The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-27
RICH Man DEFIES
THE BLACK HAND
Wesson, Revolver Manufacturer,
Warned That His Mansion
Is to Be Dynamited.

Springfield, Mass, Oct. 27.-The
life and property Of Daniel w. Wesson,
the millionaire revolver manufacturer,
have been threatened by the Black
Hand +
The attempt to blackmail Mr.. Yves;
son, who is the wealthlest resident OF
western Massachusetts, has until now
been kept profound 1h Sc sec M' M ~ sne
received letter demanding that sum
of money be left in certain place
before a certain day. Mr.. Wesson lg-
nored the communication and week
later received another misslve. The
handwriting of the second letter was
Identical with that of the first. The
sum of money demanded was larger,
and the letter closed with threat to
blow up Mr.. Wesson s magnificent resi-
dence with a dynamite bomb.
The murderous tone of the second let
ter decided Mr.. Wesson to lay. the mat
ter before the police. In third letter
the sum of money demanded was
again raised and the threat to dyna-
Police Perplexed. blk.
The case is one of the most perplex-.
ing the police have, ever had to deal
with. For reasons which are not made
public it is certain that the attempt
to blackmail Mr.. Wesson emanates I'M
mistakably from desperate men. The
handwriting Of the threatening letters
is scarcely legible and gross illiteraciY
were written on the same kind Of sta
tionery and all were pOstmarked from
the same place. The sending place,
which was not Springfield. is under
stood to be suburb of New York
city. .
had been made to blackmail him and
that threats Of violence accompanied
the letters. Mr.. Wesson had read with
interest the story of the work of the
Black Hand in Stanton street, New
York, yesterday. ~..-.. ..
II will never pay one cent to extor-
tionists Of any stripe,' said Mr.. .Wes-
son. cit is not a pleasant experience
and I do not eay Re to make any state
Mr.. Wesson is still vigorous tho in
his SOth year. His wealth is esti-
mated at upward of $10,000,000. He
is one of the heaviest stockholders Of
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad.
Mr.. Wesson' g residence in Maple
street is one Of the finest in New Eng
land, costing upward of $l,2OO,O00:
The exterior is of brown stone and
| uldrDle Liz CdI wing Ill JIG udllo 1Op'
resents a fortune in itself. The man
sion is built on the side of hill. The
massive granite retaining walls cost
several hundred thousand dollars.
Man of Benevolence.
Mr.. Wesson, besides maintaining
manufacturing industries Of incalcula.
bic value to. Springfield has given H.
! latest benevolence is the Hampden
1 Homeopathic hospital now building
Mr.. Wesson gave the site Of the hospi
q tai, is paying for the structure itself
and when it. is finished will provide it
with the best equipment money can
buy. In addition he purposes to en-
dow several wards of the hospital with
permanent fund; The prevention OF
consumption is hobby with Mr.. Yves
son, who is president Of a. society or
1 ganized last spring for the purpose of
educating the public concerning the
propagation of consump tion germs.
Associated with Mr.. Wesson in his
business are his two sons, Walter Yves
son and Joseph Wesson, both Of whom
are millionaires.