The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-30

ceived the tVHo letters as described. He
said that a plan of operation had not
yet been agreed upon but he thinks that
the right man viii yet be found He
said that the letters were evidently
written by the same person but declined
10 show them. He said that the hand
was cramped and it was evidently dis
guised-
who ever wrote the letters thought
he could bluff me-" said Mr. W Off He
thought that I might be scared into do
ing what he asked but he knows very
little about my affairs or my family
for my folks have not been here for
month and I do not know when they
will return. This is the first time that
anything of this kind ever happened to
me and 50 / hardly know what to de-
FAMILY is ABSENT.
Mr.. Wolff lives ait 7O1 West Tenth av-
enue His family consists of a wife and
three children, Charles, the eldest. being
90 wears old Hazel. the second child, IS
16 and the youngest, Harry is IA. 1t
is evident that the writer of the letter
did not know that Mr.. Wolff has more
than one son because in both letters he
speaks of something happening to Mr..
Wolff's son. The family is absent in
Colorado and of course know nothing
of the threatening letters which have
been received.
The two letters were mailed in To-
peka and the plan to extort the money
was undoubtedly cOncOcted by Topeka
people bat who they are IS the question
The suspicion points to a man who
has recently returned to Topeka He is
known as an all round sport and gam
bier and has often been arrested for
theft.
MAN IS SUSPECTED.
The fact that this man is in close
touch with one of the police officers
first led to the suspicion that he had
written the letters and he is being
carefully watched. He is known to be a
a
anything and would be just the man
to attempt to try the Cudahy plan of
raising money.
The police are using every possible
effort to keep the whole affair secret.
1t is not part of Mr. Stahls plan to
take the public into his confidence
The only clue to the letter writer has
come through boasts made by the man
suspected while he was under the infill-
ence of liquor He has said repeatedly
that he would soon make a big haul
and it is supposed that it was the Wolff
matter to which he referred.
Whoever wrote the letters knew one
thing and that is that Mr.. Wolff is a
very rich man. He is also modest and
unassuming and the perpetrator un-
doubtedly had it figured out that he
would pa v one or two thousand dollars
rather than take any chances.
THE man who wrote the letters
said Mr.. Wolff, has nothing whatever
to lose. His only chance was to bluff
me out of the money and I have not the
least idea that he would do bodily vio-
lsSlce for what would he gain by that2
What profit could he get from killing
me2 He would only put his own life in
danger and he knows that as well as
do"
UNLIKE CUDAHY CASE.
The Wolff affair is similar to the Gu
dahy kidnapping is only one particular
In that the boy was kidnapped before
any demands We're made and in this
the demands We're made before any
thing was done and that makes it seem
to be little more than the threat of a
man who wants to make money easily
In the Cudahy affair a wealthy packer
was the victim and in this a wealthy
packer is selected as the object Of at
tack.
The first thought that the letters
might have been written by an insane
person has been entirely given up. A
crazy man might write one letter max
ing demands for money but it is not
likely that he would write a second one
in which he double his demands.
SPOT SELECTED NOT SECLUDED.
The spot at which the money was to
be left IS not secluded one. 1t is per-