The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-15

 EXTORH0N Two Prominent Men Un- .. der Arrest. GOT $4,500 BY SCHEME One of Them Chief Clerk in Department of Army. The Other Thought to Be e Physi- clan. Who Has Held High
 Rank Socially and in
 His Profession.
GOT $500 BY SCHEME

New York. Nov. IA man giving the name of Harry A. Williams. but who the police declare is Henry c. Wilson. for twenty years Chiof Clerk and Civil En- gineer in the Departm snt of the Eas., United States Army. with oficss in tho Army Building in this city. was arrested tonight on a charge of extortion. Ben- jamin F. whitmore, who says hc Is a reporter, was arrested on similar charge.
 The two men were accused of trying to hold up the Wats: Front Improvement Company of Jersey City which Is en- gagged in filling in crib work on Rickers Island in the East River under contract with the Street Cleaning Department. The men are charged with extorttng t.bOo which the police say was given to them in marked bills under threats of stopping the work of the company by causing to be withdrawn an army tug. a dredge ana some scows which had been loaned In order to expedite the execution of the con- tract.
 Approached by Whitmore.
 According to the police, Deputy Police Commissioner Piper, who as an army oi- ficer was recently in charge of the ves- BeIS Tn Que8ltOH, W69 AAcGaSN sAsN~- ~- weeks ago representatives of the contract ing company had been approached by Wh'tmore, who professod to be the agent of men who had the power to stop the work by withdrawing the Government vessels.
 Captain Piper, Police Commissioner Partridge, Street Cleaning Commissioner Wood, District Attorney Jerome and Cap tain Titus of the Detective Bureau, held a conference at which 1t was decided that a detective impersonating Oscar l.. Gu belman, the treasurer of the Water Front Company, should continue the negotia- tions with whitmore.
 After some dickering meeting was held in the rooms of the directors oi the Water Front Company in Jersey City November 6, when the police say Whit more made the statement that he repre- sented MT. Wilson who was connected with persons at Washington who could stop the work in twenty-four hours If the money was not paid. The detective disguised as Gubelman said his company did not want to pay the money unless the man to whom the money went could be seen personally. Whitmore assented and a meeting was arranged for today at a downtown cafe.
 Gave Each $2,25o.
 Captain Titus says that his detective had a representative of the company meet whitmore and Wilson in the cafe today and handed to each of them 2,250 in marked bills, Whitmore turning over the money given to him to Wilson and the whole transaction being witnessed by other detectives and by a representative of the district attorneys office through a window. The arrests were made. Neither of the prisoners made any statement. The police say that Whitmore is a physician.
 At the address given by Whitmore. which was on the upper West Side, lives Doctor Benjamin T. Whitmore. 1t was said there tonight that he was not at home." Captain Titus said that pr. Whitmore's wife Is visiting in the west.
 pr. Benjamin Thomas Whitmore who was reported not at home. was born in Charles County, Md He was educated at Cote Brillante College. St. Louis. Mo, and at the Louisville School of Medicine. Ho has received the degree of IL. D. from Manhattan College for his services in medicine He is head of the ,scienuhc department of Parks. Davis Compaay, New York. He was for nearly ten years a member of the surgical stan of tn Null lanphy Hospital in St. Louis and held for four years the chair of physiology in Cote Brillante College. Dr. Whitmore is a member of the Lotus Club Drug Trade Club, Chicago Medical Society and Mis- sissippi Valley Physicians Mutual Aid, and the American Aid Associatio is.