New-York tribune., 1910-11-12
BLACK HAND THREAT
FOR ]. D. ROCKEFELLER
Man Charged with Demanding
$4,000 from Him en- Pain
of Death.
CAUGHT IN POLICE TRAP
Hungarian Arrested at Banking
House, Where, Detectives Say,
He Left Letters To Be
Translated.

Charged with de1nanOlns soO,OVV 'N'i
John ID. Rockefeller. a man who said nc
vas Peter Lillijon. twenty-three years
old. was locked up at Police Headquar-
ter. last night The technical charge
against the man was that OF attempted
blackrnail. the detectives said The pr1s-
oner, q Hungarian, gave his address as
No. esa East 1sth street
He was arrested early IN the evening
st No. s74 Alexander avenue. and upon
the complaint OF Hugh Kardoff, who
lives at that address. and who. according
90 the detectives said Lillijon had sent
him three threatening letters yesterday
afternoon.
The Bronx bureau officers said that
one of the letters, written in Hungarian,
was intended for Rockefeller and con-
tanned the demand for $4,000. and that
The other communications were intended
for Kardor and conveyed the threat that
he. Kardoff, would be put TO death If he
failed 10 translate the contents Of the
Rockefeller letter 10 the Standard Oil
man. Immediately after the arrest the
prisoner was hurried to Police Head
quarters and locked Up.
Would Kill Rockefeller.
The Bronx detective bureau says Liili-
ion went 70 the foreign money exchange
firm OF Mandel & Ilkovits. at No. 314
Alexander avenue, yesterday morning
with three letters written IN Hungarian
one letter was 10 the firm and the two
Others were addressed TO John d. Rookie
feIler, the detectives say. The letter
addressed to the firm was given by the
detective as follows:
Mandel & Ilkovits: Dear Gentlemen,
rlease translate these letters / will call
for them at 8 p m, and If you translate
them, viii pay you-gfVe you some OF
the money. Should you refuse and not
have them when call, we will kill you.
Do not notify the police as IL one OF
our members IS arrested We will blow
up your Office.
This letter. according TO the detec-
tives, was signed with the initials
"F. k" and they say the initials are
the Hungarian equivalent for Black
Hand. The second letter, as given out
by the Bronx detective bureau, reads:
John d. Rockefeller.
Dear sir: have been sent by the an
archistic society and the Black Hand 10
demand $4,000 from yous and should
you refuse TO pay the society that
amount we will kill you. $4,000, that
does not amount 10 much, and IL you re-
fuse TO pay 81 you will be killed. We
have other people who contribute week
", monthly and half-yearly, but we do
not want Il this way from you. We
want an immediate payment from you.
Another Threatening Letter.
This was also signed "F. K" the off,
GERS said. The third letter. which. in the
opinion OF the detectives. was 20 have
been used in case the first Rockefeller
one failed 10 elicit an answer, was given
by the bureau as follows:
John ID. Rockefeller: I hope you are
in receipt OF my first letter, and if you
are. YOU must have the sum mentioned,
$4,000. ready II we do not get the
money from you Immediately we will
kin Won. We can easily find you, but
should YOU get away from us, We Will
catch some other member OF your fam
fly. T. h
The story Of the capture of the man
was given by Detectives Sullivan and
Schuing, the officers who made the ar
rest. and was corroborated by the firm
or Nandel & Ilkovits-
The money exchangers were thrown
into great excitement when they read the
letters. The alleged threat 10 blow UP
their place caused them 10 notify the
Bronx Detective Bureau. and Captain
Price then sent the two detectives 70
the Alexander avenue offices. There the
visit Of Iillijon was described. The de-
rectives secreted themselves behind q
-aI hn oS ha al
legged blackmailer. While they were
waiting Hugh Kardoff, the employe who
IS said 70 have received the letters from
T.ilijon. described the man TO the Of
fcers.
Walks Into Detectives Trap.
At , O'Clock a man entered the office.
According to Detectives Sullivan and
Schuing. il was Lillijon. and they say
that he crossed to where Kardof was
standing and asked for the letters. An
envelope containing a blank piece OF
paper WAS handed TO him. The officers
declare the man asked, How much
now2" as he took the envelope The
arrest was then made. The prisoner
made no resistance. He was taken TO
The Bronx Detective Bureau. and from
there 10 Police Headquarters. He de-
clined 20 make any statement
Kardoff said that In a corner of the
last letter 10 Rockefeller few lines Of
directions in regard 10 the payment
were written, and that the Injunction ito
place ths money in a package and de-
liver IL at a corner" was also scrawled
On the margin of the sheet.
The firm Of Mandel & Ilkoyits does a
considerable business with Hungarians,
changing money and selling railroad
tickets They said they had never seen
the prisoner previous TO yesterday
Kardof made the same statement
ARRIVES A MONTH OVERDUE