The sun., 1905-04-01
TRY TO BLACKMATL RICH MEN.
THREE MILLIONAIRES RECEIVE
THREATENING LETTERS.
zieGier, the Baking Powder Man. One OF
Them and James I. Raymond Another
Directed to Leave S. 900 in . Pail
There May ne Woman In the Case.

directed 10 Leave BssOOO IN faH
There May ne a Woman In the Case.
STANFORD, Conn, March Sl.-An investi-
CATION Of an attempt to eTtort money by
means Of threatening letters from James
/. Raymond Of Strawberry Hill, head OF the
Vantine importing house in New York,
has brought TO light similar attempts TO
get 5000 from William ziegler, the baking
powder man, and John T. Williams, a
wealthy New York business man, who
have country seats here.
Il received one letter that contained a
veiled threat and intimated that there
would be a demand for money forthcom-
ing said Mr.. Raymond tonight. 1T
was a letter such as no one would like to
receive. l paid no attention to 1t at first.
Recently something happened which led
me to make an investigation. The letter
was an imitation OF such a letter as an
Italian blackhander would be apt TO write.
We are satisfied that 1t was not written
by an Italian. We thought 1t was a woman's
handwriting, but we have not been able
yet 10 pin il down to any one
The letter written to William Ziegler
demanded s. OOO Directions were given
that the money be left within a week at
Woodsde Park, a picnic ground on the
outskirts Of Stamford, in a pail hidden
beneath the flooring
Failure to comply with the demands
meant death for Mr.. zieger, the letter
stated. It was signed Committee and
handwriting experts who saw it said it
was the work OF an educated Italian. Many
Italians worked on Mr.. Zegler's estate at
the time,
He placed the letter in the hands of Prose-
cutting Attorney Carter Of Stamford The
Pinkerton Detective Agency's aid was
enlisted. Supt Fields and three men
were sent to Stamford and plant was fixed
ZIP for the backmailers. The local police
had already found the pail in the desig-
mated place.
One evening about dusk Mr.. Ziogler and
his secretary, Mr. Champ, drove up to
Woodside Park and placed t25 in marked
bills in the tin lard pail. They drove OF
Immediately Meantime, the Pinkertons
lay in a grand stand watching the barn.
No one appeared. The next morning
at about O'Clock an Italian appeared and
was making toward the barn when the owner
Of the park came In TO make repairs TO a
fence. Later in the day another Italian
hpJcdItutb bNl Nub bitntllNS VI hIC piOpA AcNoi
kept them away from the barn.
One evening about dusk Mr. Zegler and
his secretary, Mr.. Champ, drove up to
wOodside Park and placed SIS In marked
bills in the tin lard pail. They drove OF
Immediately. Meantime the Pinkertons
lay in a grand stand watching the barn.
No one appeared. The next morning at
about o'clock an Italian appeared and
was making toward the barn when the
owner OF the park came in 70 make repairs
10 fence. Later In the day another Italian
appeared but the presence Of the proprietor
kept him away from the barn.
Mr.. Ziegler received another letter thank
ing him for going to the park with the
money and telling him another place would
be designated The police here have
learned that the note paper on which the
letters were written was purchased at a
local stationery store by an Italian.
The letter received by John T. Williams
was very much like those sent Mr. Ziegler
He was directed 10 deposit money in the
same tin pail at WoOdside Park at a speci-
fed time on pain Of death. Mr.. Williams
turned the letter er TO the police.