The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-21
THREATENED
HIS MOTHER
With DEATH
Member of One of New Y0rk'S
Oldest Families Taken
Into Custody.
PARENT is CALLED
A SELFISH PEACOCK
JOHN VAN RENSSELAER, WANTED
MONEY AND TRIED TO Sc
CURE 1T BY LETTER..

New York July 2O.-John Van Rens-
selaer. son of Mrs. John King Van Rens-
selaer, and a member of one of New
York's oldest families, was taken into
custody tonight on charge of attempted
extortion. The arrest was made on ad-
vices from Chief of Police Crowley of
Newport, r. l., who received a complaint
from Mrs. Van Rensselaer, that her son
had written a letter threatening her with
bodily harm unless she provided him with
funds. Van Rensselaer, is 81 years old
and married. Van Rensselaer, is con-
nected with a local brokerage house and
when he returned TO his home tonight
he was placed under arrest by detectives,
who produced the letter alleged to have
been written by Van Rensselaer, to his
mother. The detectives and Lieutenant
ManniOn, before whom Van Rensselaer,
was brought in the police station, de-
clared that the young man stated that
he had written the letter, which is with
out any conventional beginning or end
ing and of which the postscript is I'M
signed. The letter reads:
Threatens Her Life.
II have just seen Lawrence Lee and
! am given to understand that you will
pay $50 per month for my board if l will
go 800 miles from New York. and that
| must have your written consent to
leave the place that you may select.
Did it ever occur to you that l have
an absolute remainder interest in Aunt
Francis estate securities, and that by
blowing your head off that my wife would
have an income sufficient TO support
her?
Il will take that course if necessary
and upon my head will rest the conse-
| auences.
''Thaw is still alive; maybe / will be.
I'm any case my wife God bless her.
will benefit by your demise, even II l
/ do.i't.
! A Selfish Peacock.
! Il have seen many disasreements and
much suffering in my life. and | must
! saw that most of il is due TO you. a
/ selfish peacock. whose name in these
times amounts to nothing. and who is al
most If not entirely forgotten in circles
once trod.
81 am now In no humor to be trifled
! with and | wish to go on record that /
I will take action on sight unless some
| thing is done at once You gave Harold
| Sc 600 and trip to Europe. What nave
| | had for being honest?
| (SignedD u. a. VAN RENSSELAER,.
Il want you to raise on that fancy
name of yours 5000 for me. If you arc
| such a great lady, make good: II not.
| keep out of my sight. | can raise cash
| enough vet to go to you, wherever you
are and / have good name
Taken to Headquarters.
! Van Rensselaer, was taken later to po-
/ lice Headquarters, and the police of New
port where Mrs. Van Rensselaer, is now
, residing were notified of the arrest The
prisoner made inquiries regarding bail
/ and spoke vaguely of man named Lee,
who would be glad to furnish 1t. van
! Rensselaer, will be carefully observed by
the police Admitting to Lieutenant Man
Mon that he had written the letter. Van
Rensselaer,, according to the police, made
the following statement regarding the de-
mand on his mother:
| Il gave her "a thousand dollars when
she was on her uppers. and now l want
I ed five thousand to go into the brok-
! erage business. When L was in business
before | had a good friend who used to
loan me any amount 1 wanted up to a
couple of hundred thousand. This friend
| mother wanted to get into the colonial
! Danes of America of which my mother
was a member. but my mother black
balled her. Then soon after that l wen'
to this friend again for another loan, but
he told me if my mother was 100 gooo
] 10 associate with his mother he guessed
his money was too good for me-"
Comes of Good Family.
Van Rensselaer, is son of John King
Van Rensselaer, and grandson of Briga
der General Henry Bell Van Rensselaer,
aide de camp TO Major General Winfield
Scott The Van Rensselaers are descen
dants from Colonel jeremiah Van Rens
selaer who was a member of the colonia
assembly in this state and its speake
IN 1904.
Young Van Rensselaer, was twice mar
ried, having divorced his first wlfe-