Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-21
Offspring Of Noted New York
Family Threatens Bodily
Harm to His Mother
Says He Will Blow Her
Head Off Unless He
Gets $1,000

New York, July 20.-John A. Van
Renslaer, son of Mrs. John King Van
Renslaer and a member Of one of
New York's oldest families, was taken
into custody to day on the charge of
attempted extortion. The arrest was
made on advices from Chief of Po-
lice Crowly of Newport, R. l., who
received a complaint from Mrs. Van
Renslaer that her son had written
a letter threatening her with bodily
harm unless she provided him with
funds VanRenslaer is "a years old,
and married.
VanRenslaer is connected with a
local brokerage house and lives with
relatives. Lieut.. Manning, before
whom Vann Renslaer was brought in
the police station, declared 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:
Il have just seen Lawrence Lee
and I 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 send me.
Did it ever occur to you that I have
an interest in Aunt Frances estates
and securities, and that by blowing
your head off my wife would have an
income sufficient to support her?
II will take that course, if neces-
sary, and upon my head will rest the
consequences. Thaw is still alive;
maybe WILDE. In any case my wife,
God bless her, will benefit by your
demise, even if I DON'T
Il have seen many disagreements
and much suffering in my time, and I
| must say that most of it is due to
you, the selfish peacock whose name
| in these times amounts to nothing.
and who is almost, if not entirely for
| gotten in circles once trod.
II am not in any humor to be
trifled with, and I wish to go on rec
ord 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 l had from you?
81. A. VAN RENsALER."
II want you to raise on that once
fancy name of yours SIS 900 for me
| If you are such a great lady, make
good; if not, keep out of my sight
I can raise cash enough yet to go to
you wherever you are, and I have a
| good name"
Admitting to Lieut.. Manning that
he had written the letter VanRens-
laer, according to the police. made
the following statement regarding the
demand on his mother:
II gave her a thousand dollars
when she was on her uppers, and now
I want five thousand to get into the
brokerage business. When l was in
business before I had a good friend
who used to loan me any amount I
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
member. but my mother blackballed
her. Then soon after that went to
this friend again for another loan,
but he told me that If my mother wa
too good to associate with his mothe.
ne guessed his money was too good
for me-"
VanRensIaer is the son of John
King VanRenslaer and grandson of
Brigadier General Henry Bell Van
Renslaer, aide de camp to Major
General Winfield Scott. The Van
Renslaers are descendants from Col
i j. K. VanRenslaer. who was 9 mem
/ Der of the colonial assembly in this
state. and its speaker in 1864 Van,
Renslaer was twice married, having
divorced his FIRST wife.