The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-29
AMMON ET AL. ARRESTED.
ACCUSED OF BLACkMI By THE Il.
s. DEAN COMPaNY'S MANIAC Err.

,.vvors Ammon. sweetser. and Woods Col.
Jared In Keiier's House Arter ne HAD Given
Them MARKED Money as Part Payment
or The,r Alleged Demands.
Robert A. Ammon and William A. Sweet
ser, lawyers, OF 40 Exchange place. and William
]. Woods, u lawyer, of 80 Broadway, were ar
rested BY Detective Sergcants Kelly and Strip
and Roundsman HefIeron on Monday night on
A charge OF levying blackmail upon Sam Kcl-
Ter, the manager OF the E. s. Dean Company.
The arrest was made at Mr.. Keller's house.
200 West l36th street, about 10 o'clock In tho
evening. The prisoners were taken to Police
Headquarters and detained there until Magis.
.rate BrNnn was informed of their predica.
nent, He admitted them to bail in the sum
Of $500 each.
The prisoners were arraigned before Magis-
trate Crane in the Centre Street Police Court
Yesterday morning, and demanded, through
their counsel, Barlow g. Weeks, an immediate
examination. The examination was set down
for Q o'clock in the afternoon. I that hour
all parties interested In the case were in court,
except MIR. Ammon, who was detained at JET.
ferson Market Court on a charge Of conducting
q bucket shop under the firm name Of McMil-
Ian q Co. Tho people were represented by AS
sistant District Attorney Earring and Abraham
Levy Of private counsel for Mr.. Keller. Elk.
Assistant District Attorney Vernon NJ. Davis
also appeared in the case, having been retained
TO assist Mr.. Weeks.
The first witness sworn was the complain.
ant. Mr.. Keller. He testified that on April 6
the E.. S. Dean Company failed. The next day
Sweetser and Woods called OH him at the Office
of his lawyers and told him that they had Ger.
tain papers, showing shady transactions on his
part as the manager OF the f. :. Dean Com.
pany, and that these papers, II in the possession
OF the District Attorney, would send Keller
TO prison. They proposed, so Keller swore, to
destroy these papers II Keller would give $780,
0o0 to them. TO be divided equally between
Woods. Swcetser. and Ammon. Woods also
represented himself as the counsel for Mrs. Am
Keller. Keller testified that at "a second meet
the Gilsey Club Sweetser said:
II hold The key to the situation, and the easi-
'! At I that meeting, Keller tss5itSdi. Woods "; fol,
Il am a good friend of yours, because Albert
Carr has Away spoken well of you. But
you. I'll have you arrested in a civil action
and you'll have to give hail. from time to time,
p gon'i il ! 6sve sI to ! 20 Si 10 L SaiI ANY st iUnFe jail hnd T rRsn
III turn the, evidence over to the District At.
torney and will be the prosecutor, as Assist.
trict Attorney"
Keller said that these continued threats
three he gave Woods $3.50. This. Woods said,
against Keller by Mrs. Amlnon. When asked
Ghss the RsI pT mS g ,b or any bSyyd Of aJ them said $l,l th E. eki.
said he could not induce them to tell him.
Witness declared that, after paying the $3.50
satisfy all the demands OF the prisoners. he
kept putting them of with promises. Finally.
and Sweetser came up there and renewed their
demands and threats. He begged of them not
were With him. but to Wait thirty days iayp' Gntii he
returned to New, York; when he would settle.
Xii KeIiet they ssee; H ssd ls sS do; wh %hil %,t in pS saF ia ssi.
dence, from Woods. addressed to him TO the
Saratoga branch office of Bell & Co, a well.
minded that delays are dangerous" and that
u VOCAL assf Fep eeR Ris III bath bo aiwa he would find that
Other letters, tending TO show the blackmail.
d tnS ss' and q them me in ae ORDER that still more pSs l Ie,t exl
@ mas ad &c H1ssins shiii 70 PSt o " eysdf sRis m f6s inse
Chief Of Detectives McCiasky atfer a consul
tation with the District Attorney; Keller
ing, in their possession which could harm him
told the whole story to the District -Attorney
Ciusky. The latter Instructed Keller to ar
Ke!er's house on Monday night. Bank note.
aggEegating 81 900 were numbered and ,giycr
10 heller MGClusky .tnen Instructed Keller
20 arrange any sort of q deal he cared to, but
20 be sure to give one of the alleged black
mailers the marked money.
When the prisoners reached Keller's hous,
they were shown into the front parlor. Tn,
doors leading to the back parlor were open, blu
that room was dark. In there the four police
men were stationed. After much talk. Kc!lc,
agreed to pay a thousand dollars in cash anr
give his notes fol-, enough more TO make $500
the amount which the prisoners finally agrees
to accept. When the last note was paid, tn,
prisoners were TO destroy their alleged evidence
II keiiers presence; woods took the money
policemen walked in from the back parlor an,
put the three men under arrest. The prisoner
say they expect TO prove that the money the,
received WAS only in part payment for fou
claims which Ammon, as assignee, held agains
the Z. s. Dean Company.