The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-10-24
OTTO DEALS in
GERM LETTER CASE
Bemidji Man Designated To Unearth
Criminals Sending Deadly
Germs Through Mails
MAN AND WOMAN ARE SOUGHT
Postoffice Inspectors Say They Oh
tanned Clews From Oddities OF
Typewriter Quote Otto

Again, Capt. Adam b. Otto, the
Bemidji man who some time ago was
promoted to the position of postal
inspector has had feather placed
in his hat, and this time because of
information which he has been able
to unearth dealing with the germ
letter casses, which have startled the
authorities of Chicago.
In these cases the senders of the
letters have informed the receiver
that if certain amounts of money
were not left at certain places that
germs contained in the letter, and
for which only. the sender knew q
remedy would gradually kill the re-
ceiver . .
Letter Examined
Doctors were kept constantly with
those that had received the letters.
The letters were examined and found
to contain germs, the kind of which
have not been made public.
The postal department placed sew
eral inspectors on the case, one Of
which was Capt Otto. The Bemidji
man, who visited here last, week,
took much interest in the, case and
as a consequence he has been able
to- solve large portion of the mys-
terry.
In an interview with Chicago
news ne, reporter Mr.. Otto said.
Quote Otto
Il know the make of the typewrit-
eff used, by the blackmailer. l have
established. certain peculiarities In
that information of certain letters
and we are possessed now Of definite
clews, which, at present, am unable
to diVulge. Through careful study
of the letters of typewriter page,
it is possible to locate to locate the.
N machine upon which the letters
were written. : = 2 sss;5a. =
"The quality of typewriting in
these letters is exceptional The
writer was possessed of zprac;ticed
touch, for the letters are all even
density. This would not be the case
were the writer an inexperienced
manipulation. I think the plot is that
OF man. The letters text reveal
him as a good grammarian and a
man of at least fairly good knowl-
edge Of medical subjects.
Penalty a Severe One
AS was explained in the Daily
News yesterday it has been establish
ed by the Columbus laboratories that
there, were germs in the letters. The
nature of the disease has not yet been
made public. l believe that it is some
form of the sleeping sickness that
was prevalent in southern states last
year. At the laboratories it was said
that the germs in the letter were Of
an exceedingly virulent nature"
How many persons do you believe
have received these germ letters:"
Inspector Otto was asked.
'That | would rather not say just
now" he replied.
Possibility that the letters were
sent as weird form of jest was sus-
gested.
!, "Jest or no JEST replied the in
spector, 'the senders are guilty of
an offence against the government.
A severe penalty is attached to the
crime
Then he continued.
"The perpetrators of these plots
are no low brow blackmailers.
There is a masterful, though per-
verified, mind behind this affair. AS
a rule we regard such letters as
fakes. These, however, look real"
Search is being made for two In
dividuals-a man and a woman-,n
connection with the blackmailinx
campaign.