The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-05-21
GUILTY OF THREATS
OF DEATH TO WILSON
Dunn and Davenport May Get
Twenty Years for Black
Hand Letters.
MERCY Is ASKED FOR ONE
Also Convicted on Two Other
ChargrS-PrcSident's Sccrc-
tary n Witness.


Davenport. alias Snake. who were ar
rested near MorrIstown last December
charged with having tried to blackmail
President Woodrow Wilson both before
and after his election. were found guilty
yesterday in the United States District
Court in Newark. The trial was before
Judge John :. Rellstab and jury. The
mon were charged with having written
letters To- Gov. Wilson on May 20 and
November II of last year, in one of
which they demanded $1,000 in gold and
IN the other $4,000 on penalty of deaf II
If he failed to comply with the demand
The accused were also charged with
having sent similar letters to Theodore
+. King. postmaster at Ledgewood, and
Henry +. Misel, "A merchant of Dover.
who has since died. on both of the
counts the prisoners were also found
| guilty
The verdict was accompanied hv a
recommendation of mercy in the case Of
Davenport. The maximum penalty is
twenty years in prison and fine Of
$4,000. The prisoners We're remanded to
| jail To await sentence.
In charging the Jurors the court said
that In some respects the evidence was
circunstantIal. In regard TO the hand
writing. he explained the reasons the
experts gave We're convincing.
Joseph T. Tumulty, secretary to
PRESIDENT Wilson. came from Washing
! ton to testify about tho letter that was
! received in Trenton last year, when
President Wilson was Governor of New
jersey. He said that the first threaten
| ing letter To Governor Wilson was re-
| ceived in May. 1912. and demanded
| $1,000. Tho letter. which said that II the
money was not forthcoming. 1--WE tThc
Black Hand Club will get one OF our
club to shoot YOU as soon as we can get
! a shot az YOU WAS read hy Assistant
! United States District Attorney Bacon.
An attempt WAS made by William
| Tyacke. Jr, counsel for the prisoners, 10
discred!t Mr.. Tumulty's testimony nv
getting him to admit that the letter was
given to him not enclosed in an
envelope. Mr.. Tumulty admitted that he
| could not say whether or not the letter
WAS received in an envelope hearing tho
Wharton postmark, although ne said
| that "A sane man w.uld assume that
i, was"
Both Davenport and Dunn went on
| the stand IN their own defence. Daven-
port denied that he had ever seen the
letters or knew anything about them
| Dunn denied that he wrote tho letters
and said h" had not seen them until
| Post Office Inspector Butler brought the
| one that was sent 20 President Wilson
IN November II, to him in the jail and
| had him write copy ~ /, from d,cta-
tion
When tho case ~ the defence rested.
Mr. rvacke requested the court 20
direct the jury to acou,t the defendants
| on the ground that there was no evil
dence To convict. He was ovcrruled
| In presenting the case for tho Gov
ernment Mr. Racon said that the specific
, charge against the men was that they
| had mailed four so-called BLACK Hand
| letters. two " which were addressed 10
! frcSiden Wilson and the other two ad
dressed TO Theodore +. King and An
drew j. Hrsel
Mr.. King testified that he is post e
master az Ledgewood He identified a
letter received by him demanding $500
and signed by The Black Hand Club"
| Norman s. Hobbs and George r. Quinn
of the Drunmond Detective Agency.
employed 10y Mr.. King, testified that on
the night Of May - they went with Mr..
King to "A place designated in the letter.
| near freight house Hobbs said that
he saw Dunn and Davenport there. He
said that they hung bag under the
platform as arranged
| Warren +. johnson. who is private
secretary To Mr.. Tumulty. followed Mr..
King md told ot opening the letter to
President Wilson and Of turning it over
to Mr.. Tumulty
John g. Wehber. rural mail carrier in
Wharton. told Of finding the four letters
| in box i3 on his route. He said the
mail box belonged to Miss Pcarl Utter
Of Newark, who has summer home
near Wharton. Edward +. Hance, post
master at Wharton. testified that the
letters were received al tho Wharton
Post 0ffice. Martin Spoolstra, another
carrier said that he sold Dunn paper
and envelopes similar To those used in
| the letter to President Wilson
Inspector Butler testified that Dunn
| admitted TO him that he had got writing
material from Spoostrs.
! William J. Kinsley, the handwriting
expert said that tho handwriting Of
| Jacob Dunn. as obtained 10y the Govern
ment inspectors, was tho same as that
! in all four letters.
ynyn vyv~1y y~yrn yv~vvN~v C-r.v~y . - -