The San Francisco call., 1908-11-10
Female Blackmailer Threatens
Mrs. Genevieve Phipps, For
mer Wife of Millionaire
Leaps Into Auto and Demands
$4,000, but Intended Victim
Works Clever Ruse
Cornered in Trap, Assailant
Hurls Sticks of Explosive
at Detectives

DENVER, Nov. o.-After haunting
the residence of her intended victim
for two days. and making effort to get
into communication with her, an un-
known woman who threatened Mrs.
Genevieve Chandler Phipps, divorced
wife of Lawrence Phipps, the Pitts
burg millionaire, with death unless
she was given $4,000 in money, was
foiled in her design by the clever
work of bank and city detectives.
When she discovered that she was
beaten the woman cast dynamite
sticks intended for Mrs. Phipps at the
detectives, but fortunately they fell
against the upholstered wall of an in
closed automobile, which prevented
them from exploding.
The woman was quickly placed un-
der arrest and efforts are being made
to find some clew to her identity. She
persistently refused to give her name,
but insists that she is under the in
fluence of a hypnotist, and that this ex-
plains her attempt at blackmailing Mrs.
Phipps The woman went about carry
ing out her plans with determination
evidently born of desperation. Ever
since Saturday she had repeatedly tele-
phoned the Phipps home and called
there in an effort TO have an audience
with the well known society leader.
WOMAN Is ALARMED
Finally Mrs. Phipps became alarmed,
and today went automobiling in City
park to avoid the woman, who had
made several calls at the house during
the day The woman evidently saw
her leave in the machine, for she at
tempted to attract the attention of
Mrs. Phipps as she was being driven
slowly along one of the park drive
ways. She was standing behind tree
at the time. Mrs. Phipps directed her
chauffeur to continue past her. but the
woman leaped from behind the tree and
into the machine as 1t was going by.
She quickly engaged Mrs. Phipps in
conversation, assuring her that her ap-
parent fears were entirely unnecessary
that she was a magazine writer and
had no desire to do injury to Mrs.
Phipps. She talked so kindly that Mrs.
Phipps became reassured, and they rode
together for Is or 20 minutes. Sudden
ly the woman produced two sticks of
dynamite and commanded that Mrs.
Phipps give her $4,000 within an hour
or she would be destroyed. She direct
ed that the automobile be driven to the
Wolcott school and Mrs. Phipps' daugh-
ter be taken. along this evidently for
the purpose of having a hostage Mrs.
Phipps agreed TO go to her bank and
get the money, whence the party head
ed after stopping at the school to get
the little daughter of Mrs. Phipps Ar
irving at the bank, all but the strange
woman left the machine. This evident
ly was not intended in her program,
but she made no protest. Once inside
the building Mrs. Phipps hurriedly re-
lated her experience to a bank official
and police headquarters was communi-
Gated with. Two detectives hastened
to the bank. In the meantime special
bank detective had engaged the strange
women in conversation from the win
dow of the inclosed machine next the
sidewalk The two city detectives
quietly walked around the rear of the
machine and slipped open the door on
the street side. The woman saw that
she was entrapped and dashed the
dynamite sticks at the two officers.
They struck against the machine and
fell to the floor intact. Had they ex-
ploded great damage and loss of life
might have resulted, for the affair took
place in the very heart of the city.