Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-15
FOUR ARE UNDER ARREST
Woman Admits Participation in
Scheme to Get Money.
PHOTOGRAPHS PLAY A PART
Said to Have Been Taken by "Irata
Husband" Through Hole in
wall-$5. 600 Demanded.

Florence Knott twenty-one years Old,
occupation. as given to the police house.
keeper: James q. Knott. her husband.
twenty-one years old. electrician: Ben
jamin q. Knott her brother-in-law,
thirty-two years old. farmer and Alfred
A Armstrong. twenty years old. cleo
trician. are to be arraigned I'm the Police
Court tomorrow morning on a charge OF
attempting TO blackmail Harry Rosen-
thai. of the firm of Rosenthal & Levy.
dealers in sporting goods at 6o3-sO5 ID
street northwest
Florence Knott, who admits the part
she took in what the police characterize
as the badger game" lured Mr.. Rosen-
thai to her we'll furnished apartment at
the Cairo and entertained him, IL is
charged. while her husband and Arm
strong, secreted I'm a closet In the ad-
joining room, took photographs OF the
couple.
Cash to Salve Injury.
Then ''the irate husband" appeared.
threatened Rosenthal with death, drew
revolvers on him. tied him to a chair
and threatened to cut out his heart. Tha
invasion OF his home. however. could
be smoothed over by the payment OF
5000. Rosenthal did not have that sum
in his pockets. but readily signed a check.
Then It was decided that cash would have
to be furnished and with that under
standing Rosenthal was permitted to de-
part.
Yesterday afternoon, the time fixed for
a settlement of the cash transaction.
Rosenthal proceeded to the apartment at
the Cairo. accompanied by Joseph Levy.
his brother-in-law. Detectives Baur and
Cornwell took positions where they could
hear the conversation. which was fol-
lowed by the arrest OF James Knott
The other members OF the quartet were
at liberty only q short while thereafter.
and last night all occupied apartments
in police stations and the house of de-
tention- 1t is regarded by the police al
singular that James knott's companions
were not looking about the apartment
yesterday for suspicious movements ON
the part Of the police. They seemed 70
be so confident Of success. however. the
police say, that they seemed to have
given no thought to the possibility of
being arrested.
Woman Is Photographed.
There were SO many curious per.ens
about police headquarters this norniug
that Inspector Boardman found IL dtfa-
cult to transact business. the curious ones
being anxious for q glimpse of the wom-
an in the case and the telltale photo
graphs that had been taken In the apart
ment. The woman was on hand about 10
o'clock to be photographed, the men hav-
ing preceded her in tho room Of the police
Detectives Baur and Cornwell had the
men In the boardroom at roll call earlier
In the morning. Rosenthafs complaint
was fully substantiated by the quartet of
prisoners. the police assert, their state
ments differing only in that some OF them
tried to protect themselves.
1t was not until yesterday forenoon
that the detectives learned of the alleged
scheme or so-called badger
game" having been worked. Joseph Levy,
junior member OF the sporting goods firm
of Rosenthal & Levy, 603 and COS d street
had happened in the apartment at the
Cairo, and asked what they thought Ro-
senthal, who Is his brother-in-law. should
do. 1t had been arranged for Rosenthal
to appear at the apartment about noon
to effect a settlement, and the
detectives agreed to be on hand.
Directed Issuance of Warrant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ralph
Given heard the complaint and directed
the issuance OF the warrant. Armed
with the warrant, the detectives. Rosen-
thai and the latter's brother-in-law went
to the apartment, Rosenthal and Levy
meeting James Knott. Knott, pretending
he was angry and excited the police say.
entered the room and asked Rosenthal:
What are you going to 90 about ity'
the photographs that RosenthaI
had already seen.
Il don't want a cent for myself" the
husband Is alleged to have said. Pm
not going to live with my wife again
and think she ought to have something
to help her along"
Don't you think 5000 is enousny'
suggested Levy.
Its $1,000 nothing Knott is re-
ported TO have declared, keeping one hand
in his pocket il were ready To
draw a weapon.
Just then the detectives entered the
room, one of them having his revolver
drawn, and placed Knott under arrest
Armstrong and Benjamin Knott were
arrested and locked az. Mrs.
Knott was found at the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad station at Takoma Park.
where she was awaiting the arrival or
her husband.
Come From South Carolina.
When the quartet had been placed un-
der arrest the detectives learned from
them and Rosenthal the whole story or
the attempt to get the money. The
Knots are from North, Orangeburg
county. S. c.. where Benjamin Knott is
a farmer His brother had been here
since September. 1900. studying electricity
at the Bliss Electrical School. Arm
strong formerly lived at Watertown, 8.
D., where he was employed by an cleo
trio light company.
Armstrong had also been a pupil at tho
Bliss School. and IL was there that he
met and became friendly with James
Knott. The woman in the case says her
maiden name was Flossie Bennett and
that she came from Detroit. She first
met James Knott at a local theater. and
later they became fast friends. In this
city she was known as "Topsy Steward,
although IL was under the name OF
Flossie Bennett that she went to Rock
Vile about Thanksgiving and was mar
RED to Knott by Rev. S. r. White.
Both James Knott and his wife declare
hat Armstrong concocted the scheme to
get money from Rosenthal. The intended
victim was selected by the men. and the
woman went to the ID street store and
made purchases. 1t was in this way that
she made the acquaintance OF Rosenthal
and invited him to the apartment at the
afro He went there last Sunday, Mon.
Law and Tuesday nights.
Rosenthal spent the evenings in the
APARTMENT, wholly uncons ious of the
act that the husband and Armstrong
we're I'm the next room taking the photo
graphs through a hole they had bored
n the wall. The hole was made through
rom a closet, and was hidden fromview
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