The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-26
!. SENSATIONAL AFFAIR.
40 Attempted Wholesale blackmail
Scheme on Railroad.
MANAGER MONSGRRATE THE VICTIM.
The Full Text OF the. correspondence
on the Subject, Personal Adver-
tisemcnts ana Particulars.
San Antonio Light.

San Antonio Light.
great deal OF interest is being taken
In the TX Ray" letters, which appeared
Mr.. NJ. ID. Monserrate. vice president and
general manager OF the San Antonio and
Arkansas Pass railroad. who has received
these strange communications. was called
upon at his office yesterday by a Light re-
porter for statement
II paid no attention to- the first letters. -
said he, believing 1t TO be the act OF some
crank. | received the first letter on June
/. 1t was postmarked Hort WORTH Texas,
May 80.
ION June the letter postmarked Tenn
pie. Texas, June 2, was received.
This led me to think that there was
more in the threat than | had believed on
the receipt of the first letter, and | at once
made copies of both letters and sent them
TO all shcrins OH the line OF the San An
tonic and Aranaas Pass railway, also to the
managers OF railroads in Texas
ION Tuesday night, June Z, bridge 137,
fifty feet in length, seven and one half
miles south OF Lockhart, and also the cot
ton platform at Burdett, station one half
mile south OF the bridge, were set on fire
and totally destroyed. ON Investigator
made by superintendent Berry. 1t was set
tied beyond doubt that the fire was o.
incendiary origin.
ION the nth, Personal advertisement
was inserted In the san Antonio Express.
ION the 18th inst. l received a letter
dated San Antonio llth
ION 18th aud 18th instants had Per
sonal advertisement inserted in the San
Antonio Express.
"on the 10th inst. | received letter
dated san Antonio 9th, postmarked same
date p. IN.
"On 18th inserted Personal ADVERTISE
ment In San Antonio Express
ION the same date ! received a letter
postnarkod san Antonio, June is. 10 a m.
ION the 18th my agent met X Ray as
ucr letter from San Antonio Detective
agency to Mr.. A. W. Houston.
con the Goth, about II a. m, l received a
letter postmarked June 20, IL a. m. which
was duly communicated TO the detectives.
ION the 2ist | received a letter from X
Ray, postmarked 10 a. m, and the con-
tents were duly communicated to the de-
tectve agency.
I'm pursuance of the last arrangement
the officers captured the party on the night
of the 2lst at place appointed by Ray
on Soledad street In this city. The pre-
tended agent of the railway company met
him by appointment and delivered up q
yalise supposed to contain $4,000 In cur
rency and $500 in gold.
After he had accepted the vallse and
satisfied himself that it was all right he
renewed his assurances that the road would
now he relieved Of any further demands
from his crowds and that he would imme-
diately instruct his confederates to do il
no more harm,
AT this point the officers closed in on
him and now have him in Jail as stated in
the Light of the ed"
This is considered one of the most gigan-
tic schemes Of blackmall that has ever beer
perpetrated. II hardly appears reasonable
| that a man of sound sense would attempt
! anything like 1t. and can only be the worl
of anarchists.
The entire correspondence IA the matter
and also the newspaper advert!semt rts ar,
appended, and follow N order:
| The separate two-line paragraphs ad
dressed TO Ray arc tn, advertisements
| referred to, inserted in the neASInl trs b.
| Mr.. Monserratc under Instructions from y
Ray A. Co. and follow the different letters
| in order.