The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-10-22
HURLS DEFIANCE
At BLACK HANDS
Millionaire Warned His Fine
Mansion is to be Dynamited
KEPT PROFOUND SECRET
BY POLICE WHO LAY IN WAIT
FOR THUGS WHO MADE
THREATS-WESSO RE.
FUSED DEMANDS.

Springfield Mass. Oct 21.--Tf
life and property of Daniel b. Wessol
the millionaire revolver manufactu
er, have been threatened by the Blac
Hand. The time for compliance wit
the demands of the extortionists e!
pired on Sunday, and since that tim
the Wesson mansion has been nde
surveillance day and night.
The atteEpt to blackmail Mr.. Wes
sen, who is the wealthiest resident o
been kept profound secret by tn
police. About month ago Mr. Wes
son received a letter demanding tina
a sum of money be left in a certain
place before a certain day, Mr. Yves
son ignored the communication and =
week later received another missive
The handwriting Of the second letter
was identical with that Of the first
larger, and the letter closed with a
threat TO blow up Mr. Wessons mag
niiicent residence with o dynamite
bomb
The murderous tone of the second
letter decided Mr.. Wesson to lay the
matter before the police. In third
letter the sum of money demanded
was again raised and the threat to
dynamite the Wesson mansion repeat
ed.
On Sunday night six policemen n
charge of a sergeant of police, all in
citizens clothes, were stationed SO as
to command every approach to the
house. Patrolmen having beats in the
vicinity of the Wesson house were
given orders to arrest any persons
found in the streets after certain
.hcnr unless the explanation OF their
presence was entirely satisfactory. The
Sunday night vigil was without re-
suit
The case Is one uf 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
tn blacllmail Mr. Wessen emanates un.
from desperate men The
of the threatening letters
Il scarcely legible and gross illiteracy
portions of them All
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 10 be suburb of New York
C'ty
Mr.. Wesson admitted to q correspOn.
tent this evening that attempts had
leen made TO blackmail him and that |
hreats OF violence accompanied the /
etters. MIR Wesson had read with in.
crest the story OF the work of the |
Black Hand in Stanton street, New
fork. yesterday.
Il will never pay one cent to ex-
ortionists Of any stripe" said Mr..
Vesson. 1T is not a pleasant expert.
nee and do not care TO make any
tatement az present"
a his eighiielh year. His wealth is
al upward of $4,000. 900. He
: one of the heaviest stockholders of
he New York. New Haven and Hart.
lrd Railroad.
Mr Wessens g residence i'm Maple I
rect is one of the finest in New
ngland. costing upward Of 81 200. 600. :
he exterior is of brown stone and ,
larole. The carving in the halls rep {
'sents a fortune in itself. The man.
on Is built on the side of hill. The
assive granite retaining walls cos,
.yeral hundred thouFand dollars.
Mr.. Wesson besides maintaining
industries of incalcul-
bic value TO Springfield. has given
berally 10 the charities of The city.
is latest bsnevolence is the Hamp-
m homeopathic Hospital now build.
IL. Mr.. wesson gave the site of the
1spital is paying for the structure
self. and when IL Is finished will pro
de IL with the best equipment moDey
IN buy. In addition he proposes to
ldow several wards Of the hospital
lih a permanent fund The prevent
y Of consumption is hobby with Mr..
'esson who Is president Of the SO
ely organized lat spring for the pur-
ne Of educating the public concern
e the propagation Of consumption !
sTns.
Associated with Mr.. Wesson In his
IS MSS are his two sons. Walter
lesson and Joseph wes-on. both Of I
bofn are milIi0nsires.