Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-19
TIL Be OUT soon,
SAYS JAKE DUNN
Alleged BIackmaiIer of Wilson
Bears No lII-Will to Men
Released.

burden of the alleged conspiracy to
blaekmail President-e Wilson,
Jake" Dunn, alone in his cell in the
Essex county Jail today, is in the
best of spirits. He bears no i'll, he
told an Evening Star reporter,
against Snake" Davenport, who was
released yesterday. and is glad his
brother, Pete Dunn. is free, too.
''They have not got any more on
me than they have on Snake" or
', ''Pete," said Mig today Some
body had to stay in Jail. so these
fellows that put me here could hold
their jobs, and | suppose it might
just as well be me as any of us.
I'll be out on bail on Saturday, and
then I'm going to work to exonerate
myself and Pete
When asked if he had ever done
any writing at all for Davenport he
| said he'd done some.
| Il left school before l was 49, he
continued but l guess Snake don't
know what a school is. [ always
helped him when I could.
Some people, to read to newspa-
pers, must think that I never saw
city before. l amt lived up in that
mountain all my life. I worked for
six months as a machinist in Jersey
City in those tubes under the Hud-
son, and know city life as well as
any of them.''
In discussing the case today Com
missioner Stockton said law had
been revealed at the hearing yester-
day which had been a menace to
federal prosecution since the days of
the common law"
Dunn is being held on his own con-
fession, which is a bit irregular. The
letter upon which the prosecution
based their case could not be ad-
mitted because of a menacing law,
which Congress has not yet amended.
The law in question provides that
specimens of handwriting not already
in the case and obtained from sus-
pected persons by postoffice in
spectors during their Investigations
cannot be held as evidence when in
troduced as a standard of fs.compari-
son. Attorney-General Wickersham.
it is understood, has recommended
that the law be amended
With Joseph P. Tumulty. secretary
to Governor Wilson, as the only wit
ness called against them, Jacob, alias
mig" Dunn. and Seeley Davenport,
the two mountaineers from Whar-
ton. who were charged with threat
eniug the life of the President-elect
If he did not send them $1,000 in gold,
were given a hearing before United
States Commissioner Richard Stock
ton in the Federal Court here yes
terday afternoon.
Dunn was held for the federal
grand jury in $1,000 bail, while Dav-
export, who is better known by the
nom de plume of Snake" was re-
leased for lack of evidence against
him. Davenport was just as indit-
ferent at his release as he was at
his arrest and all during the time he
was in Jail awaiting trial. He was
given a ticket to Dover and so cents
to get from there to his shack in
the Sparta mountains. Upon his re-
turn home he learned that his broth
er had died the night before.
May Ask for Indictments.
The postoffice inspectors, it is un-
derstood, will endeavor to have the
federal grand jury ind.ct both Dav-
export and Warren Dunn, brother
of Jake" Dunn. who was released
Tuesday by Commissioner Stockton
Fav laa Oh Of ha
and Davenport were arrested De-
cember 10 last by Deputy United
States Marshal Louis G. Beekman
and Postoffice Inspector Francis A.
l;utler and Clinton I. Laraoee, who
represented themselves to the men
as pension agents.
Mr. Tumulty testified to having
received the letter threatening the
Governors life unless $1,000 should
be sent to a box at Wharton. The
letter, he said, had never been
brought to Governor Wilson'S atten-
ton, having been turned over to De-
tective Taylor of the secret service.
Another letter of the same nature
received about six months ago had
been turned over to the prosecutor
of Morris county, Mr.. Tumulty de-
clared.
Prisoners Defense.
Dunn and Davenport were defend
ed at yesterdays hearing by Will
lam Tyacke, jr.. and Theodore Nee
Marsh, of the firm of Raymond, Van
BIarcom, Mountain and Marsh.
United States District Attorney John
B. Yreeland and his assistant, H. A
Lindabury, prosecuted the case for
the State.
Mr.. Tyacke is endeavoring to have
the charge against Dunn dismissed.
He declared there was nothing to
connect Dunn with the letters except
an alleged confession of their author
ship. Mr.. Tyacke said the whole
thing was a hoax, joke on Tumulty
Commissioner Stockton does not
share this opinion, however, and said
that he believed there was more
than probable cause for holding him
for the grand jury"