The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-26
SAYS HE DIDN'T THREATEN
That He Was Paid for Writing to
Senators and Others,
And that He Is Not an Anarchist or So
cialist-Letter from Gov. PennOyer
to President Cleveland.

enlng letters 10 a NUMBER or prominent
public men during the last two weeks, is in
Jail tonight He walked into the detective
bureau of James y. McDevitt this after
noon, asking for food. The doctor took
him in a coffee house and had something
prepared for him to eat. Meantime he
questioned him and learned enough to fix
his identity. He started towards the sta
ton house with his man, and on the way
met detectives Ned Weldon and George
Boyd, in whose hands he placed him. 1t
will be remembered that q letter from this
to Senator Mills a few days ago
caused the Senator's son, Charles B. 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 writ
ing similar letters TO a number of prom
inent public men, among whom were Vice
President Stevenson, Senator German, Sen
ator Mills. Senator Sherman and. as the
himself claims, President Cleveland
and Secretary of War Lamont. As long
ago as during the fight over the silver ques-
ton in the Senate Vice President Steven
son received letters almost daily from Don
jon, who was then in Newark n. ]. No
attention was paid to them. and they We're
consigned to the waste basket as fast as
they arrived. The Vice President to-day
received one which was dated from No. SOi
Leigh street, this city.
A number of reporters were at the First
precinct police station to see the man and
he talked very freely TO all Of them. He is
twenty-eight years old, about five feet ten
inches in height, weighs $50 100 pounds,
is dark and sallow, has a greasy complex
ion. small dark and rather
slouchy look about him. He has the droop-
ing eyelids which usually accompany a
brooding and melancholy disposition. The
mans manner Of relating his story gives
ample evidence that he does not belle his
appearance In this respect. He talks very
nationally and with a rather studied effort
to avoid any appearance of bitterness or
the expression of any anarchistic views.
Donton is Austrian by birth and lays
stress on the assertion that he is q Cath
olic and processes q degree of piety His
story is that he came to this country when
he was fiften years old and had been a tele-
graph operator in the old country He man
ifested considerable pride in his nationality
but denies with spirit the public statement
that he is a "Polaclx." He gave UP tele-
graphing when he came to this country be-
cause there was some slight differ
alphabet "Under those circumstances" he
continued, 'if L had secured a Job they
would have sent me to some remote office
in the far West, where there are coyotes,
and cougars. and other dangerous crea-
lures" He became a bench molder after
he came here and claims to have worked
for q time at Salem, o., as we'll as in the
wire mills at Johnstown at the time OF the
great flood there, but was in Pittsburg on
that particular occasion. Later, with his
h kfather and mother and brother, he went to
Newark, n. j.
Last May, having been long out of en-
ployment, Donjon went West to Washing
ton State and Idaho, and prospected for
gold there. He tells a rather fearful tale
of the dangers he encountered from rough
miners In that country, and says that no
man who was not willing to spend his earn
ings in drunkenness and debauchery was
permitted TO stay there. He went back TO
Newark and claims to have been endeav-
oring TO secure work there ever since. He
says he lived with his father, mother and
brother at No. lbs Burnett street This
agrees with the address OF the earlier let
ters received from him here. He claims that
his father and brother went to Florida to
take up lands, but that he did not think
1t was worth while to 60 as he could get
nothing to do anywhere.
With considerable emphasis Donjon de
MED that he is Anarchist or Socialist,
or ever attended any meetings of those
bodies, but contends that he was prevented
| from scuring employment because he was
| not a member OF the Knights of Labor or
| any other labor union. AS to the letters
that he has been writing, he claims that he
aJ TO I,,y1
| receiving 800 for doing It Asked as to
the character of the persons who did this
| he disclaimed that they were Anarchists or
| that they formed any association. They
| were merely private persons. He also de-
| nieS that there We're any threats in the let
| ters he had written. ore any references
| whatever to dynamite. Il never saw dyna-
mite and would know it If 1 saw it," he
/ said. When asked what right he had TO
| compose such letters at the bidding Of 9TH
| er people. he simply inquired, What right
| have you to write down what 1 telling
| you? 1t was simply business l went into
| TO make a living, just as you write news
/ for the newspapers.
| Donjon claimed that all that was con-
| tanned in any of the letters was a PROPOSE
| ton to each of the men addressed TO for
| ward him the cost of transportation to
| Washington and offer to come on there
| and make n business proDOsition to them
| This was after he found that there was no
| work to be had, and he intimateS that he
| had a plan to better affairs. As to what
| tnlS plan Is, he UcCllU6S tO say any IIlllS,
| but will probably make a statement of it
| later at his trial.
The man came TO Washington three DAYS
! ago from Baltimore. Night before last ne
| applied at the police station for lodging.
| and the officer in charge directed him TO
the municipal lodging house. next door to
| the station house, where he slept that night
| and sawed wood next morning to pay for
| his lodgings. With reference 20 this DOnjon
| Is very earnest in his assertion that it is
| the first time he ever slept in such a place.
| The Washington police had no description
| of the man at that time in their possession.
| Yesterday he fen in with a German on a
| bench in one of the public parks in this
| city. The man was drunk, but spoke some
| words of encouragement to him, and told
| him that he was out OF work but gave him
| a quarter and hoped that he would soon
| find something TO do.
| Dorjon thought the best thing he could
do with the quarter was 10 set some postal
| cards and make another effort 10 secure
| answers from them TO whom he had been
| sending He took lodgings az No. S0i 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 to-day,
waiting for some one 10 appear in reply
/ fo his rostal GA riS that no one came