The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-06
QUEER BLACKMAIL A NJ
ATTEMPTED HERE ON THE RIOM
BRAZILIAN ARTIST, TEIxEIRA.

Tetxetrn from the Spanish Connui-oousrnn.
ana Says re Got Mis roints from Thsa
omoiai-Rxpianations by mr.. Baidasano.
An attempt to blackmail Mr.. EuRenio Toixoirn..
. wealthy Brazilian artist, who recently came
to this country from Spain. and after makinRt
large real estate purchases here settled down In
this city at 91s West End avenue, resulted yeosi
torday In the arrest OF William II. Turnbull. an
expert accountant. OF 7 West Nineteenth street,
and William Elford Gould. formerly a Wall
street broker, but now q teacher of Languages AZ
l42 East Eighteenth street. The men have been
writing threatening letters to Teixeira since
early in November. In tho letters they Kept re-,
ferring in q vague way to some scandals in thol
past life Of the artist, which would be revealed
unless a certain amount Of money was paid fopi
the which the blackmailers sai0g
they had in their possession.
Mr.. Toixeira camo to New York with his
mother, Maria Luisa Teixeira. a year age
Toixeira is famous in Spain as an artist, and hiel
picture THE Frat Communion Of Columbus I'M
America" was exhibited in Madrid and PariG1
some years ago, and won him gold medals all
each exhibition. He and his mother are million-j
aires many times over. owning n number OF
mines In Brazil. among others the Pircania goldl
mine at Naranon, which covers a hundred ncrea.(
They had lived in Spain q number Of years tod
fore coming to this country. Mr.. Toixeira is a.
years old. and a widower with three children.
The purchases Of real estate made in this cltyd
by tho Teixciras when they first came here att
tracted q great deal Of attention. They arOl
said to have invested several millions. Among
othor purchases was the house they now live,
In at West End avenue and 1o5th street. In
the basement Of this house is q remarkab BILE cold
lection OF curios and there is also in the house o 4
private theatre, not yet completed. Mrs. Teix~i
eira, who is said to have been a cousin Of tho
Emperor Dom Pedro. Is musical and intends toi
have private performances in the house. HeFl
son Is q member of many religious. geographic,
cal and art societies In Spain.
After the Teixeiras had settled In this city,
they were flooded with letters from all kinds
and conditions of people. Most of them were
begging letters. Some were from promoters,
with great schemes but no capital and othern
from people who wanted employment. It was
the published reports of the big real estate pure
chases made by the Teixeiras that brought all
these letters. Mr.. Teixeira had put his business
affairs into tho hands of Thomas O'Connell, a1
real estate man OF 275 West 127th street, and
at Mr.. O'Connells suggestion no attention wac
paid to the letters. e
On Nov. ID last Mr.. Teixcira got q Letters
signed William b. Turnbull, in which the writer
said that he was On expert accountant. could
talk Spanish %huently, and was anxious to sottl0
in this city. Mr.. Turnbull suggested that as he
was a man Of more than ordinary business ahiL
ity. he would make an excellent private secro~
tary for Mr.. Teixeira, and he requested that no
DO engaged at once.
The letter was Of the usual order and was not
answered. Four days later. on Nov. II. another
letter came from Mr.. Turpbull. In the interim
Turnbull had called at the Teixeira house, but
had not succeeded in seeing Mr.. Teixeira. The
se cond letter was as follows:
~ regret not seeing you when / called to-day,
and write TO suggest In your own interests that
you communicate with me at once informing
me when you are at home, that I may see you
without delay. as ] have information which con.
cerns you most vitality. and delay may make 10
too late to save you much annoyance and dis
grace. W. b. T~URNBuLI."
Mr.. Teixeira handed this letter over to Mr.
O'Connell, who put on his coat and hat and pro.
ceeded without delay to call on Turnbull at the
address given in the first letter. z West Mines
teenth street. When he saw him he said:
- believe you to be q cheap s~windler. and I
want to warn you that II you write another lets
tor to Mr.. Teixeira I'll either knock your DANA
head of or I'll havo you arrested"
Turnbull treated o'Connell with dignihed oonS
tempt, and told him he could have 10 dealings :
with agents. O'Connell repeated his warnln1I
and then went away, satisfied that he had put . I
stop TO the annoyance.
On Nov. 10 n well-dressed man called at Mss
Teixeira's house and said that he had q letteP
for him. Mr.. Teixeira was out and after wiit-
Ing awhile. tho man left tho letter and wsn0
away. A servant handed the letter TO Mr..
Teixeira when he came home. 1t was written
on tho official paper OF the Spanish Consulate
and was signed: Arturo Baldasano y Topete,
Consul General" The lotter was written in |
Spanish and was quite long. Tho entire COM |
tents could not be learned yesterday. but the
first few lines, Mr.. O'Connell says. were as fo%
lows:
This will introduce my friend, William Ell
ford Gould, whom / know as a man OF cxcap- !
tional intelligence and whom / commend to
your good offices. He Is thoroughly experienced i.
in Wall street and a man competent to handle !
any business you may desire to do there. Be-
sides. he speaks Spanish and four other lan-f
guaRes. He desires to become your private seoA
rotary. and II you are in need of one l strongly
recommend him for the place"
Mr.. 0'Connell. to whom this letter was r0si
ferred. suggested that 1t DO flcd away, and that I
Gould. II he called again. BIO put of until the ,
matter could DO looked into. Mr.. O'Connell, 4
without knowing Just why, was beginning to !
suspect that something was wrong. On Nov. !
% came another letter from Turnbull. 1t was
as follows:
"SIR: Were l In a country where a gentleman
has any redress for an outrage my only answeR'
10 you for sending q paid agent to insult me
would be to send you my seconds. II | ever meet
you In such a country I shall demand satistao- :
ton. unless you Immediately apologize. As 10
Is. l have thought IL proper to tell you who I
AIN. that you may know that you havo insulted
u gentleman.
M grandfather was a recognized cousin Of
the Marquis OF Ormonde OF tho peerago OF Ire
land, and one OF tho nearest living relatives Of
Gen. George Washington. Ny family have had
means and position for centuries. BY the merest
chance I got information OF a newspaper re.
porter OF a complete story OF your life. and.
without reflection as 10 misinterpretation Of mo-
tives and thinking only Of saving you from ans
noying publicity. j wrote you AZ ! did. The
only eItenuating circumstances you have 10
your favor for sending the man you did TO mo.
was that there may have been room for the bad
construction seemed TO have been put upon my
letter, which was hurriedly written and evi.