The evening world., 1908-12-14
DEATH THREAT
IN A LETTER TO
MRS. PEABODY
Wife of Millionaire Received
Demand for $500 in MiSSive
From "Biack Hand"
DETECTIVES AT WORK.
Lawyer Suggests That it Is a
Practical Coke" by Some
One Who Knows Family.

-
The town house Of the Stephen Pea
bodys, nj No 20 East Fifty-fourth street,
has been in a state Of excitement since
last Thursday, when Mrs. Peabody. who
is a daughter Of President George G.
Haven, of the Metropolitan opera
House. received Black Hand" letter,
demanding the delivery of $500 in cash
to the writer's on the Following night. at
the bridge over the New York Central
Railroad tracks, Fifty-first street and
Park avenue"
Mrs. Peabody turned tho letter over
TO Mr.. Peabody, who is many times n
millionaire Mr.. Peabody in turn called
in former Licut.-Gov. William f
Sheehan, his personal lawyer. and 1t
was deemed advisable to immediately
put Inspector McCaTerty. of the De
tective Bureau, in possession of the
facts.
Two Central Office detectives spent a
{ large portion of Friday night reconoiter-
ing at Tifty-frst street and Park ave-
nue., and their sole discovery was the
absence of any bridge" over the tracks
at that point.
There are bridges for pedestrians at
Fiftieth, Fifty-second and Fifty-four-h
streets, but none at Fifty-first street.
No arrests were made.
For some months past Mrs. PeaboC-
has been annoyed by mysterious tele-
phone calls from persons. requesting
q,
La widely known for her charity, the
family did not place any degree of seri-
business in these demands until the ar
rival last week of the Black Hand"
missive.
With Skull and Crossbones.
Al least the letter was signed as such.
with the customary accompanying skull
and crossbones threat of that order.
The Peabodys have four children at
home-Stephen jr. and George and the
Misses Priscilla and Emma
sOn account of harm which might be-
fall the younger members OF the family
Mr.. Peabody decided to have the au-
thors of the missive run down. Ac-
cordinsly the police We're notified and
private detectives We're hired.
But what hope we had OF capturing
the culprits has been destroyed by the
action OF the Detective Bureau in maxi
ing public the facts" said Mr. Sheehan
to an Evening World reporter to-day at
his residence. No. &c East Fifty-sixth
street.
While I look upon the letter itself
as a hoax, | do not approve Of the
treatment which has been accorded the
Peabodys by the Police Department
There is small chance now to arrest
any one. and / am going to make a
complaint to Commissioner Bingham
about IT."
Mt. Sheehan said that there was a
possibility that the writer Of the latter
and author os the mysterious telephone
calls. was a discharged employe.
lie also suggested that the whole
transaction might he Il Joke" perpe-
trated by somebody VINO was well ac-
quainted with the family.
A Gordon Of Detectives.
That the Peabodys do not regard the
matter in the light Of Joke was made
plainly evident by the Gordon of private
detectives which have been thrown
around their town house, Every effort
10 being made to suppress the facts, and
servants have been warned that any
discussion Of the letter with outsiders
will be cause for immediate discharge
Mr.. Peabody's principal business nd
dress is No j Battery place, the office
of the American coal Products Com
pany, OF which he is ViCe-president. He
Is also n director of the Buffalo Gas
Company. the Trust Company Of Ameri-
ca, the Syracuse Lighting Company, the
Colonial Trust Company, Consolidated
Rubber Tire Company, Western New
York ana Pennsylvania Traction Com
pany AID Il dozen o. so other corpora
lions HIS brother Charles y. Pea body,
ID president Of the Mutual Life lnsur-
ancs Company,
The Peabodys have n third son, Girls
void Haven Peabody, who greatly dis
pleased hts parents two years ago by
marrying a Miss Nlyaa Scheu. niece or
the late soloman Sgheu, who was once
Mayor Of Buffalo. Schcus we're also
Identified with the brewing interests Of
Western New York, but their fortunes
dwindled, and Miss Myna came 10 New
York, where She met Young Peabody.
Cadet at Annapolis,
Before marrying Miss Scheu Peabody
spent e.gh zen moulas as cadet A. the
Naval Academy "a Annapolis after
In a brokerage ohira at 50 % Wal
Then he married daushtcr Of ,Ioar
r. Berry, ratUeuun, ~ Dallas, TeN
-Nnion AT drst Af,orHarl they receIy I'd
her, hut when Young Peabody and hi'
first wife were divorced AN estIaugemen'
ensued between him and the elder Pea
To the dIsmey Of his family young
Peabody retaliaod hy going. on mo
the part ~ a cowboy m the Frauolsoc
Trail His parents finally mducei hin
20 leave the stage, aud "a November
1905. he met Miss ScHpu, whom he mar.
tod ~ 10 nH.H Inn.