The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-04-14
w. B. Ellis of Winston Salem
threatened w. n.
Fries.
MANY MANAGING LETTERS
Ire Result IS he Sencrg Of NJ. Ills 10 he
Insane Pavilion al BeIieyut--The
0oce Wealthy Man IS
Believed 10 b.
Mad.
,Ncw YcrS american s.

,Ncw York Nmer4eanA
William Il Ellis. once s wealthy 70
bacso dealer in tho south. ara a. present
connected with the Nutshell Publishing
Company Of 10 Floh Ayenae ~se
yesterday committee ty 'rttr Pool
in the Centre street Police Court to Belle
vuc Hospital for examination as TO hes
sanity.
Mr. Ellis had written letters 20 Colonel
r. II. Fries. n nuanclcr ana railroad
magnate % North Carolina. threatening
to kin him unless no settled an .masta-
AIRY claim for <2te oao Colonel Frie>.s
lawyer kept Ellis engaged In eoreo por1-
cnce until IL became evident thar tho
latter would soon start FOR the Souta
with revolver and then Lawyer J q.
Buxton CANE to Now York and after con
sultation with Osborne & Hess q Ne
p William street. arranged an oNamtua-
ton of Ellis by an alleuist aud his sub
scqucnt arrest and committ8l
When arraigncd before Magistrate Pool
Yesterday EIlts declared that Rev. y.
Parkhurst would youeh for his sanity AMI
that he wanted TO be tried according to
the provisions OF the Geneva Convention
Or. f. G. Dent. superintendent Of tbn
Manhattan State Hospital on Ward
Hand, had testified to Ellis condition aud
copies Of the letters alleged To have been
sent BY Ellis were procured
IF YOU are not insane" sala Magic
tratc Pool, you are = very dangerous
character and ought to he prosecuted for
sending threatning letters. / shall show
a little lenicncy in your case, however.
and commit you to Bellevue for cxamiua-
ton"
lie added that If Ellis wcrc declared
sane former District Attorney Osborne,
Of Osborn" & Hess. would probably prose-
cute him for sending tho letters.
Ellis is a fine looking man OF about
fOrty-fvc. Up 10 a few years ago he WAS
engaged in the tobacco business Al VIII
ston-Salem. y. C.. whore his Wifc ard
son still live. business reNcrses culIni-
mated With tho destruction Or his war"
house by fire ana his fortune OF $3.50, COO
was practically wiped out.
Then Ellis came to New York. For a
time he and his wife lived at the Hotel
Empire. lie started a wholesale tobacco
business hcrc, hut the Tobacco Trust. it
is said. killed il.
| In February last Ellis began to write
letters to Colonel Fries demanding
enormous sums Of money for alleged
wrongs. Colonel Fries was president OF
the Roanoke and Southwestern Railroad
Company, which was later absorbed by
the Norfolk and Western. and IS now at
the head Of Wachoyin Trust Company.
of Winston-Salcm.
At first colonel Fries paid little atten-
ton to the Numbering letters OF his old
time friend, but on February IS he re-
ceived q communication that annoyed
him. 1t read:
..Eircf- SI0o nu1- Fa. ,,.frf,r " ID III
lis's confidence. as his Bible class teach
CT. and then betraylng him IN as dctrl-
mental a manner as the stab Of a still
lctto from 4 supposed friend would be
who had carried it concealed in his
sleeve, and while acting as chief cxecu-
tive of the community trade orGaniza-
tion Mr.. Fries led Mr. Ellis to believe
he would extend 10 him its promised
protection, but In face Of his plainly
defined promises. Nr. Fries trdmplcd
/ under foot its rules to the extent OF on
cOuraglng a gang of traitors, perJuTeTs
ana marauders with credit and influence
to scandalizc, dcfamc and rob q mem
Der, w. b. Ellis, Of both cash and peace
of mind, who was q member in good
standing Of said organization and was
doing his utmost to lead an upright life.
Second. $50, 900 for destroying the
hope, peace Of mind, business ability and
temporarily dcthroning the reason OF a
member Of said organization and sending
him blank Wills to sign while nc was
a helpless wreck in bed. and refusing
him similar earthly protection As ~a5
mapped out for him by Fries to receive
IN the world to come"
4 third charge OF 800, no was for enter
ing into an agreement with a "marauding.
thieving government district attorney to
d~espoil. humiliate and debaso" Ellis. and
forcing him to drastic measures and
great expense to maintain his honor aud
manhood"
Watson, Buxton & Watson. Mr. Fries
lawyers, took the matter in hand. but
received a letter from Bills as follonG-
"My efforts. directed through bishop
/ RcndthaIc7, and others, proving frutticas
to induce r. II. Fries TO meet and hon
estly adjust certain matters sufficiently
serious to warrant my pTocipitating q
fight that viii end in his downfall II
not death - him or to me. It is possibly
useless fer me to again mention a way
l-rnrccognizcd as more honorable than
fghting. IF suit is brought by me and
he pleads statute OF limitation that i7
ample dishonorable action TO warrant my
shooting him on sight.
As hold. and all honest men agree,
J no Bible class teacher can honestly plead
statute Of limitation in defence Of charge
brought BY one of his pupils, and no
Judge and jury III New York will punish
severely a man who shoots another un-
der such circumstances"