New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-11
Government Officers Go Into
New Jersey Mountains for
Three Men Who Demanded
$1,000 or Life.
LETTER WRITTEN NOV. II
Reminded Next President of
Fate of Mckinley and At
tempt to Kill Roosevelt
Postoffice Box Fur
nished CleW.


went up into the wild Hibernia Mour-
tains. i'm Sussex County, n. j.. yester-
day and arrested three mountaineers for
sending a letter demanding $4,000 from
Woodrow Wilson. on penalty o. his life.
The officers. two postoffice inspectors
and a marshal seized two men in their
own homes. but the third faced them
4 with an axe when they tried to take
him in mountain pass. He flinched
at the sight of three revolvers pointed
At his head, however. ana was soon
handcuffed. All three were lodged in
Jail at Newark late last night
The letter was received at Trenton
on November II and Immediately
turned over to the government authori
ties. Although it was written in an
iliterate fashion and furnished no out
ward clew to the writer's identity. the
government detectives found after
working a few days that the post
office address given was that OF
, box owned by a woman on a rural free
delivery route in Sussex County.
Further investigation proved that she
seldom used the box. and il is not now
believed that she had anything to do
with the plot. as she spent most of her
time in Newark. 1t is thought the three
men took advantage OF her absence 10
have their mail sent to the box.
Paper Clew to Writers.
Posing as a pension agent and sec
retary TO a Congressman, the postofiice
inspectors spent much time in and
around the village Of Wharton, and
after some time aScertained that the
paper on which the letter had been
scrawled was bought from the rural
free delivery carrier. Further investi-
CATION proved that Warren Dunn.
mountaineer. regularly bought the
paper. and this gave the first clew.
Samples Of Dunn's handwriting. that
OF his brother jacob and of .Seeley
Davenport all mountain dwellers, were
obtained by the officers who used their
assumed occupations TO great advan-
tage in doing this.
Finally Warren Dunn and Davenport
we're surprised yesterday at their home
at Ford's Mines. deserted village In
the Hiberna Mountains. north OF
Wharton. The officers arrested them
before they had time 10 seize their long
guns hanging on the walls They broke
down, the detectives say, and Warren
Dunn is said 20 have revealed his
brothers hiding place. lie saddled
Jacob with the responsibility for the
whole affair even before the officers
went 10 search for the man.
He was only about a quarter OF n
mile away, sitting by an old tree, and
seemed to suspect something when the
| three men rode up TO him. He leaped
! TO his feet and caught UP his axe, but
| they were too quick for him.
The letter made various dire threats
and referred Governor Wilson to the
| fact that Mckinley had been assassi-
mated and Roosevelt's life had been at
| tempted. The writer declared the re-
sponsibility was his.
| The letter, which was received about
| four days before Governor Wilson left
New York for Bermuda, was taken
| charge Of by his private secretary.
Joseph p. Tumulty, who in turn hand
ed # over to James r. Cortelyou, Of
| Philadelphia chief OF postofice inspec-
| tors. He Immediately put ii in the
hands Of Postoffice Inspectors Francis
A. Butler and Clinton A. Larrabee and
United States Marshal Louis Il. Beck
man. These were the three men who
traced the letter and finally made the
| arrests. Butler was the pension
agent" and Beekman the Congress
mans secretary Larrabee worked
"on the outside"
IlIiterate in Spots.
The letter was written in rude fashion
on several sheets Of foolscap. There
was little or no punctuation OF capital
ization, but somehow the spelling did
not begin to be illiterate until near the
end Of the curious document, and the
detectives would not say last night
whether or not they considered this
seeming ignorance an anectation. The
letter ran:
New York Party mr.. Woodrow Wilson
i am agong TO warn you OF what We are
agolng to do to you az We did not warn
Teddy or Mckinley either they got shoot
lust the same if we don't get what we ask
for YOU will get the same say wilson you
have got the Office as president yes and
we are death on presidents so now Wilson
If YOU have got 5000 In gold for this
party We VIII spare your life II not we
will shoot YOU before you get IN the office
as sure as your name ~ wilson So We
will give you time TO think the matter
over so YOU will no what you are doing
wright or wrong But if you don't send
the S. 900 you or some Of your people
VIII be sorry you didn't say Wilson we
are not a bit backward in telling you
what We mean to DO to. you so II you
want to live and hold your ONCE just
send 50 900 in gold by Nov. a and send III
by mail IL you don't send 1t we VIII be
on your track soon adress
r. +. p. ROUTE No. ? Box ~ WhaT-
ton, y. j.
The owner OF the box named Is
Pearl Utter, who owns a farmhouse
near Wharton, but who had left the
locality to remain in Newark most OF
the time because she had become ter
rorized by the threats OF gang oil
ousi.u,s u.bo infested the mountains