Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-24
EFFORT TO RAISE MONEY FAILS
Men Who Attempt BlnckmaiI Are
PROMPTLY Arrested.

Men Who Attempt BIackmaiI Are
Promptly Arrested.
Charged with threatening to eNtort
money from F. T c. Johnson, Il wealthy
farmer living near Bentley. j. B. Rich
ards and Joseph westripp were placed
under arrest yesterday evening by the
police. Richards, who is the son of George
Richards, a farmer living near Under
wood, and Westripp. who is the son Of
John Westripp. section hand in the en-
ploy of the Milwaukee railroad at Under
wood are both about % years of age.
1t is charged that Richards and West
ripp last week sent the following letter
to Johnson, mailing it at Nicola:
COUNCIL BLUFFS Dec. 19.-Mr. John
son: / have kept my secret as well as
yours, as long as l possibly can, | am
getting old and feeble and am apt to die
at any time. Now I am not going to
mention any names Some years ago, as
you know, man and his son came to
your house with the intention of buying
a farm; had the money there with them:
One night there was doings in the school
house and all were gone but you two
when the man and boy arrived and you
killed them and took the money. How
do | happen to know this? I was watch
ing them, thinking 1 might get a chance
to steal it and saw you kill them. | have
the exact date to the minute you killed
them, how you killed them and what you
on your life. If you will send me five
hundred dollars $500 | will never as long
as / live say a word to anyone, but II
you fail to do this ] will bring such proof
against you that will cause you to hang
have several little things that alone
would convict you without my evidence
as your partner is dead. and that yol
are the one that shall suffer for SO doing
Now when sending this money don't senC
money in bills, sealed in a plain envelope
! 1t must be mailed in Nicola on Friday
| I'D. at clock so, it will get off on th'
| 2:l6 on the Milwaukee track. Address 1
TaEAD II. HUBBLE.
Council Bluffs. la.
Johnson on receipt of the letter sent i
to Chief Of Police Richmond and at tn,
same time wrote the following decoy let
ter addressed to "Thead II. Hubble gen
eral delivery, Council Bluffs:
nicola, Ia. Dec. 2O.-Thead RI. Hub
! ble-Sir: | must acknowledge that l wa
| surprised when l received your letter.
/ don't think that you know all that yo'
claim that you do Yet l don't ~ Mno N,a, G 3e
up. | don't think | can raise more thai
$50 just now and would like to nave yo'
enter into some kind of an agreemen
| keep mum on this. r. T. c. JOHNSON.
The police were on the watch, but it wa
| not until late yesterday afternoon that an
| inquiry was made. at the general deliver
window of the postoffice for mail for !
II. Hubble. The inquirer proved to be
! 12-year-old lad of this city named Smith
| but the clerk refused to give him the let
! ter. Detective Callaghan, who was workin
on the case. followed the lad and saw hir
meet Richards and Westripp at the corne
of Bryant street and Broadway. Gala
CHAN at once placed the two young mel
under arrest
| Westripp after a little persuasion a
police headquarters made clean breast o
| the affair. He said that Richards, WHOM
| he had known for several years, came {
him about a week ago and asked him If h
| wanted TO make bunch of money all o
a sudden. Westripp inquired as to hoy
this was to be accomplished and Richards
he says, unfolded his scheme of extortin
$500 from Johnson, the wealthy farmer
| Westripp SAYS that Richards told him tina
he had heard some years ago repor
about johnson and thought the threat t
expose him would cause the money to b
forthcoming. Richards so Westripp says
wrote the letter and the two went to Nicola
where they mailed II. They were aflai
to call for the letter they expected fror
Johnson and meeting young Smith on tn
street gave him % cents to go to the post
office for it.
Johnson is one of the best known farmer
of Pottawattamie county and Is quit
wealthy. Those who are acquainted wit
him say there never has been any suspicio
against him of being implicated in an
such crime as referred to in the threatenin
letter.
As the young fellows under arrest use
the mails in their attempt to eXtort none
from johnson, IL is expected they will d
| tirrnnd nunr. IN the fadaraI n1nthnritina