Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-06-17
"
BLACKMAlLERS CAUGHT
Attempt to Blackmail the
Head Of the Pine
Tree Co.

Muscatine, Iowa. June 11.-Death
or the payment of So, 900. later. raise
to 81, 900, to be placed In designated
SPOT, is what mas confronted Peter
Musser aud his DAUGHTER, sos East
Front street.
Two boys, each about 10 years Of
age-Robert Morrison, son of Joseph
Morrison, deputy county auditor, and
Charles Stocker-are in custody and
will be taken 70 Davenport, where
they will have a hearing before A. G.
Bush, United States commissi oner. on
the charge OF sending threatening
letters through the mails The penalty
is fine Of $500 or eighteen months
in prison on each count.
The boys have confessed. They we're
apprehended through the efforts Of
Postofice Inspector E. s. Leland, Of
st. Joseph, Mo-, and Deputy Marshal
McElravy, of Muscatine.
Three letters were sent to Mr.. Mus
ser threatening him and his daughter
with death. The first letter demanded
So. 900, and gave directions that it be
placed on the steps of the Cedar street
schoolhouse at 10 o'clock the night of
May 81. The second letter raised the
price to $4,000, giving as a reason
that the recipient Of the letter Ibid
MT COON IN ho);o0o ne -
The money was to be dropped on
Cedar street when somebody, presum-
ably hidden, said, 'Drop 1t. - The
third letter held the price at 81, 900,
the money to be dropped from
bridge on Cedar street. None Of the
letters were signed.
Inspector Leland arrived in Musca-
tine yesterday, and at once consulted
Officer McElravv, with the result that
: Morrison and Stocker were taken into
custody. After being sweated both
confessed. Morrison conceived the
plot, but concluded he needed help,
and let Stocker in. They refuse to
disclose the purpose to which the
money was to be placed
A Muscatine paper says:
''This afternoon Mr.. Musser was
asked if he attempted to carry out any
of the instructions contained in the
letters with the idea of catching the
authors. In response to request for
information Mr.. Musser said he had
nothing to say. The letters were ad-
dressed to P. M. Musser and he was
called up by telephone this afternoon
by the Journal. Mr.. Musser said he
did not receive the threatening
epistles but that Peter Musser did.
The fact that the letters were ad-
dressed to P. M. Musser and that
Peter Musser received them created
doubt as to who they were intended
for. The boys when interviewed this
afternoon refused to talk on this phase
Of it.
When interviewed this afternoon in
the county jail where they were
placed Immediately after their arri-
val, the boys when asked what they
had to say stated that. they had abso-
lutely nothing to say..at all, "Now
is the time to say something in your
defense if you have anything.to say, -
was told them. With their hands on
the bars they peered out into the cor
ridor and after looking at each other
Geplied slowly, "We have nothing to
saw When asked why they wrote
the letters they looked at..each other
and replied again, mo we have moth
ing to say at the present time" When
asked if they had confessed to..--the
charges. against them they hesitated
and stated that they had not entirely.
They then went back to the rear Of
the room and paid no more attention
to the reporter in the corridor.
Mrs. stocker,.. who resides on East
Ninth street with her son, when told
of the trouble her boy had gotten into
was crushed. Wringing her hands she
cried In anguish, my boy my boy
He is Innocent / know he is limo
cent" Their: STRENGTHENING up che de-
clared that she had warned him time
and again to break away from Robert
Morrison. Then again she cried out
in anguish declaring that her boy
was good until he came into contact
with Morrison. She stated that al
present her sou was out Of work ant
was trying desperately to obtain en-
ployment. He had attended business
college during the winter and hat
always been good boy, 20 she de
clared. Joseph Morrison, father o
Robert Morrison, one of the boys IN
der arrest, declined to make an!
statement on the matter whatever.
MONEY to loan on FARMS
Stephen G.. Vae0lY.