Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-07-23
SON THREATENS
MOTHERS LIFE
Van Rennslaer Arrested in New
York on Charge OF At
tempted Extorti0n.
"SMART SET" IS GIVEN SHOCK
Calls Mother Selfish Peacock" and
Threatens to Kill Her if
She Doesn't Dig Up.

|
| Rennslaer, son of Mrs. John King Van
Rennslaer and a member of one OF
New York's Oldest families, was taken
| into custody last night on charge of
attempted eXtortion. The arrest was
made on advices from Chief of Police
Crowley of Newport, R. l., who re-
ceived a complaint from Mrs. Van
| Rennslaer that her son had written a
| letter threatening her bodily harm
unless she provided him with funds.
Van Rennslaer is thirty-four years of
age and married.
Van Rennslaer is connected with
| local brokerage house. The detec-
tives and Lieut.. Mannion, before
i whom Van Rennslaer was brought in
the police station, declare that the
young man stated that he had written
| the letter, which is without any con-
| ventional beginning Or ending, and
of which the postscript is unsigned
The letter reads:
Writes to His Mother
IT have just seen Lawrence Lee,
and | am given to understand that
you will pay thirty dollars per month
| for my board if I will go three hun
| dred miles from New York, and that
| I must have your written consent to
leave the place that you may select.
| did it ever occur to you that
| have an absolute remainder interest
| in Aunt Frances estate securities,
and that by blowing your head off
my wife would have an income suffi-
cient to support her?
'T will take that course if necessary
and upon my head will rest the con-
sequences. (Thaw is still alive; may
be I will be.)
'In any case, my wife, God bless
her, will benefit by your demise, even
| if l don't
Calls Her "SeIfish Peacock"
II have seen many disagreements
and much suffering in my life, and
must say that most of it is due to
you, selfish peacock, whose name
| in these times amounts to nothing
and who is almost if not entirely for
| gotten in circles once trod.
81 am not in any humor to be trifed
with, and I wish to go on record that
I will take action On sight unless
something is done at once. You gave
Harold $4,000 and a trip to Europe.
| What have had for being honest?
81. A. Van Rennslaer."
81 want you to raise on that fancy
name of yours $4,000 for me. If you
are such a great lady, make good; if
not, keep out of my sight. can raise
cash enough yet to go to you wher-
ever you are, and | have a good
name"
! Van Rennslaer Explains.
Admitting to Lieut. Mannion that
he had written the letter, Van Renns-
laer, according to the police, made
| the following statement regarding
the demand on his mother:
81 gave her a thousand dollars
when she was on her uppers, and
now I wanted five thousand to go into
the brokerage business. When I was
in business before I had a good friend
who used to loan me any amount l
wanted up to a couple Of hundred
thousand. This friends mother want
ed to get into the Colonial Danes of
America, of which my mother was a
member. but my mother b1ackballed
her. Then soon after that I went to
this friend again for another loan,
but he told me if my mother was too
good to associate with his mother he
guessed his money was too good for
me-"