New-York tribune., 1911-11-19
GIANT THREATENS
POSTMASTER MORGAN
Arrest Of bad Man" from Ken
lucky Follows His Attempt
at Blackmail.
HIS LETTERS DEMAND $500
Prisoner Says He Is a Counter
feiter and Ex- Convict and That
He Was Starving and
Wanted to Go to Jail.

4 giant mountaineer, believed TO be
out of his mind. was arrested yesterday
afternoon in Park Row saloon Tor
sending letters to Postmaster Edward
NJ. Morgan. demanding 5000 under pain
of death. The prisoner said he was Will
lam B. Pettus. Of Mount Olivet, Grayson
County. Ky.
Pettus told PostofIice Inspector Jacobs
and Detective Wertheimer, Of the Cen
trail Office. that he had been released
from the federal prison at Leavenworth'
Kan. three months ago, after serving
two years for making counterfeit silver
dollars i'm Cincinnati.
I'm a bad man when I'm crossed.
said Pettus to his captors, rising 10 MS
fun height of six feet three inches'
once in Richmond. Ky, four years ago
] cut off a niger woman's head ana l
also cut a white mans throat at the
same time. They put me In an asylum
for that"
Pettus was remanded 30 the Tombs in
default of $1,000 bail by John A Shields
United States Commissioner for exam
nation on Monday.
The frst letter was mailed on Thurs
day. II was addressed to The Post
master, n. y" and was marked In
haste" and Personal" 1t read:
Mr.. Postmaster: We have decided to cal
upon YOU for the sum of 500, 10 he lett WIT
VI. O'Connor. No. $50 Park Row. Aodress
the package TO William Russell and leave
them before 3 o'clock this p. m. Now, yol
can notify the police and detectives 10 ~
on the lookout for me. but the rest OF thC
gang will take care Of you. If you value
your life you had better give u.
The second letter, similarly addressed
was mailed on Friday. II read:
Mr.. Postmaster: We are not going e
waste time with YOU. We know all ahou'
You and where YOU live. Now, n you az
not have tie 500 left a. No. i@ Park ROW
care of bartender. O'Connor's saloon. by
o'clock this p. IN. YOU had better not e.
home tonight This is the last warning We
rangement for the hereafter. AddreS'
rackage 70 William Russell, care or bar
tender. OConaor's saloon.
Appended TO each letter was a skull
and crossbones, crudely drawn.
II had no intention Of harming the
postmaster" said Pettus. 81 thought
might get the money and he on Easy
street Anyway I was starving, and
wanted to he arrested"
Pettus told Inspector Jacobs that after
his release from Leavenworth he went
- Chicago, where he was engaged TO
come TO New York as strike breaker.
When he got here, couple Of weeks
ago. he decided not 70 do any strike
breaking and became a hanger
around the Park Row saloons, sleeping
I'm lodging houses when he could set the
money In his pocket was found let
ter from J. *. Booth. Of Richmond. ny.
on the envelope. in the handwriting Of
Pettus. was Secretary Morton. White
House, Washington, .. G."
Pettus was arrested in O'Connor's sa-
loon when he signed for decoy regis
tered letter addressed to William Rus
sell Jacobs and Wertheimer were
lounging against the bar. dressed as la
borers. when the postmon entered. Pet
tus is thirty years old and a steamftter
by trade.
Il realized the letters were from a
frank said Postmaster Morgan at his
home last night. Il turned them over
10 Inspector Jacobs. who arrested the
man. l never heard Of Pettus before"
Postmaster Morgan was shot in the
side in front of his home on November
.. 1908. by a crazy stenographer, who
then committed suicide The madman
had escaped from an insane asylum in
Massachusetts, four years before.