The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-26
Joseph DoDjon Has Been Worrying
Washington 0l1cIalS.
WAS A GREAT LETTER WRITER.
Police had Long Been ON the Watch for
nim-Hc was the Man whs Caused
Many High onhcisls to Garry Arms
for sclf-Pr,tcctlon.

WASHINGTON, Dec 28.--Joseph Donjon,
The man who has been writing threaten
ing letters TO number Of prominent pub
sic men during the last two weeks, is in
Jail.
A letter from this man to Senator Mills
. few days ago caused the senator's son,
Charles III. Mills, to secure leave from the
authorities to go armed for the protection
of his father. This was the cause of
bringing the mans acts more prominently
before the public.
For several months past he has been
writing similar letters TO a number OF
prominent public men, among whom
were Vice President Stevenson. Senator
German, Senator Mills, Senator Sherman
and, as the man himself claims, President
Cleveland and Secretary Lamont. As
long ago as during the fight over the sill
ver question in the senate Vice President
Stevenson received letters almost daily
from Donjon, who was then in Newark,
N. j. No attention was paid to them.
The vice president yesterday received a
letter which was dated from 304 Leigh
street, this city.
Donjon's Story.
A number of reporters were at the po-
lice station TO see the man, and he talked
very freely. He is % years old, dark and
sallow, and has a greasy complexion and
a rather slouchy look. He has the droop-
ing eyelids which usually accompany
brooding and melancholy disposition. He
talks very nationally and with a rather
studied effort 20 avoid any appearance Of
bitterness or the expression Of any an
archistic views.
Donjon Is an Austrian by birth and laws
stress on the assertion that he is Catho-
lie and processes degree of piety His
story is that he came to this country
when Is years old. He had been tele-
graph operator. but gave up this work be-
cause there was some slight difference in
the instruments and the alphabet. Under
those circumstances" he continued, 'if
had secured job they would have sent
me to some remote office In the far west
where there are coyotes and cougars and
other dangerous creatures" In this the
prisoner showed a faptastic apprehension
that was characteristic of the tone Of his
whole recital
Visited the Northwest.
He became n bench moulder after he
came here and claims to have worked for
time in Ohio. Later with his father and
mother and brother he went to Newark,
Nj. Last May, being out of employment,
he went west to Washington and Idaho,
and he tells rather fearful tale of the
dangers he encountered from rough
miners in that country while prospecting
for gold. Then he went back to Newark
and lived with his parents and brothers
ut 1913 Burnett street This agrees with
the address of the earlier letters received
from him here
He contends that he was prevented from
securing employment because he was nos
member of the knights of Labor or any
other labor union. As to the letters he
has been writing, he claims that he was
melted to writo them by other people, re-
ceiving 800 fot doing il. Asked as to the
character of the persons who did this, he
disclaiIned that they were anarchist, or
that they formed any association. They
were merely private persons. He also de-
nies that there were any threats in the let
ters or any reference to dynamite. 81
never saw dynamite, and wouldn't know
II if saw it," said he
When asked what right he had to COM
pose such letters ut the bidding of other
peop'e, he simply inquired: what right
have you to W it cow what l am telling
yoa. AZ was simply a business went into
TO make n living just as you write news
for the newspapers"
Ills Propositions"
He claimed that all that was contained
In any of the letters were proposition to
each of the men addressed to forward
him the cost of transportation to Wash
ington and an offer to come on there and
make business proposition to them.
The man came to Washington three
days ago from Baltimore. Sunday he fell
in with German on a bench in one OF
the public parks. The man was drunk,
but spoke some words OF encouragement,
and told him that he was out of work,
too, but gave him quarter and hoped he
might soon find employment EIe thought
the best thing he could do with the quar-
ter was to get some postal cards and
make another effort to secure answers
from them to whom he had been sending.
He took lodgings and waited all yester-
day for some one to appear in reply to his
postal cards, but no one came He then
determined, he says, to start ont to look
for Chief Drummond and brought up in
the station