Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-21
SCION Of COLONIAL FAMILY
IN TOMBS AS BLACKMA|LER
John A. Van Rensselaer, Asks Five Thousand DaIors From
Mama Promises to Blow Her Head Off if Modest Request
is Turned Down; Fond Parent Comes Back With Demand
for Young Mans Arrest for Attempted Extoron.

-
New York, July 20.-John A. Van
Rensselaer,, son of Mrs. John X Van
Rensselaer, and a member of one of
New York's oldest families was taken
into custody tonight on a charge of
attempted extortion The arrest was
made on advices from Chief Of po-
| lice Crowley of Newport. r. l.. who
received a complaint from Mrs Van
Rensselaer, that her son had written
a letter threatening her bodily harm
unless she provided him with funds.
| VanRensselaer is "a years old and
married.
VanRensselaer is connected 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 haval
been written by VanRensselaer to his
mother. The detectives and Lieuten-
ant Mannion before whom VanRens-
selaer was brought in the police sta
ton, declare that the young man stat
ed that he had written the letter. |
which Is without any conventional be- |
ginning or ending and of which the |
postscript is unsigned. The letter
reads:
II have just seen Lawrence Lee and /
I am given to understand that you
will pay $50 per month for my board
If I viii 60 three hundred miles from
New York and that must have your
written consent to leave the place thatl
you may select
ibid 1t ever occur to you that
have an absolute remainder interest i'm
Aunt Frances estate Securities, ana
that by blowing your head off that
my wife would have an income suf-
hcient to support her?'
81 will take that course If necessary
and upon nv head will rest the CON
sequences. CThaw is still alive, may
be ! will be- In any case my Wife.
God bless her, will benefit by your s
demise, even if I don't
81 have seen many disappointments !
and much suffering in my life and I
must say that most Of it is due to YOU. ,
a selfish peacock, whose name in !
these times amounts to nothing. and !
VINO Is almost If not entirely forgot I
ton in circles where once honored {
Il am now in no humor to be triaed y
With, and I wish to 60 on record that a
viii take action on sight unless \
something is done at once. 2
"You gave Harold $4,000 and trip !
o Europe. What have l had for be- +
ng honest? o
(Signed) o
'J. A. VANRENssELAER." !.
II want you to raise on that fancy -
lame of yours $1,000 for me If you y
ire such great lady make good: if
rot keep out of my sight. | can raise
ash enough vet to go to you. where
'ou are and ] have good name"
VanRensselaer was taken later TO "
'olice headquarters and the police OF ~
Newport, where Mrs. VanRenssalaer is -
low residing, were notified of the ar .
est The prisoner made Inquiries re- "
arding bail and spoke vaguely of r.
nan named Lee, who would be glad -
o furnish it VanRensselaer win be =,
arefully observed by the police. Ad- n,
hitting to Lieutenant Mannion that =,
g had written the letter VanRens- ~
alaer, according to the police. made -
ae following statement regarding the ~
emand on his mother: -,
II gave her thousand dollars -
hen she was on her uppers, and now -
wanted $1,000 to go into the broker -
ge business. When | was i'm busi- =.
ess before | had a good friend who a.
sed to loan me any amount ! wanted ~,
p to couple of hundred thousand. ~
his friends mother wanted to get ~
ITO the colonial DANES of America, -,
which my mother was a member. ~,
ut my mother blackmailed her Then o.
'on after that / went to this friend 81
gain for another loan. but he told
e if my mother was too good to as kb
'ciate with his mother he guessed his VI
ney was too good for me-"
NanRensselaer is a son of John
ing VanRensselaer and grandson of
rigadier General Henry Bell Van
ensselaer aide de camp to Major ten
eneral Winfield Scott an
The VanRensselaers are descendants tai
ON Colonel Jermiah VanRensselaer. sta
no was a member OF the colonial as too
mbly in this state and its speaker de-
1864. Young VanRensselaer was atr
'ice married, having divorced his me
st wife. pei