New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-18
FAREWELL TO HIS son.
Continued from first page

! north Of the Aston House in Broadway There
| this man and three others hustled him into a
closed carriage and drove off rapidly. Ihey
! carried him into some house and confined him
| either the third or fourth story, he was IN
able to determine which. He said they wanted
$4,000 before they would let him go, and asked
| me to help his son raise the money.
| The letter written with ink and the hand
| writing was firm. He said he would ask the
| boy who attended to his wants to mail it for
| him. At the office was letter addressed TO MS
son. which 1 took the responsibility Of opening.
1t recited the same facts. and In addition stated
that a friend will meet you at Pearl at 2 p. m.
| Saturday, He told his to give the man
! 5000. and IL unable to raise that amount to
| give him much he could
The judges son had also received a letter at
! his Staten Island home. and we took them to
| Police Headquarters and consulted Commits
| sioner McAdoo. We were referred to Inspector
! McClusky OF the Detective Bureau. and detec-
! tives were assigned to work on the case.
AT o'clock Saturday afternoon. after no one
had appeared at the Pearl-st corner, there came
another letter from the judge. He wrote his
son that he could hear his captives discussing
his case. They were talking of putting him on
board some outgoing ship. He incIosed num-
Der of business papers. gave certain directions
as to the disposition of his business. and wrote
never his again.
Il can see no possible reason for disbelievinS
these letters from the Judge 1t is evident that
they sent out with the permission of those
who holding him for ransom. He IS proba-
bly, unable TO write anything of which they do
not approve. 1 am certain that he wrote the
letters. for I am very familiar with his hand
writing.
$50 far I know, and I have known the
is absolutely no reason for his wanting TO dis
appear. He is not In financial trouble. though
he may be short of ready cash. he holds
great deal OF valuable property. Although he
is seventy-six years old. his mind is jas clear
a in his prime, and he is strong physi-
cally.
Il am familiar with his manner of living. and
1t is utterly above reproach. He is as steady as
n Puritan. leading the regular life of an old man
who is still carrying his own business. He is
well known in Sullivan County where he served
4 term judge and enjoyed a large practice for
many years He has many friends in this city
others in Brooklyn and Elizabeth. whom he
sometimes visits. His relations with his are
most cordial. In short. can see no reason for
not taking the Judge at his written word.
my interest In the IS that of a friend and
sincere admirer. Beyond that there is the inter
est of common cause. If man of Judge Nc
Rooms stamp be carried out Of the heart of
the city in midday and held for ransom. no man
of means IS safe in New-York If it was down
South. where 1 come from. every man would
make the Judges cause his own and one thou
sand would be out hunting for him.
The judges family easily raise the 5000
demanded If it is deemed advisable to settle with
the kidnappers. He has friends who would
gladly advance that amount. After a consulta-
ton. and on the advice OF the authorities. we
have determined not to pay one cent of ransom.
Nothing has been heard from the Judge to-day.
and the police officials have progress to re-
port We rely on them TO run down the kid
nappers and bring them to justice"
Mr. Darby gave the reporters a note to Ne
Clusky, asking that the letters which he had
turned over TO the police be shown 10 them. The
chief was not at headquarters last night, and
those in charge said that he alone had authority
to give out the letters.
Captain Langan of the Detective Bureau re-
fused TO discuss the case. He said. however
that Judge McKoon had several times before
been reported missing at Police Headquarters.
and that he had turned up all right after sew
eral days absence. Mr. Darby said that the
judge had never disappeared like this before
and that the police must be mistaken
Judge McKoon is described as II typical coun-
try judge He always wore "A black frock suit.
with silk hat and white tie. He is seventy-six
years old, but looks not over sixty. He is six
Feet tall, but looks shorter because of a stoop.
He has full head of sandy gray hair and a full
beard Of the same color. His eyes are gray
rather small and inclined TO slight squirt. His
features are clean cut. He was man who
would attract attention.
He is a director Of the Richmond Homestead
association vice president and director of the
Frontier Bank Of Niagara, an officer of the Man
hasset Park Association Of Monmouth County
n b. and connected with other corporations
Born in lion, Herkimer County n Y I'm
Io%t, he moved at an carly age 10 Oswogo Coun
~. He was graduated from the Fulton Acad.
envy at Oswego, and studied law in the office OF
JUICY Ransom II. Tyler He was admitted to
the Bar in 1854, and removed to Phoenix n Y
where he built up a profitable practice He
served two terms judge of the Oswego County
Court, and resigned at the beginning OF his third
term to enlist a private in Company D. 10th
New-fork Volunteers. He attained the rank OF
first lieutenant and was adjutant of his com
pany when typhoid fever forced him TO leave the
army.
After the he had offices in Middletown.
y. Y, and In 1874 he came to this city In 1889
he formed the firm of McKoon & Luckey with
David B. Luckey and his son. d. Gilbert Nc
koon. His practice here has been confined to
civil law. with real estate a specially
A. q. McKoon Of Judge McKoon lives at
Tipperary Corners. Richmond midway between
New-Dorp and Richmond. 1t was to this neigh
borhood that Judge McKOon was to take the
men who are supposed TO have kidnapped him.
A. G. McKoon says he knows nothing OF his
fathers disappearance further than what was
contained in the two letters ne has received. Tho
first he received Saturday morning II was
similar to the received by Mr.. Darby The
letter. like the Darby letter, mailed near
Forty-secOnd-st. Mr.. McKoon said he had done
nothing toward obtaining the $4,000
On Saturday evening Mr.. McKoon received
another letter. This said that two men would
stand at Pearl and Whitehall SITS. yesterday at
ternoon, and ell that need be done to obtain his
release was for some one to hand one OF them
5000 This was mailed like the others in the
district covered by Branch Postofice II.
Five years ago Judge AIcKoon disappeared
and and was gone for some days. He was re-
ported missing and the affair attracted much
attention. He reappeared, and said he had n
wanting n he