Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-05-11
KATHERINE QUINN ON
TRIAL FOR BLACkMAIL

TRIAL FOR BLACkMAiL
Claimed She Attempted to Get Money
from Jacob Stein by Letter Written
Last January-Pleas of Guilty and
Sentences.
A number of matters were disposed
of before the criminal session of the
superior court here on Tuesday, in
Guiding the several persons charged
with theft from the steamer Kenne-
beck John A Murphy. Morgan
Smith. John w. Spencer and Cyrus
Roberts. pleaded guilty to taking ma
terial from the steamer at Old Lyme.
being stated that Murphy had been
chief engineer for the company for
10 years and as such his pay had
been $50 a month and he had charge
ing next to captain. 1t was claimed
that the men considered the boat
abandoned and that the com
pany did not care for it, The
state attorney thought it a pecul-
lar affair. where the men had trans
crossed the law for the first time and
they are seemingly reputable men.
But for the circumstances they ought
to go to prison. Judge Wheeler spoke
of the seriousness of the case and
thought prison was what the crime
called for. but owing TO the circum-
stances sent them to jail for one year
each.
John Shea. who had been drawn in
to the case, but made a clean breast
of the affair when arrested, was given
two months in Jail. The cases against
Arthur D. Ross, Walter Lord and Hen
~ Dorr who were connected with the
thieving, were nolled.
Brought into the court on a bench
warrant by Deputy Sheriff Draper,
under $500 bonds, which his father
furnished. He is "a years of age and
is charged with shooting a deer in
Ledyard on February first, which were
city with the prisoner the deputy sher-
if was surprised by two handsome
deer in the road which leaDed the
wall to either side and disappeared.
The case against Eddie Como charg-
ed with bigamy was continued until
the next term. as important witnesses
are in Canada.
John Yurkewicz. charged with tor
! turing cow, and Mikolay Domoresky,
charged with assault and robbery, were
put to plea and said not guilty. Their
cases were continued.
BlackmaiI Case.
In the afternoon a jury was selected
for the trial of Mrs. Katherine Quinn
of East Hampton. charged with black
mail in having sent letter to Jacob
Stein of this city in January. 1910,
demanding $40. or trouble would fol-
Tow. 1t was Necessary to get two tales
men and Richard Stephenson and
Frank d. SEWN were secured to COM
plete the jury.
Jacob Stein was the first witness
and he testified to receiving the let
ter and taking il to Chief Murphy, who
gave him instructions regarding the
reply in the addressed envelope, which
he carried out. He sent no money in
the letter. He claimed that he never
was in East Hampton and did not do
business there. He never knew Mrs.
NJ. Quinn and the addressed envelope
sent with it bore that name and box
III East Hampton. Conn.
Chief Murphy testified to knowing
Jacob Stein, and Stein showed him a
letter from Mr.. Quinn in East Hamp-
ton. He Instructed Mr.. Stein what to
do and saw the addressed envelope di-
rected to John NJ Quinn, Box Ill,
East Hampton, as 1t was ready for
mailing. He told of sending Sergeant
Twomey to East Hampton.
Sergeant Twomey testified to seeing
the letter which was sent to Quinn.
He mailed it on the Central Vermont
train at 515 a. m. on Jan. 81. He
went on that train to East Hampton
and to the postofice there remaining
at the postoffice from $50 until 1 or 2.
A little girl, Mary Koran, came in
and inquired for a letter for John
Quinn, which was given her by the
postmaster. 1t was the one he had
mailed at Norwich. After talking with
the girl he went with her to her home.
There he asked Mrs. Quinn why she
was sending for the letter. She denied
all knowledge of sending for the letter.
She had sent for mail and this was
among IT. She had received other let
tiers addressed to John NJ. Quinn. She
did some writing for him while he was
there and the paper was offered as
testimony. He asked the girl If there
was a John Quinn at her house and
she said no, but she had heard her
L. l.. Il
John Quinn but didn't know where he
was. She said her aunt, Katie Quinn,
sent her for the letter. Mrs. Quinn
denied all knowledge of the letter
Mr.. Quinn was arrested that night
and Mrs. Quinn was arrested on Feb.
Sd.
Postmaster George White of East
Hampton testified to knowing Mrs.
Quinn and for two years the Quinn
family had Box III. In January, 1910
they got their mail in the general de-
livery Mary Koran had asked for
mail for the telephone company, for
the Quinn family and also for John
Quinn. She asked for his mail and
he asked her if she wanted John
Quinn's mail and she said she did. He
gave IL to her. He told of the con-
stable stopping the girl and asking her
question. The girl first asked for a
letter for John Quinn on Friday, Jan.
2S, and twice on Saturday. the 29th.
The letter in question was treated as
any other.
Charles r. Butts, for over thirty
years with the Norwich Savings So
ciety and assistant treasurer for over
fifteen, testified that he had been call
ed to identify handwriting many times
and made Ii somewhat of a study.
When Mr.. Butts was asked regard
ing the handwriting. Attorney Brown
ing objected, claiming that there were
check marks which he did not think
were in the original and the erasing
of them was started There was no
further testimony and at FIVE o'clock
the court was adjourned until this
morning at ten, when the case will be
resumed. Ii is exnected the RockWood