The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-12
MADE POOR WORK OF Elk
TORTING BLACKMAIL.
PLAYED FOR BIG CANT
Wrote Threatening Letters to Utah
Senator and Now Finds
Himself Arrested.

@ O01Ql 4AAGAAoA ~ . 'oASSA3
q prominent merchant Of Schuyler,
Neb., who was arrested III that city
by q United States marshal IN the
charge of attempting to blackmail
United States Senator Kearns Of Utah,
was arraigned before United States
Commissioners Anderson this afternoon.
He waived preliminary hearing and
was held to the federal grand jury
under So, 900 bonds.
The arrest Of Wolter was the result
of prompt work by the postoffice in
spection department., it's agents hav-
ing been at work on the case but five
days.
There we're three letters written in
connection with attempted blackmail.
The first, February 10, was addressed
to the newly elected senator at Salt
Lake. It spoke of the senator's sue
cess in life and newly acquired hap
piness and of the writer's need Of
money. 1t made a demand for SIS, 900
and went into considerable detail in
directing how the money should be
sent.
It wal specified that it must be in
$40 bills and that Kearns must get a
bundle of books and magazines and
put the money between the leaves. 1t
was further directed that n corner
of the bundle wrapper must be torn
open, so that the postoffice officials
could see that il contained books and
would not open it. It was threatened
that if this was not done the writer
would take Kearns' life, and that they
would go to eternity together.
The writer said he cared nothing
about life, unless he could have the
money, and he directed that the
amount be sent to Lockbox 484,
Schuyler, Neb. Two days later,
February 81. the same party wrote a
letter to Mrs. Kearns demanding
81, 900 at once, and another 81, 400 by
August l.. A threat Of kidnapping her
children was made a penalty for non.
compliance and the writer stated that
he was an expert with dynamite and
nitro glycerine.
These letters were put into the pos
session of Inspector Sullivan OF Den
ver,< who at once started for Schuyler,
arriving there Tuesday. He called
at the postofice and inquired who had
rented lockbox 484 and was told that
it had been rented by Ernest j. Vol
ter, the proprietor Of a leading retail
establishment of that city. He also
learned that the postmaster at Rogers,
Neb., had received a letter signed j,
B. Walker, asking if a look box could
be rented with a combination tina
could be opened hurriedly. The
writer stated that he was a travelling
man and had occasion to receive mai
at Rogers and did not wish to ask fol
it.
The inspector confronted Woltel
with this letter and he admitted hav
ing written it, saying he had done 81
at the request of a travelling maj
named Walker, whose whereabout
were unknown and Wolter's arres
followed. Wolter refused to discus
the case further than to say he wa
not guilty as charged.
1.-THE case may look bad upon it
face, " he said, ''but I have no mis-
givings as to the outcome. There ar
other parties in this. That's all l car,
to say at present.
Wolter came to Schuyler from Sal
Lake, three years ago and opened
large dry goods establishment, taking
a prominehNpart in the business affair
of the community. Hitherto he ha
born a good reputation and his arres
was received with much surprise.