letters to him, the first one Of which
read as follows:
II you wish some affairs of yours kept from
your wife's knowledge, lend me $50. You in
suited my wife at Highland park. I will wait
till Friday. IL don't get IL from you then,
will have you and a certain lady arrested.
Send bnls-no checks at once.
ii. G. D., Box 87s. City.
p. s. II will all remain q secret with me, II
hear from you at once.
''she Meant Business"
Saturday the first epistle was followed
by a second. and the correspondence as
sumed more copfiding nature. The sec
ond letter read as follows:
You can do as you like about sending tho
money. III do not get IL by Monday night
your letter and an account Of your intimacy
with another woman will he in your wife's
hands. and, besides. IL will cost you and your
wife more than $50. swear you will not
hear from me again Ii you send the money,
and IL will go no further. mean business
Ii. G. D., Box 6,8, City.
After Mrs Russell pleaded guilty before
the commissioner, United States District
Attorney Casey asked Post Office Inspec-
tor White for the letters, and they were
handed to him, and then to the commits
sioner to read. After he had carefully
examined them they were handed to the
reporter and an exact copy was taken bv
him. Commissioner Fiske asked her IL
these were the letters she mailed and she
answered that they were. but she did not
intend to extort any money from Mr..
Merrithew, but wanted to worry him for
insulting her.
Mr.. Casey then showed her the letters
and she again admitted she wrote them.
Without further solicitation she proceeded
and said:
Mrs. Russeil's Story.
"He came to my house and insulted me,
and know he has followed other women
around A woman told me he followed
her around one afternoon. ! first met him
about five or six weeks ago on one of the
streets Of Brockton. He stepped mp to mo
and said that my face was familiar and
asked what my name was / told him my
present name and then my maiden name
and said / came from Pennington, Me.
He said he came from that place. ] then
invited him and his wife to my house to
call on me.
"Hc came to my house twice before he
insulted me, and the third time we were In
the parlor my daughter was on the
piazza. He wanted me to forgive him and
not to say anything about 1t"
In answer to Assistant District Attorney
Casey's questions, she said: "The first
time he called at the house he was there
about half an hour and the second time
he stayed about the same length Of time.
The third time he was only In the house
10 or 20 minutss."
II have never met his wife. On one of
his visits he wanted to send my daughter
u. i
not realize was doing anything against
the law. My cousin had that postoffice
box at Brockton and received the mail in
It till he went away, and paid IS cents a
quarter. don't know where my cousin
Is now. hardly ever used the box, as all
my letters came to my house."
did you ever use any other initialW
asked Mr.. Casey. She replied she did not.
al -, tc1 In. a,A Aax
15-year-old daughter attending the high
assist me-" She then burst into tears. ysi
Mr.. Casey asked Commissioner Fiske
whit the sentence was In such cases, aud
in answering it Mrs. Russell caught II as
1t fell from his lips in low voice, and she
again wept bitterly. At Mr.. Casey's re-
quest she was held in $1,000, for her ap-
pearance before the United States district
court grand jury in October .
Says She IL Innocent.
In an interview with reporter she said
that she would ask ex-Mayor Douglas of
Brockton to 20 her bonds in this case as
he did in the other at Brockton yesterday.
She said her husband worked for Mr.
Douglas for Is years and up to the time
OF bis death.
Il am innocent OF any wrongdoing In
this case, and 1t is just as have stated,
only sent the letters to worry him for in
sulting me-"
Inspector White says that Mr.. Merrithew
Is very reputable citizen, and he believes
that 1t was clear case Of blackmail.
AS she was leaving the courtroom yes
terday afternoon she said: don't know
what to do; am getting desperate; this
will kill me-"
Mrs Russell is q very respectable look
ing woman and was neatly attired In a
black suit, and her appearance did not
stamp her as person that would resort
TO such means to extort money under
false pretences. She has pleaded guilty,
however, and confesses that she sent the
letters.
In THE NICK OF TIME.