The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-11
THREATENERs OF
WILSON ARRESTED
Trio of New Jersey Mountaineers
Held on Charge of Attempted
Blackmail.
ALLEGED TO HAVE DEMANDED
$4,000 OF PRESIDENT-ELECT
Story Of Chase and Capture one Of
Thrilling Interest-Threatened
to Shoot.

Newark. n. J., Dec. 1O.-Three rough
and sullen young mountaineers. who. in
their dugout in the wild highlands of
New Jersey, had dreamed of blackmalI-
ing the President-elect OF the United
States, were brought here late to-day
by three paded officers of the Federal
police.
That they did knowingly and wilfUlly
use the United States mails for further
ing a scheme to defraud Mr.. Woodrow
Wilson, OF Trenton. N. j., was the word
ing fthe charge placed against them.
What they had actually done, according
10 the officers, was to send seven letters
to Mr.. Wilson. during the last month.
demanding that he send TO them 5000
under threat OF bodily harm.
The first letter reached the Governor
ONCE in Trenton on November II. The
last one reached him in Bermuda.
While Mr.. Wilson expressed no alarm.
his friends Immediately placed the mat
ter in the hands OF Postoffice Inspector
Cortelyou at Philadelphia On the day
the first letter was received. deputy mar
shals, Secret Service men. and postoffice
inspectors throughout the State were
hunting the bIacI1mailers.
Watch Post Box.
Meanwhile, the persistent repetition Of
the threats went on. The first letters
had made December the time limit for
the delivery of the money. but that day
passed, and the next letter extended the
time limit TO December Is.
To deputy United States Marshal
Louis G. Beekman. Post-ofice Inspectors
Francis Butler and Clinton Larabee.
bod been assigned the most important
and difficult task of keeping secret watch
on n rural free delivery post box on
1t was in this box that the money was
to be left. according to the demands OF
the blaCkmailers.
II was in the desulate wilderness,
among the abandoned mines north OF
Lake Hopatcong. an dabout fourteen
miles from Dover. that Beekman and
the inspectors captured the three sus-
poets late this afternoon.
The prisoners are Warren Dunn. his
brother Jacob. and Seeley Davenport.
They were captured by a daring raid
and a brilliant detective ruse.
The letters had been badly written,
and the word shoot appeared always
as SCOT" the word know as no"
The inspectors have copies OF the writ
ing.
Dunn Gets Envelopes.
Beekman. who was securing the coun-
try while Butler and Larabee kept their
ceaseless watch on the letter box-in
which false bank roll had been placed
Learned that three of tho envelopes
which had inclOsed the letters had been
delivered by a rural delivery man to
Peter Dunn. who lives with his brother
near Wharton
He learned further that chum of the
Dunn boys was Seeley Davenport, who
had been sent to prison for a hold-up
TWO years ago, and whose father had
been arrested for counterfeiting in a lit
tie shanty far up the mountains.
Then came the Information that promi.
nent citizens of Dover had received
threatening letters demanding money
One was II. ]. MisIe and the other was
Theodore Skink. Beekman got these let
tiers. The writing was the same as that
of the notes to Mr.. Wilson.
Monday night the inspectors considered
their evidence nearly complete They
set out from Dover IN an automobile
and went to Davenports tumbled-down
house. They climbed the black mountain
road to the shack where the young
mans father had done his coming.
Use Clever Ruse.
Peering through the window, they saw
Davenport and five other men in the
place. Shotguns were standing against
the walls. 1t was six armed men against
three. but the officers had no intention
of making an attack.
They knocked on the door and we're
admitted by Davenport.
Been looking all over for YOU said |
Beekman, Cheerily. Il am from Con-
gresham futile; I'm his secretary. He's |
interested in that matter of a pension !
for your father"
Yes. pop was in the war" said Daven- |
port, eagerly. I'VE got a sick boy at
home and we need the money bad |
We'll. now went on the deputy mar
shal. Il think-I don't promise anything. |
but | think-if you would write a letter |
to Congressman futile and let me take |
it to him he would fix 1t up for you"
Davenport Gets Suspicious.
Davenport, unsuspecting, sat down at |
4 rickety table. and wrote on piece |
nf paper Beekman gave him. But the |
writing did not seem to be that of the |
Wilson letters.
Now. if you had some friends to
write. too" suggested the deputy. Are
the Dunn boys anywhere around?'