The sun., 1904-08-14
BOY BLACKMAILERS CAUGHT.
NABBED WITH TRIBUTE LEVIED
ON WILLIAMSBURG DOCTORS.
Police Gathered In . Young German and
q Pole After They Hal Taken 81 800
Placed In Ash Cans Under Orders
From the "(Ireen Diamond society"

Harry Hebbner, German, II years old,
and William Beduski, Pole, lS years Old,
were locked up last night in the Clymer
street police station, Brooklyn, charged
with blackmailing. They were caught In
a trap set by the police to nab representa-
tives OF "The Green Diamond Society
On July 2s, DR.. Joseph E. Smith of 92
Lee avenue, Brooklyn; DR., Truman Nichols
OF 95 Rodney street, and DR.. William Koerner
OF l54 Rodney street received simultane-
ously letters whi ch read:
If you do not want your practice ruined,
your homes broken up and your lives hang
ing on thread every day you refuse, you
must put up $500 in five dollar and ten dollar
bills in two packages. Take one of these
packages to the corner of keap street and
Wythe avenue, where you must put it in a
barrel you will find there. Take the other
to Hooper street and Wythe avenue, where
YOU will find another barrel to put 1t in.
THE GREEN DIAMOND SOCIETY.
The doctors paid no attention to the
letters. On Aug. @ each received other
letters which were more threatening and
contained an order TO include the letters
in the money packages, Death was
threatened for failure to comply with the
demands.
Last night was named az the date for
depositing the money in the barrels.
Then the three doctors, who were alarmed
by this time. went to the police. They
were told to carry out the orders Of "The
Green Diamond Society" to the letter.
Drs. Smith, Nichols and Koerner took
each Of them, $500 in real money and made
six neat packages OF S. and $40 bills The
threatening letters were placed with the
money. Between . and 10 O'Clock last
night the doctors went separately to keap
street and Wythe avenue, where they found
an ash barrel. Each doctor solemnly dropped
his contrib ution to -The Green Diamond
Society" and walked quickly away without
glancing around.
The same comedy was repeated at Hooper
street and Wythe avenue. the doctors
being very careful to convey the impress
sion to possible watchers that they were
desperately frightened and eager to carry
out the 'society's' orders.
In the meantime the Clymer street sta
ton police had arranged their little climax
for the melodrama Of the doctors and THE
Green Diamond Society" Four husky
plain CLOTHES men hid themselves. two at
each corner, early in the night and waited
for the game to walk into the trap.
About IL o'clock two young men wake
rapidly up wythe avenue, glancing fur
lively around as they came along, and
stopped near the barrel at the Keap street
corner. They leaned against the barrel
smoking cigarettes. while the cops behind
the curtains of nearby house fretted.
Finally one Of the young men reach cd
into the ba rrel, and grabbed the three
packages left by Drs. Nichols. Smith and
Koerner Then the two walked brlskly
along the avenue until Hooper street was
reached Two detectives, posted In hiding
near there kept their eyes glued on the
ash barrel with its $3.50 Of greenbacks.
Again there was a cigarette prelude t.
the cash grabbing, but one OF the two
seeing the street was empty, snatohed the
three packages. The men walked to d
stone yard near the corner, the four de-
tectives hot behind them, but keeping In
the shadow and stepping along on rubber
soles.
In the stone yard the two hid the pack.
ages collected from the barrels and vert
about to leave when they ran their noses
a gainst the muzzles Of four very ugly re.
volvers. They gave In without fight
and we're hailed TO the Clymer street
station.
Save for giving the names Harry HeppneI
Of es South Second street. Brooklyn. and
William Beduski OF the same address. the
two refused to give any information abou,
themselves. They were sullen and shor,
in speech.
When they were searched, two revolveri
were found on each. The desk sergeant
pulled two little tin hands, painted black
from Hebbner's pocket. When he wa
asked IL he knew anything about the 4Blacl
Hand" society, or about the kidnapping
OF Antonio Mannino. the Brooklyn boy
Hebbner said:
Maybe we do and maybe we don't
1t amt none Of your business"
The police attach some importance I,
| the black painted tin hands found in Hebb
ner's pockets They say the pair ma,
have carried the BLACK hands" to scar
| intended victims.
Hebbner and Bcduski will be arraignet
this morning before Magistrate Higgin
| botham in the Lee avenue police court.