The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-16

A charge of blacxmall was last night
lodged against Benjamin Knott OF South
Carolina, who was arrested as a United
States witness when his brother, James
Knott. Alton Armstrong, and Mrs. James
Knott were taken in custody for attempt
ing to extort $500 from Harry Rosen-
thai. of the firm of Rosenthal & Levy
after photographs of the merchant and
Mrs. Knott alone in an apartment in the
Cairo had been made The quartet will
be arraigned in the Police Court this
morning
Benjamin Knott had declared he knew
nothing of the alleged blackmailing
scheme and his statements were corrob-
GRATED by his brother. sister-in-laW. and
friend, but the witness" unWittingly dis
closed the hiding place OF a letter 10 de-
tectives yesterday afternoon. with the re-
suit that he is now accused of being im-
plicated in the plot.
What was found in the letter the police
will not say. but officials declare that
new information" shows Benjamin Knott
was member OF what has been termed
the most daring band of blackmailers who
ever OptIdlAQ III ille NdLlQIdA AdA4-Al
benjamin Knott appeared dumfounded
when informed that he was no longer a
witness, and that the charge against him
was the same charge or which James
Knott, Alton Armstrong, and Mrs Knott
are being held
Loves Her Husband.
"Yes; love my husband, and 7 think
I proved I loved James Knott when / did
what I did for him." said the woman IN
the case al the First precinct station last
night
Behind een bars at the First precinct
station - four prisoners talked with re-
porters. teln. their version OF the crime
Of which they are accused with as little
concern as though discussing a topic of
no interest. Mrs James Knott. formerly
Florence Bennett. the bride OF three
weeks, who was used as an instrument
by the alleged blacknaileTs, is the most
interesting member OF the quartet
Leaning back in a chair with her hands
folded in her lap tie girl gave fragments
Of her past life and admitted that she is
half Indian. Il am proud Of the Indian
blood which flows through my veins,
she said MY father was a Crow In
dian and my mother was white woman
Some doubt my Indian blood because
don't look like an Indian. Any one who
has seen me angry does not doubt IT,
MS Knott has facial characteristics
which, to a student Of physiognomy,
would denote Indian ancestry, but TO the
/ layman the girl appears to be OF English
ancestry. Although she has been de-
scTibed as pretty" Mrs Knott is prob
ably the most beautiful girl who has ever
4H. er-s
ton
Her Hair jet Black.
Her hair is jet black. and contrasts
strangely with her gray eyes Her eye
brows are black and finely penciled.
straight and similar to the brows Of
a japanese. Her nose is thin and
straight and her lips are perfect in
shape. Her profile is regular. Slight of
form and possessing a thin. 1.-THE figure.
the girl appears barely more than six
teen years old. When arrested she gave
her age as twenty-one years, but she
says she gave the age because the rec
ords at Rockville show her age as twen-
ty-one when she was married on Noyem-
Der .
Admitting she is but seventeen, Mrs.
Knott laughingly declared she knows
more of the world than most women
three times her age, and she added; 1t
| hasn't been a very nice world to me"
Mrs. Knott SAYS she first met ROsen-
thai about the middle of last summer.
| He appeared to be infatuated with me,
she said. and he showed me much at
tention. Rosenthal did not tell the
truth when he said he did not know [
was married. When he called TO see
me at the Cairo, / took a picture Of my
1F4c "a md from fFe hr1raaF and showed
to him. We both laughed, but Rosen-
thai knew / was telling the truth.
My husband told me what TO do. said
must do il. and I did as he told me.
That is all He and Armstrong planned
the thing together. When they told me
of the scheme | said I thought II would
be more successful if the victim was q
married man. but they knew Bosen-
that's father had money. and they be-
lieved the father would deliver the
goods
Woman Not Worried.
Mrs Krott showed little evidence OF
worry. She admitted she had not wor-
ried much since her arrest. THAT bed
in there" she said. pointing 10 her cell.
sis very comfortable. IN fact. I've slept
on beds that were not near as comfort
able. This station house is warm and.
although the food might be a little bet
ter. it is nourishing. What more could
ask for?'
Mrs Knott Tas asked how she felt
when Detective Sergeant Frank Baur
took her in custody while she was wait
ing for her husband in the railroad sta
ton at Takoma, d. c.
Il don't remember just what my emo
tons were, she replied. If I told him
what ! thought, YOU couldn't print It. I
have picked up lot % naughty words in
the last few years, and when the detec-
tive appeared / wanted TO get rid OF some
Of them. He asked me if ] was Mrs
KNOTT. Then he told me he had mes
sage from my husband. asked what the
message vas, and he said my husband
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