Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1909-07-21
SUDLERSVILLE WORKED UP
OVER "BLACK MAIL SCARE !"
CURIOSITY OF WELLINGTON BOYS
LEAD TO THREE ARRESTS.
Detectives Shot at Them AS They Were
Fleeing And Finally Force Them To
Surrender After Long Chase.

'OO"'S TNiu 7 HidllY OrCe mem o
Surrender After Long Chase.
Sudlersville, Md, July 1S.-Tbe
mystery surrounding the supposed
Black Hand letter received by Joseph
E. George, of this town, is as vet
unsolved despite the fact that Balti-
more detective and the local authori-
ties have been working on the case.
The three suspects arrested were dis
missed and the officials who placed
them under the ban of the law mar
rowly escaped rough treatment at the
hands of the incensed SudIersvilIe
citizens, who spoke openly of dealing
out summary vengeance if they were
not Immediately released. On Thurs
day evening of last week Thomas ].
Buros, a. headquaIter man, was sent
out upon the request of Mr.. George
by Marshal Farnan, of Baltimore.
He arrived in Centerville that night.
and following a conference with
States Attorney Thomas J. Heating
left on Friday morning in company
with Constable William M. Dunn, of
Church Hill for the scene of the Black
Hand excitement.
Black Hand Letter, Black-maii Scheme
The letter received by Mr.. George
demanding bonus of $500 to prevent
the burning of his proprty or bodily
injury, which was threatened in de-
fault of complying with their orders.
later disclosures have proved to be
anything but ''Black Hand'' letter.
but more of an Individual black-mail-
ing scheme. The letter was mailed
at Betterton, Md, on Tuesday of last
week, and directed Mr.. George to
leave $500 in bills in the denomina-
ton Of $50 or under in a cigar box
beside the telephone pole No. 275 on
the public road outside of Sudlersville.
The missive stated that he must place
it there on Friday and let it remain
until Sunday. The writer or writer's
signed "The' Five Baby Elephants"
and announced that they would burn
down several of Mr.. Georges barns.
and then, in the event that the money
was not paid, it would mean the loss
of his life. He was also cautioned
against marking the money or having
a watch placed near it. The letter
was printed in large letters and cover
ed four sheets of white paper. When
the victim Of the plot received the
missive on Tuesday he showed it to
the postmaster at Sudlerdsville and
later reported the matter to State s
Attorney Heating and the latter Sc
cured the services of the Baltimore
detective.
Boys Curiosity Led to Trouble.
Detective Burns upon reaching this
town and hearing the details of the
case advised the leaving of a few
marked bills of small denomination
in package beside the pole as dir
ected in the letter. The advice was
followed about noon on Friday and
all Friday night the Baltimore man
and Constable Dunn were on the watch
in the field of Fletcher Phillips adj
joining the pole, Their vigilance
was fruitless, however, as not a soli-
tary person approached the pole dur
ing the night. In the meantime,
however the news of the letter spread
like wildfire and on this day scores of
curious people stopped at the pole.
Saturday afternoon three boys from
Millington who had been at Barclay
witnessing baseball game rode by
the spot where the cash was to have
been left and stopped through curiosity
to look and see what was there, hav-
ing heard the tales. The detective
and constable seeing them hired a
team and started to the scene, shout
ing at them and their horse. The
boys thinking they were drunken men
began to leave as fast as possible
not thinking the officers were after
them. Shot after shot began TO fly
at the boys, one striking one in
the face, injuring him only slightly.
The boys got in the lead and disap-
peared in the Clendanny house.
Burns and Dunn knocked at the door
and asked for the boys and then they
surrendered.
Surrender and Protest Innocence.
After their surrender the boys i'm
mediately began to protest their in
nocence and stated that the reason of
their visit at the pole was only Curl
osity and that they had heard that
some sticks of dynamite and a maya
zine gun had been left at the pole
and they wanted to see it. The
three men who were arrested are all