The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-26
JOSEPH DON JAN IN JAIL.
AUTHOR or THE THREATEyJNG
LETTERS ARRESTED.
He Walked Into the once of a Washing
ton Detective and Asked for Money.
An Austrian BY Birth.

nent public men in the last two weeks
is in jail tonight. He walked into a pri-
Tate detective bureau this afternoon ask
ing for money. The detective took him
into a cCffee-house and had somethlna
/ prepared for him to eat Meantime he
! questioned him and learned enough 90
fix his identity. lie started t0wsrds the
station-house with him, and on the way
met Omcers Weldon and Boyd, in whose
! bands he placed him.
Il VIII be remembered that a letter
from this man TO Senator Mills a few
days ago caused the Senator's son. Charles
ii. Mills. to secure leave from the authori-
ties to go armed for the protection Of his
father This was the cause Of bringing
| the mans acts before the public. when 81
has since developed that for several
| months past he has been writing similar
| letters TO a number OF prominent men.
! Among them are President Steven
son. Senators German. Mills. and Sher-
man, and. as the man himself claims,
President Cleveland. Secretary Of War
Lamont, the New York World, and other
/ newspapers.
As long ago as during the fight over
! the silver question in the Senate, Vice
! President Stevenson received letters al
! most daily from this man. who was then
! in Newark, n. J. No attention was paid
| to them. and they were consigned 20 the
waste basket as fast as they were re-
| celved.
Tho Vice -President's Letter.
The Vice-President received one to-day.
which was dated 30i Tenth street, this
city.
A number Of reporters were at the
First precinct polce-station tonight to
see the man. and he talked very freely 10
all Of them. He is tweny-eight years
old. about five feet ten inches I'm height.
weighs $50 or 100 pounds and is dark
| and sallow, has a greasy complexion.
small dark moust9che with rather
slouchy look about him. Re has the
dropping eyelids. which usually accom-
pany a broOding and melancholy dispO-
sition
The mans manner Of relating the story
gives ample evidence that ne does not
belle his appearance I'm this respect. He
talks very nationally and with Il rather
studied effort 10 avoid any appearance OF
bitterness or the expression OF any An
archistic views. lie says he is an Aus
trian by birth, and lays stress upon the
assertion that he is a Catholic. and pro-
fesses a degree Of piety He says he
came to this country when he was ff-
teen years old. and had been q telegraph
Tested considerable pride in his nation
atty but denied with asperty the pub
lshed statements that he is a "Pollack.'
lie gave up telegraphiug when he came
10 this country because there was some
slight difference i'm the instruments and
I'm the alphabet. lie says that under
those circumstances. If be had secured q
Job they would have sent him 90 some
remote Office in the far West where there
were coyotes aa0 couga.s ana oth.r dane
gerous creatures, showing q fantastic
apprehension that was characteristic Of
the tone of his whole recital. lie be-
came a bench moulder after he camd
TO this country, and claims 20 have work
ed for time at Salem Ohio. Ho says
also that he was employed in the wire
mills at JOhnstOWn at the time OF the
great flood there. but that he was in
Pittsburg on that particular occasion
Later. with his father and mother and
brother, he went 10 Newark. Y. j.. and
last May he got out of employment went
west 10 Washington and Idaho, and pros
pected for gold there.
He claimed that all that was contained
iu the letter was a proposition 90 each of
the men addressed to forward him the
cost of transportation to Washington ana
an offer TO come on there and make
business pr1pOsitiOn 10 them. rlis. he
saws. was after he found that there was
no work TO be had, and he intimates that
he had a plan 10 better affairs. As 90
what this plan waG. ne declines 10 say
anything. but saws hc will probably make
"A statement Of il at his trial. The man
SAYS he came TO Washington three DAYS
ago from Baltimore. Night before last he
applied at the police station for lodsins
ana the officer in charge directed him To
the municipal clearinghouse, next door
TO the station. where he slept that nieht
and sawed wood next morning 10 pay for
his lodging. With reference 20 this. Don
Jan is very earnest IN his assertion that
IL Is the first time ne ever slept in such a
place.
lie Found Friead.
The Washington police had no descrip-
tion Of the man al that time He says
that yesterday he fell in with a German
on bench i'm one of the public parks I'm
this city. The man was drunk but spoke
words OF announcement TO him, and told |
him he was also out of work. but gave |
him a quarter and hoped that he might |
soon find something 10 do. He thought /
the best thing he could DO with the quar- |
ter was TO get some postal cards and /
make another effort 10 secure an answer /
from the man 10 whom he had been send |
ing them He took lodgings, be says. at /
3)4 Tenth street. IN this city and slept |
there last night This is the address on |
the postal card received from him to-day !
His story is that he waited about this |
place all day to-day waiting for some 4
one 20 appear in reply 10 his postal cards. /
but that no one came He then deter
mined he says. 10 start out TO look for /
Chief DrummOnd He says he was very /
much disturbed and ast0nished at the |
character of the publications In the news
papers regarding the letters he wrote
from Baltimore last week, but wanted 20 |
see the authorities and set himself right.
with this in mind. he stopped at the de-
tective Office of James A. McDevitt. He
knew perfectly we'll ne says, that he
would be arrested when ne made him
self known u the authorities. but this
lid not seem to deter him.
Evidently Well Edu ated.
The man speaks good English with a
strong German accent. He is evidently
well educated, and SAYS he has spent
more or less time In reading scientific
works on electricity and chemistry and
tindred topics. I'm reply 10 a question.
ne said he had also read works on no.
itical economy and science but hastened
o add that they We're not such IS We're
.iven out by the Socialists and Anarchists
n New York.
The police officials say that IL IS not
probable that his hearing Will take place
o-morrOw, and may be delayed several
laws. The letters from him which they
low have In their possession DO NOT con-
ain threats Of a character that would
'e likely to make a case against him on
hat charge. IL Is believed. however
hat threatening letters can be secured
rom among the earlier ones he sent If
ny OF them have been preserved lf