The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-10
SENSATIONAL SEQUEL
TO BONNETTl CASE
Mrs. Heap Has Accuser Arrested on
Charge of Keeping House of Ill
Fame and of Enticing Annie scud
der Who It Is Claimed Bonnetti
Attempted to Assault-scudder
Girl Admits That the Charges
Against Bonnetti Were for the
Purpose of Blackmailing Him.

purpose OF Blackma1l1ng Him.
There was 4 sensational sequel last
night to the case of Mike Bonnetti, who
was arrested Sunday night for an at
tempted assault on Annie Scudder in
the home of Mrs. James Heap on Har-
rison avenue, Highland Park.
Last night Mrs. Heap was arrested
before Alderman Jones on the charge of
from home for immoral purposes An
ME Scudder, Bonnetti's accuser. Just
before the hearing the sensational Sc
quel developed when the Scudder girl
pressed by her sister, who had Mrs
Heap arrested. confessed that the
charges against Bonnetti We're all false
and We're brought for the express pur-
pose of blackmailing him.
1t was story of Il boldly conceived
and deliberately carried out scheme of
blackmail that the Scudder girl told in
the aldermanS office. 1t was planned
by Mrs. Heap. she said, to entrap Bon
netti and after compromising him to
make a stand for a good sized sum of
money. 5000 and upwards. The scheme,
however. only partially. succeeded, for
the Scudder girl weakened when con-
fronted by his sister, whose home she
left only two weeks ago to come to
Mrs. Heaps, and confessed in detail
her connection with the case. Her story
goes to eXculpate Bonnetti of most of
the charges on which he was held by
Alderman Atkinson yesterday.
The Scudder girls story was that
Bonnetti had visited the house of Mrs.
Heap on one or two occasions prior to
Sunday night. when he was entrapped
and arrested.
Mrs. Heap. the girl said had her go
into BonnettiS store, last week, and
induce him to call at their house. 1t
appears that Mrs. Heap, who accom-
panied her to the store, knew Bonnetti.
Bonnetti came once or twice before
Sunday night. Each time he had i'm
proper relations with her, the girl ad-
mitted. Mrs Heap knew of this, she
said; in fact proposed it.
Bonnetti was again invited to call, on
Sunday. de came and after he went
up stairs with the girl,Mrs. Heap locked
the door and sent word to Constable
Moran. Bonnetti was threatened with
arrest and prosecution If he failed Ia
pay over money to free himself There
We're protests on his part, and in the
meantime Constable Moran came on
the scene and took the accused man
awnV.
Bonnetti, the girl said, did not break
in the house, Tuesday night, nor did he
make forcible entry Sunday night
He came Tuesday night on her and
Mrs. Heaps invitation the door was
opened for him: he remained for some
a nff a
she and Mrs. Heap testified to at the
hearing in Alderman Atkinson's Office
yesterday morning, Neither did Bon
nettl assault her, the Scudder girl ac-
knowledged. He did not strike her in
the breast, as she and Mrs. Heap testi-
fled to at the hearing in the alderman s
office. There was no assault and bat
terry, no breaking in the house; in fine
none of the charges to which they
swore to at yesterdays hearing were
true, the girl confessed, They Were
conceived by the Heap woman, and the
girl lent herself to carrying out the
plans to entrap Bonnetti and bleed him
Another startling feature of the
Scudder girls confession was her en-
PLANTATION OF her motive for entering
into the scheme. Money the promise
of it from Mrs. Heap, was what led
her to compromise herself and lead
Bonnetti ON. II they succeeded in
bleeding their victim for 5000, she was
to receive $50; but If they could secure
only $780, then she was to get $25, the
balance in either event was to be Mrs
Heaps share. Bonnetti, however
didn't or couldn't produce.
All of what>the girl told, was related
in Alderman Jones Office last night be-
fore Mrs. Heaps hearing was called.
The girls sister, who came over from
Prompton, their home, yesterday, and
caused the arrest of Mrs. Heap ON the
charge of enticing her sister uhe Scud-
der girD from home for immoral pur-
poses. was deeply grieyed when she
learned the circumstances of the case.