The San Francisco call., 1896-10-11
Inveigled Into a Lonely House.
Threatened With a Liv.
ing Death.
BIG RANSOM AFTER RELEASE.
Strangs Story Told After a Year by
California Prison Commits.
sioner.


philanthropist and boniface, has made
public strange story, in which he de-
clares that some fifteen months ago he
was blackmailed in the approved Win
throp style. He says that he was enticeu
into a Lonely house, locked in stocks,
threatened with loaded pistol and being
burned alive, and, under duress, took an
oath of secrecy, was relieved and subse.
quently paid so mething less than $40, 600
for immunity.
The following is Mr.. Montgomery's
story:
The story l tell you was known only to my
self and four other persons. l gave these
friends my promise not to divulge the secret.
nave myself never repeated it, but by some
unknoWn means the details OF the affair
leaked out. About fifteen months ago q
strange man came to my Office in the hotel
and informed me that he was about TO invest
Ia some property on small street south of
Market street. He claimed to be man unused
to transacting business, and he explained that
he had heard that usually interested myself
in people whom I believed needed moral or
financial assistance.
had not much time to spare, but set aside
my business and accompanied him to q small
cottage in the locality mentioned. On arriv-
ing at the house was somewhat surprised to
find that no sign "sto let'' or .'for sale'' was
the dwelling, and, furthermore. the.stranger
produced alatchkey with which he opened the
front door, which move was in itself somewhat
suspicious, but I am not very suspicious per-
son; l set aside my hesitation and stepped
within the premises.
found myself in a plain, unfurnished vesti-
bule or hallway. Doors opened from it into
unfurnished compartments. 1 looked about
me, turned from my guide TO investigate, and
on facing him again was Mortified TO see that
he had drawn murderous-looking revolver,
which he aimed at my head.
"Come with me-" commanded the man. l
followed him into back room and then saw
at glance that was in chamber OF horrors
OF common pine boards in front OF them, a
chair to the rear. pile OF old paper and
rags filed another corner.
''Take your seat in that chair" commanded
my tormentor. l thought of resistance, but
on second consideration 1 determined to face
the ordeal l gave myself into the care of the
Almighty. Death had no terror tor me, but
the thought of my family and OF the great
grief they would suffer caused me to make up
my mind not to tempt the man to do murder.
took my seat in the chair. The rude
stocks at my feet were lifted into place by the
men. He commanded me to place my ankles
in the nOtehes, and when com piled he closed
the upper section OF the apparatus down, but
1t did not close tightly. Placing his foot on
the thing he gave it push down, and 1t
automatic spring. The pressure on my ankles
was very painful, and after my release my an
kles were sore for week.
Drawing the table closer to me the desperate
fellow produced several blank checks and pen
and ink and told me that he wanted me to
sign check for SO, 600, which he would cash
that had only q few hundred dollars in the
bank, and that owing 10 the new rules adopted
by the banking-Aouses no oVerdrafts would be
allowed. "You cannot get any money on the
paper" declared.
The fellow seemed desperate. He asked me
If noticed that he had made all preparations
to take my life and afterward destroy my body
by placing it upon the pile OF debris, saturat-
ing it with oil and setting it on fire, as he had
thoroughly soaked the room with kerosene
and it would burn up completely before the
department would arrive.
insisted that the banks would not honor
the overdraft and that could not raise any
money.
Then he told me that he was going to
shoot me, placed the revolver near my fore
head and seemed about to carry out his awful
threat
At this moment 1 muttered prayer. My
whole soul was put into my appeal to the Su-
preme Being, and as If paralyzed, that man s
arm dropped to his side and he exclaimed, 81
cannot kill you"
The fellow talked to me again, and I sue
ceeded in convincing him thai even if signed
the check he would only have to return again
10 the house 10 tell me that he could not get
the money. What followed this am not at
liberty to tell but alter taking q binding oath
not 20 divulge the location Of the house, the
description OF my assailant the circum-
stances OF my confinement, the man released
me and l returned to the Brooklyn Hotel
About two months later PAID the money.
can say that the amonnt paid was not $40, 600,
but cannot say just how much 1t was.
Mr.. Montgomery is California Prison
among the conyicts. He has always taught
the veracity of an oath. His character is
irreproachable, and his story is generally
believed. The only facts that are deemed
strange are his non-resistance and his
failure to inform the police. These points
are somewhat accounted for by his belief
in the necessity of keeping his oath under
duress. The location of the mysterious
house of detention remains undIvulged,
but Mr.. Montgomery says it was on
small street south of Market and bounded
by Brannan, Second and Sixth streets.
Captain Lees said last night that the
story OF the kidnapping was surprise TO
him and he wondered why Mr.. Mont
gomery never told him anything about it,
if only in confidence.
''lf Mr.. Montgomery" said the Cap
tain, 'says the story is true, then I be-
lieve it, as l would stake my existence on
anything he said. 1t might puzzle some
people 10 think that he would give up
the money instead of informing the police,
but, knowing him as do, if he made an
oath as stated nothing IN the world would
make him break it.
"I remember now that observed Mr..
Montgomery at the Winthrop trial. de
did not sit among the audience, but sat
behind my chair, which was close to the
jury-box. 1t was the best position one
could take for getting good look at the
prisoner. / suppose he was studying
winthrop to see II he could Identity him
as the man who kidnapped him.
''If it all happened in July, 1895, Win
throp could not have done it. Mrs. Mat
thews died on May 19 that year, and Win-
throp was arrested for her murder on
May 3d. He was in close confinement
until the verdict of jury set him free
on August %. Howard Smith, his sup
posed confederate in that murder, COM
mitted suicide on June 3.
81 am at loss to conceive who the per-
petrator of the outrage could have been.
The matter has not been officially re-
ported to me nor do suppose ii will be"