The Somerset reporter., 1909-08-19
Prominent Citizens Receive Threatening
Letters. Robert Kendall Snow Ar
rested, Charged with Attempted
BlackmaiI

late ColOnel snow.
1t seems that Thursday, August 4th,
four letters, all In the same hand
writing, were mailed at a letter box
on Rural Free Delivery No. 8, adj
dressed to prominent Skowhegan
people, all demanding money and
threatening dire consequences If it
was not forthcoming. No stamps
we're on the envelopes but the money
to pay the postage was in the box
and the carrier brought the letters to
the Skowhegan office, affixed the
st amps, and they were regularly de-
livered to the parties addressed on
the following day. They were very
much alike in their tone and the fol-
lowing will serve as sample of the
entire lot:
Skowhegan, Maine, Aug q, 1909
You are requested $500 flour
hundred dollars) to leave at the school,
house on the middle road, at the corner
next the road, under board. 1t will be
very easy matter to poison enough
livestock to amount up to $500. Leave
it next Saturday without fail.
The letters were very shortly sub
mitted to Sheriff John A. Mooers by
the parties who received them and he
and his Deputy, Chas. H. Chute, at
once went to work on the case.
They had found some circumstances
to create suspicion that Snow, the
man now under arrest, was the party
wanted, when Deputy Sheriff O. R.
Buzzell of Exeter, appeared in town
with a warrant for his arrest on
charge of passing forged checks in
the town Of Dexter. Sheriff Buzzell
was told OF the circumstances here
and assured that Snow would be ap-
pretended as soon as possible in con-
nection with the threatening letters.
AS the letter given above did not
come to Mooers' attention until Sun
day morning, he was unable to have
the locality named therein watched
on Saturday night, the time at which
1t directed that the money should be
left. Mr.. Mooers investigated at
once, however, and noted that the
board mentioned In the letter was in
place, ready to serve as hiding place
for the $4O0 demanded. He at once
directed the party to whom the letter
was addressed, to go to the place,
after dark on Sunday, and place roll
made up to look like roll of bills,
under the board. This was done and
the place watched with care for sew
eral nights but no one came. Later,
parties living near the school house,
wholly unacquainted with the fact
that letters had been sent, and know
ing nothing about the case In hand,
reported to Mr.. Mooers that they had
discovered man in their pasture
who skulked away at their approach.
1t is now supposed that this was the
writer of the letters. He may have
become suspicious that the place was
being watched and was waiting a
favorable opportunity to see whether
the money had been placed under the
board as demanded. Whoever he
efforts to trace him, Oh account for
his presence there upon any other
theory, were unsuccessful.
In the work Mr.. Mooers was doing
ON the case he learned more or less
about Snow and became convinced
that circumstances pointed to his ar
rest, and on Saturday last fresh ma
terial was added to work upon in the
shape of three additional letters, in
the same handwriting as the four al
ready in his possession. These were
discovered by some men who were
cutting bushes on the river road
(west side) near the farm home of
Chas. Rice, Shows father in law
They had evidently been secreted by
who expected to return for
them, the party not daring to risk
their being found on his person.
The exterior appearance of the en-
velopes indicated they had been in
the bushes but a short time. Had
they not been found they would have
been malice TO the people
to whom they were addressed, all
residents of this town, on the follow
ing day.
Sheriff Mooers did not dare take
the risk of longer delay and deter
mined to make an arrest at once II
possible. In order to have one man
with him not too we'll known In these
parts, he sent for Deputy Fred d.
Stevens of Smithfield and this officer,
with Mr.. Mooers and Deputy Chute
assembled in the vicinity of the Rice
farm on Sunday evening last. Stew
ems was sent to convenient hiding
place near the house where he could
tell pretty accurately who entered or
left the place and the other two ofii-
Gers took strategic positions to watch
the house from the north and south
approaches. Shortly after dark
Sheriff Stevens sought his companions
and reported that Snow had come out
of the woods from the west. He had
gone into the Rice homestead and a
member of the family had called him
by name loud enough for the officer
to hear.
With his two deputies guarding the
rear of the house Sheriff Mooers went
to the front door and aroused the in
mates. Mr.. Rice responded, and
on being directed to do so, called
Snow who came down stairs from a
room on the second floor. As soon
as he became aware of the situation
Snow made q break for liberty
through the open door. Mr.. Mooers
followed him at his best pace and
deputies Chute and Stevens Joined In
the chase. As Snow paid no atten-
ton to their orders to halt, the OFF,
GERS, fearing he might escape them In
the darkness, fred several shots In
his direction. He was finally caught
and although resisting to the limit OF
his strength, was thrown to the
ground and handcuffed. The officers
returned to 6kowhegan with their
nrisonar and ha Kaa LODGED In iAtl.