The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12
MAN WHO WANTED Is, 900 FROM
DAVID RANKIN
CAUGHT BY DUMMY NAN.
John A. Rankin and Deputy U. 8.
Marshal Lay Clever Trap and
Charles II. Frost, . Former
MissOurian, Falls Into
It's Arrested

The district attorney at Denver
has filed two indictments against
Charles E. Frost, who ia accused of
an attempt to extort $4,000 from
David Rankin, the Missouri cattle
king. and another rich farmer in tho
same vicinity.
AS stated few days ago by the
Tribune 1t was through the efforts
OF John Rankin of Greeley that Frost
was apprehended. David Rankin
forwarded the black hand letter to
his son In Greeley and the latter
took 1t up with the postal authori-
ties in Denver. The manner In which
Mr.. Rankin and the deputy marshal
caught Frost was unique.
The black hand letters to the Mis-
souri, farmers were written by the
same person, but signed with differ
ent names. In each case the money
was to be sent to the same address In
Denver and the location was q room
ing house Of no great repute.
Frost, who Is barber, roomed
at this place and was one of the su3.
poets. Detectives obtained his hand
writing and an expert said it wss
the same as the letters. In the let
ters there was one word spelled
wrong and after his arrest Frost
spelled this word just As 1t had been
misspelled in the letter to David Ran
kin.
On tic day speciNed, John Nav.
kin of Greeley sent package, which
looked like it might contain abou,
$4,000 in bills, to the address NELL
toned. The mail carrier had his in
structions and the package was
stamped as If coming from Missouri
A woman at the rooming house in
formed the postman that such man
roomed there, but was not in al
present and she would deliver the
package.
On the day that the second pack
age should arrive it was tried again.
This time the package was left with
the elevator boy, who often took the
mail for the upper floors. When the
doors were locked the boy often kept
the mail in the elevator until the
owner came. The same evening
Frost rode up in the elevator and
looked at the package, but did not
take 1t. Shortly after he came to
the elevator boy and gave him fifty
cents to go across the street and get
him bottle of whisky. saying thst
he would run the elevator until he
came back. When the boy returned
the package was gone. The boy had
instructions and notified the officers
at once When the federal officers
arrived Frost was in the toilet and
there was every evidence that he had
Just sent the dummy package out
through the sewer.
Mr.. Rankin will go to Denver thus
week to assist the prosecution. ii"
says that before he came to Greeley
a similar threat was sent to his
father. MIR. Rankin's daughter was
to be kidnapped unless he sent the
child with 100000 upon a certain
evening to crossroad about mile
from the farm house. ine Greeley
man was then boy and he dressed
ND in his sisters clothes and carried
a dummy package, while his father
and brothers hid in ravine near by
with shotguns. But the black hand
did not show up for the money NV
Rankin says that Frost's writing
alone is sufficient to convict him.
David Rankin of Tarkio, Mo-, has
visited with his son in Greeley sew
eral times and is known as the lars-
est land owner in Missouri and the
largest cattle feeder in the world