New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-01-07
AMERICANS ACCUSED
AS BLACK HANDLERS
Two Pennsylvania Youths Are
Caught After Dynamite Threats
Against Postmaster.
CONFESSION SOON FOLLOWS
Plot to Blackmail Railroad Also
Alleged-Effort Made by
Victim to Quash
Case.
rBy Telegraph TO The Tribune !

E.a StOn. Penn, Jan. 6-The residents or
Asbury. n. j., small place ten miles east
of here. are sleeping quietly tonight, hav-
ing been relieved Of anxiety which has
kept men on the streets guarding the mill
and home Of the postmaster, Harry Vi.
Riddle, from possible attack by Black
Hand dynamitcrs. Letters OF threaten
ing character have been received by Mr..
Riddle. and the people have armed
themselves to Illustrate the plans Of the
Black Handlers Through clever detective
work by Postal Inspector Shoneberger OF
Philadelphia, and a county detective, Jacob
johnson, of this city. two young men are
under arrest. and one Of them has con-
fessed his guilt. the officials say.
Mr. Riddle on December % last received
letter demanding $500. which he was di-
Tected TO place under large rock at Sc
Guided spot The letter said that failure
to comply would result I'm his house being
blown up He sent the letter to the Post
Office Department a few days later he re-
ceived another letter stating that as he had
not complied with the demand OF the first
letter he had another chance. and II not
heard from his graphite mills at Asbury
would be blown up This letter was slso
sent to the department.
Inspector ShoneberGer came 10 Esston
and enlisted the services of local officers.
They watched the spot where the letter
was to be placed without results. except
that Mr. Riddle received another letter
saving that II he put detectives on the case
they would be killed
Johnson the detective, learned yesterda y
that the letters were written on stationery
that had been stolen from school room az
Hampton, near Asbury. With this ceT
| they became suspicious Of Charles l.. Ben
ward, twenty years old, living in Asbury
With the inspector Johnson went to Ben
wards home and questioned him. They
! obtained a sample Of his handwriting com
pared II with that on the thres tening lot
tors and charged him with writing them
He finally broke down and confessed, they
say,
Inspector Shonoborger this afternoon ar
| rested Edward Smith, eighteen years old
! Of Riegelsyilp. Penn. Benward said that
Smith was concerned in tho letter writing
and had similar letter in his possession
Smith was working for his brother, wood
chopper at Swopas Hill, Bucks County
Penn. and the Inspector and those with
him had three mile tramp through the
snow TO find him.
Smith denied any connection With the
letter sent 10 Mr. Riddle. but said that
Benward had told him he intended writing.
He was brought TO Easton this evening
and taken before United States Commits
sioner Turner. who committed him for a
hearing on Friday. To the Commissioners
he said that Bpnward had told him he in
tended TO make a demand on the Central
Railroad of New Jersey for $4,000 under
threat of dynamlting trains. Smith was
searched when arrested. but no letter such
as Benward described was found. He said
Benward told him that II Mr. Riddle did
not send him the money he would blow up
n corner Of his home, and II this did not
bring the cash ne would dynamite the mill
He would then threaten Mr.. Riddles HE,
and If he didn't get the money would XIII
him.
Both of the accused men are Americans,
and their friends are greatly surprised at
the charges Mr.. Riddle knows Benward
well. and when he learned he had confessed
wanted the case dropped, but Inspector
Shoneberger said that the government
would push 1t to the utmost, as 1t was de-
termined to break up the use OF Cnlteu
States mails for blackmailing