The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-15
Charged with Trying to Hold Up the
Water Improvement Company
of Jersey City.
TRAPPED BY THE POLICE
EACH GIVEN $2,25O IN MARKED
BILLS BY A DETECTIVE.
Wilson Said to Be a Government Civil
Engineer and whitmore Either a
Reporter or a Doctor.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14-A man giving the
name of Harry 4. Williams. but who. the
police declare, is Henry C. Wilson, for
twenty years chief clerk and civil engineer
in the Department of the East, United
States army, with Offices in the Army
building, this city, was arrested tonight
on the charge Of extortion. Benjamin f.
whitmore. who says he is a reporter. was
arrested with him a similar charge.
The two men were accused of trying to
hold up the Water Front Improvement
Company, of Jersey City, which is engaged
in filling in crib work on Riker's island,
In the East river, under contract with the
street-cleaning department They are
charged with extorting $4,000, which, the
police say, was given them in marked
bills, under threats of stopping the work
of the company by causing to be with
drawn an army tug, dredge and some
scows, which had been loaned in order to
expedite the execution of the contract.
AS charged by the police, Deputy Police
Commissioner Piper, who, as an army Of
ficer, was recently in charge of the vessels
in question, notified that six
weeks ago representatives of the company
had been approached by Whitmore, who
professed to be the agent of the men who
had the power to stop the work by with
drawing the government vessels. Captain
Piper. Police Commissioner Partridge,
Street Cleaning Commissioner Wood, Dis
trict Attroney Jerome and Captain Titus,
of the detective bureau, held a conference
a week ago, and decided that detective,
impersonating Oscar L. Gubelman, treas
urer of the Water Front Company, should
continue the negotiations with Whitmore
After some dickering meeting was held
in the rooms of the directors of the Water
Front Company in Jersey City, on Nov. 6,
when, the police say, Whitmore made the
statement that he represented Mr.. Wilson,
who was connected with persons in WASH
ington who could stop the work in twenty
four hours If the money was not paid. The
detective 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 to-day at down
town cafe.
Captain Titus SAYS his detective and rep
resentative of the company met Whitmore
and Wilson In the cafe to-day and handed
to each of them s., 250 in marked bills, Whit
more turning over the money given to him
to Wilson. and the whole transaction being
witnessed by other detectives and by a rep
resentative of the district attorneys office
through a window. The arrests were then
made. Neither of the prisoners made any
statement
The police say that Whitmore is physi-
clan. At the address given by Whtmore.
which was OH the upper West Side, lives a
DIR. Benjamin T. Whitmore. 1t was said
there tonight that he was mot at home. +"
Captain Titus said that Dr. Whitmore's wife
is visiting in the West.
Dr. Benjamin Thomas Whitmore was
born in Charles county, Maryland He was
educated at Cote Brillante College, St.
Louis, Mo-. and at the Louisville School of
Medicine He has received the degree of
IL. ID. from Manhattan College for his
services in medicine He is head OF the
scientific department of Parke Davis * Co..
New York. Detroit and London. he was
for nearly ten years a member OF the sur
gical staff Of the Mullanphy Hospital. in st.
Louis. and held for four years the chair
of physiology in Cote Brillante College.
He has written much medical literature.
DIR. Whitmore Is a member of the I.otos
Club, Drug Trade Club, Chicago Medical
Society and Mississippi Valley Physicians
Mutual Aid and American Aid associations