The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-10-06
UIearth Scheme to Extort
Money From a Woman
Through Use Of Mails
KENOSHA MAN ONE OF VICTIMS
Special Delivery Letters Sent Through
Kenosha Postoffice Part of Cum
ningly Devised Scheme To Get
Money.


One of the most cunning schemes to
extort money ever attempted in this
section Of the state was unearthed in
Kenosha on Tuesday through the ef-
ftrts of the police department and the
officials of the Kenosha postoffice and
postolfice inspectors and police officers
are now seeking to land the guilty
parties. The victim was to have been
Mrs. Nellie Parker the keeper of a
lodging house on Sixth street in Mill
waukee and the game was worked by
sending couple of special delivery LETT
tiers. Joseph Walden MilwaukeeYan,
employed by the West company in put
ting in some work at the Simmons Man
ufacturing company was one of the
parties TO the deal Thus far the al.
legged conspirators have not been able
to realize anything On the deal and
the suspicious of Mrs. Parker were
aroused to such an extent that she came
to Kenosha on Tuesday and frustrated
the plan and made it impossible for the
alleged conspirators to get any money.
The plan was worked from both Mill
waukee and Kenosha. Early Tuesday
morning Mrs. Parker at her home ia
Milwaukee received q. special lelivery
letter from Walden who had formerly
boarded at her house, declaring that
he was in trouble and that it was ne.
cessary for him to get out of Kenosha
at once The letter indicated that he
was sought on q criminal charge and
that the officers were close on his trail.
It ended by asking that Mrs. Parker
forward to him at once $25. An hour
after the letter had been delivered to
Mrs. Parker in Milwaukee, Walden was
called from the ditch at the Simmons
plant to sign for a special delivery
letter. This was signed in the name Of
indicated that Walden was wanted in
Milwaukee. The contents Of this letter
were of a sensational nature. Walden
failed to understand it but it ordered
him to get out of Kenosha at once sug-
costing that he would be arrested on
some fancied charge if he failed to
make his escape. Walden failed to
fall for the game and went to the
postmaster and the police. Just after
noon Mrs. Parker arrived in Kenosha
armed with the money to help her
former boarder and the two met at the
post office. "What s the trouble Joe?"
was the first question asked by Mrs.
Parker. "I want to know the meaning
Of this scandulous letter. was the re-
tort of Joe. "Why L never sent any
letter." responded Mrs. Parker, and
then she produced the letter alleged to
have been written by Walden. Then
the police began to get wise that some
thing vas doing and efforts were made
to caCch the other members of the con-
spiracy. It is declared by the police
that both letters were decoys. The let
ter to Mrs. Parker they declare was
sent with view Of having her send
money to Kenosha by>speciai delivery
and the letter to Walden was sent with
view of having him get out Of the
city and thus leave the way clear for
the bogus "Walden" to come to Ke-
nosha and get the letter through the
general delivery here. The man did not
call for any mail on Tuesday afternoon
or To-Day AMI it is thought pretty GER
tain that the people who sought to Sc
cure the money discovered the failure
of their plan and they left Milwaukee
lust as soon as Mrs. Parker left for
Kenosha in answer to the first letter
Walden and Mrs. Parker have given
the police several clues on which they
are working and it is possible that a
Milwaukee man and woman will be
arrested by the government officials on
a charge Of seeking to use the United
States mails to defrand.