Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-12-28
CRANK DONJON.
The Dangerous Lunatlc No Longer
at Largo.
HR TALES IN A RAMBLING WAY.
A. Austrisn by Birth -s Says lie Is No
Anarchist and Was Paid to
Write His Threaten
log Letters

WASHINGTON, Dec. e6-Joseph Dom
Jon, the man who has been writing
threatening letters to q number OF
prominent public men during the last
two weeks, ia in Jail He walked into
tho detective Office Of James A. Mo
Davitt yesterday afternoon asking for
food. Tho detective took him TO n
coffee house and had something pre-
pared for him 10 eat Meantime he
questioned him and learned enough 10
fix his Identity. He started toward the
station house with his man and on the
way met Detective Ned Wheedon and
George Boyd, in whose hands he placed
him.
IL will be remembered letter from
this man 10 Senator Mills, few days
ago, caused the senator's son, Charles
IL Mills, TO secure leave from the
authorities 70 20 armed for the pro-
lection 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 n number OF prom
inont public men, among whom were
Vice President Stevenson. Senator
~ the man himself claims, President
Cleveland and Secretary OF War Lamont
As long ago as during the fight over
the silver 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 and they were con-
signed to the waste basket us fast as
they arrived. The vice president re-
oeived one dated from 404 Leigh street,
this city.
Donjon il an Austrian by birth, and
lays stress upon the assertion that he
In Catholic, and processes u degree Of
pisty. His story Is that he came TO
this country when 10 years old, and
had been telegraph operator In the
old country. lie manifested consider
able pride In his nationality, but de- |
nies with spirit the public statement |
that he Is n Pollock" lie gave up |
telegraphing when he came TO this |
country because there was some slight |
difference in the instruments and In |
the alphabet
"Under those circumstances, he con- |
tinued. III had secured Job they |
would have sent me TO some remote Of |
fee In the far west, where there are |
coyotes and other dangerous Great
urcR"
He became u bench molder after he |
came here, and claims TO have worked |
for time at Salem, o., as well us in
the iron mills at Johnstown ut the time
OF The great food there, but was in
Pittsburgh on that particular occasion.
Later, with his father, mother and
srethsr. he went to Newark. n. j., and
last May, having been longer ont Of
smploymsnt wont west 10 Washing
ton and Idaho and prospected for
gold there. He tells rather fearful
tale Of the dangers he encountered
fSom rough miners in that country,
and says no man who was not willing
TO spend his earnings In drunkenness
and debauchery was permitted 10 stay
there. He went back to Newark, aud
claims 10 have been endeavoring TO Sc
cure work there over since. lie says
no lived with his father and mother
aud brother at i2s Burnett street
This agrees with the address OF the
earlier letters received from him.
~ eAhlnh MS lhlnef ana DrOtner
went 70 Florida, but that he did not
think II worth while TO go us he could
70 nothing to do anywhere With con-
siderable emphasis he denied that he Is
an anarchist or socialist, or ever at-
tended any meetings of those bodies
but contends he was prevented
from securing employment because
he was not member Of the
knights OF Labor or any other
labor union. As TO the letters he
has written, he claims he was melted
70 write them by other people, receiv-
Ing eloo for doing IT. Asked us TO the
character Of the persons who did this,
he disclnimed that they were anarch-
ists, or that they formed any nssocin-
tonk They were merely private per-
soma He also denied that there were
any threats In the letters he wrote or
any reference whatever OF dynamite.