Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-02
Bait TRAPS P|O|IERS.
Conspirators Who Demanded
$4,000 From Racine Couple
Are Captured
TWO CLERKS IN CLUMSY JOB
According to instructions Money is
Placed on Deposit-Police of Two
Cities Work in Secrecy and Men Are
Nabbed When They Call for the
Money-other News.

Money-Other News.
z Racine, Wis, Oct. 2-The bold death
threat plot, that temporarily netted It's
perpetrators $4,000, with a wealthy
and prominent Racine family as Its
victims, was revealed last night with
the arrest in Milwaukee of two men
who are accused of having planned and
successfully executed the conspiracy.
The prisoners are clerks employed by
two Milwaukee firms.
The victims Of the plot which was
made public yesterday afternoon, are
Mr.. and Mrs Richard Taylor Robinson,
the former being secretary of the ]. I.
Case Thrashing Machine Company and
millionaire. The men under arrest at
Milwaukee are H. d. Miller and Fred
Stocking, 1888 Franklin street. Milwau-
kee, alleged to have inspired the con-
spiracy.
Money Placed in Chicago Bank.
A Chicago bank, the First National,
was the depository used by the plotters
and the money was actually deposltea
In that bank to the credit of man
known as L. Roman, and was later
transferred to Miller's account III
Milwaukee bank
It was thru this bank that the first
evidence of the identity OF the con-
spirators was revealed.
When the two men were questioned
by Chief Jansen in Milwaukee Stoc-
i ing is said to have confessed his part
in the plot. but Miller refused point
blank to admit he had anything to do
s with it or.-tllat he received the money
placed to his credit in the First Ma
tional Bank by the Robinsons.
The conspirators laid their plot in
the early part of September, MilMau-
kee evidently being used as their head
quarters
On September 10 Mrs. Robinson re-
ceived q, letter in a plain envelope thas
bore the postnlark of Milwaukee. Mrs.
Robinson did not recognize the hand
writing and opened it with some cred
ulity. $500
Mrs. Robinson was amazed and ter
rified at finding in the envelope. letter
purporting to come from an organized
band OF ten conspirators, who demanded
that there be placed on deposit in the
First National Bank Of Chicago one
week after date, the sum of 100000. It
was to be deposited in the name OF Luz
.ther Roman, and if the money was not
so placed within the specified time the
family home of the Robinsons would
be blown up and every member of the
family killed.
Mrs. Robinson was thoroughly
alarmed and hurried to her husband at
his office with the letter.
She was in favor of Immediately
placing the required sum in the Ff,S
National Bank of Chicago and thus
escape the possible carrying out Of the
dire threats.
But not so with her husband.
/ He went straightway to his attorney,
Thomas M. Kearney, and the two re-
paired to the. office of Chief of Police
Pfister.
After the matter had been carefully
considered, and weighed from every
point of view, it was decided the best
thing to do was. to deposit the money,
as required by the letter, and then cap-
ture the perpetrators of the plot.
Money Is Deposited in Chicago.
Accordingly, On September 20, one
day after the receipt of the letter, a
check for 100000 was forwarded to the
First National Bank of Chicago, with
instructions that. 1T be placed to the
account of Luther Roman. This was
<l,o :, n y, a ", q ,tioy,ad ~, tho 1a&far
Subsequent developments followed in
quick succession. A letter was receiv-
ed at the Chicago bank day after the
money had been deposited, asking if
thereswa such an amount there. The
letter was signed by Luther Roman,
and directed that the answer be direct
ed to him at Milwaukee. The bank
sent a letter to Roman to the effect
that it held $4,000 subject to his or
ders ana on the following day word
was received in a letter supposed to
AVE come from Roman, directing that
rf1e amount be transferred to the First
National Bank in Milwaukee and plac-
ed to the credit of H. D. Miller.
Money Transferred to Milwaukee.
Again the request Of the plotters
was complied with, and the amount
was transferred to Miller at the Mil
waukee bank. Detectives then waited
for the climax of the trap the clumsy
plotters had built for themselves.
All the while that the plot had been
gathering close mouth had been kept
by all of those concerned.
VI, The bait finally caught and war;
rants We're sworn out yesterday before
John T. Wentworth, court commissions
er of Racine county, calling for the
arrest of Hiram D. Miller and Fred D.
Stocking. This was the first intima-
ton that there had been such a letter
sent to Mrs "Dickie" Robinson
Prisoners Brought to Racine.
The whole story was made public,
however, when the arrests We're made
in Milwaukee and Chief Pfster
brought his prisoners back to Racine
shortly before mignight.
According to detectives who worked
on the case, the plot was Matched by
Stocking, who several weeks ago work
ed at decorating the interior of the
palatial Robinson mansion on Eleventh
and Main streets.
Hiram B. Miller. to whose credit the
$4,000 was to have been placed in the
Milwaukee bank, has been in the em-
ploy of Fl. B. Johns Manville Co, deal
ers in asbestos supplies.
CONTEMPLATING IN PEN.