Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-26
DON JAN I'm JAIL.
The Writer Of Threats 10 Cleveland
and Others Identified.
HIS INTERESTING STORY.
He Ia Well Educated and Says He - Neither
Anarchist Nor seciallst--Tiis
Appearance.

writing threatening letters to number
Of prominent public men in the last two
weeks, is in jail tonight. He walked
into a private detective bureau this after
noon. and asked for money. The de-
tective took him into a coffee-house and
had something prepared for him to eat
Meantime ne questioned him. and learned
enough to fix his Identity He started to-
wards the station-house with him. and
on the way met Officers Weldon and
Boyd. in whose hands he placed him.
| 1t will be remembered that letter
from this man to Senator Mills a few
days ago caused the Senator's son.
Charles II. Mills. to secure leave from
the authorities to SO armed for the pro-
lection Of his father. This was the cause
OF bringing the mans acts before the
public, and II has since developed that
for several months past he has been'
writing similar letters to a number of
prominent men. among them vice-Presi-
/ dent Stevenson. Senator German. Senator
Mills, Senator Sherman. and. as the man
himself claims. President Cleveland.
| Secretary-of-War Lamont, and 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 ~. j. No attention was
paid to them, and they were consigned
| to the waste-basket as fast as they
| were received. He received one to-day.
which was dated 3oi Tenth street, this
city.
THE MANS STORY.
number of reporters were at the First
Precinct Police-station tonight TO see
the man. and he talked very freely 10
all of them. He is 2S years old, about
feet 10 inches In height, weighs $50 or $50
pounds, and is dark and sallow. with
greasy complexion, and small dark mus
tache, and with rather slouchy look
about him. He has the dropping eyelids
which usually accompany brooding and
melancholy disposition. The mans man
ner of relating his story gives ample evil
dence that he does not belle his appear
ance In this respect He talks very ration
ally, and with rather studied effort TO
avoid any appearance Of bitterness or the
expression of any AnarchIstic views.
He says he is an Austrian by birth. AMI
lays stress upon the assertion that he Is
a Catholic, protesting n great degree or
pietv He says he came to this country
when he was 10 years old, and had been
telegraph operator I'm the old country.
He gave up telegraphing when he came
to this country because there was some
slight difference In the instruments ana
In the alphabet. He says that under those
circumstances, II he had secured a job.
| I'm fA a
Office In the far West. where there were
coyotes and cougars, and other dangerous
creatures. showing a fantastic apprehen-
sion that was characteristic OF the tom
OF his whole recital
He became a bench-moulder after ne
I came TO this country. and claims 10 nave
worked for time In Salem. o. He says
also that he was employed In the wire
mills at Johnstown at the time OF tue
great flood there, but that he was
In Pittsburg on that particular oc,
casion. Later. with his fatner anu
mother. and brother, he went to Newark,
N J.. and last May he got out OF eri-
ployment went West to Washington ana
Idaho. and prospected for gold there
HAIR-BREADTH 'SCAPES.
lie tells a rather fearful tale OF the dam
gers he encountered from rough miners
In that country and says that no man
who was not willing TO spend his earnings
m drunkenness and debauchery was per-
mitted to stay there.
He came back TO Newark, ana claims
TO have been endeavoring TO secure Worn
there ever since. He says he lived tnere
with his father and mother and brother
at l2S Burnet street. This agrees with the
address of the earlier letters received
from him here. He claims that ms
father and brother went to fioriua 10
take I'D lands, but that he did not think
it was worth while to go, as ne couiu se'
nothing TO do anywhere.
He denies with emphasis that ne IL
an ANARCHIST or Socialist, or ever at
tended any meetings OF either or those
bodies. He expressed a grievance against
the knights of Labor and the labor
unions. and says that he was prevehten
from securing employment by not being
member OF any Of those organizations.
AS TO the letters ne has been wrltns'
he claims he was melted 10 write thehi
by other persons. He said he received
sleO for doing IT, Asked as to the character
of the persons who did this, he oisciaiiheo
that they were Anarchists or tnat tney
formed any association. he says they "''e
merely private persons
MADE NO THREATS.
He also totally denies that there were
any threats In the letters ne had written
or any reference whatever to dynaHi'e;
He saws he never saw dynaniite, anu
would not know II II he saw H. When
asked what right he had to write sucn
letters at the bidding OF other people,
he sinnly inquired. What right have
Won 10 write down what am telling your
II was simply business l went into 20
make a lfyihg-just as you write news ior
the newspapers"
He claimed that all that was contained
In any letter was proposition 10 each oi
the men addressed to forward him the
cost ~ TRANSFORMATION 10 Washington ana
an offer TO come on there and make
business proposition to them. in's' nc
saws. was after he found that there wa,
no work TO be had, and he intimates tna'
he had a plan to better anairs' AS 70
what this plan was he dechhes W saS
ANYTHING, but says he Will propap-J ihaNe
a statement of 1t at his trial.
The man says he came TO washington
three days ago from Baltimore. Night oe-
fore last he applied at Dolice-staoaou
for lodging. and the officer In charge ui-
rected him 10 the municipal lodging-house
next door 10 the station-house, where ne
sIent that night, and sawed WOOD next
morning TO pay for his lodging. WIN
reference to this Don Jam Is very earnest
In his assertion that II Is the nrst time
he ever slept In such place. Tne WASH
ineton police had no description OF tne
man at that time.
FELLOW-FEELING.
He saws that yesterday ne fell In Win
n German on a bench In one OF the pup
Nc marks Of this city. The man was
drunk. but spoke with words OF encour-
agement to him, and told him he was also
ont of work, but gave him quarter
and hoped ne might soon find somethins
10 do. He thought the best thing ne
could do with the quarter would DE 70
oct some postal-cards and make another
effort to secure an answer from one OF
the men TO whom he had been sending |
casds. He took lodgings. he says at Da
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
one 10 appear In reply to his postal-cards. |
hut that no one came He then deter /
mined, he says, to start out TO look for |
Chief Drummcnd.
He says he was very much disturbed |
and astonIshed at the character Of the |
publications In the newspapers regard |
Ing the letters ne wrote from Baltimore |
last week. but wanted 20 ser the author1- /
ties and set himself right. With this In /
his mind he stopped at the detective ONCE i
-. ~%a<>h-