The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-26
j. s. TAKES Up
ECCLES SEARCH
FOR BLACK HAND
Letter Demanding $1,000 Is
Turned Over to Postal In
spectors; Home Guarded
by Sons of Family.
SAME. BANDITS AS
in BRISTOL-DEE CASE
Procedure Identical in Black
mailing Plots; White Horse
and Open Buggy Fig
ure in Each Episode.

OGDEN, Sept o5.-Fcderal Officers.
members OF the sheriff's force and the
city police arc cooperating in an ef-
fort to run TO earth the daring black
hand criminals. whose expected at.
tack on the mansion Of the late David
Ecclcs last night was guarded against
by several sons OF the late millionaire.
armed with shot guns and automatic
pistols.
David C. Ecclcs, eldest SON or rnc
late capitalist, today confirmed The
Tribune g exclusive report of the st-
tempt OF the black hand gang 10 cx.
tort money from Mrs. Ecclcs and of
the efforts Of the Ecccs boys to cap
turc the brigands. Mr.. Ecccs also
told Of the narrow escape Of two Trib-
une representatives, who, on going 10
the Eccles home IN quest OF informa
ton, were mistaken for members of
the black hand gang and covered by
two shot guns and three automatic
pistols.
Important in tue developments of
yesterday was the declaration of Mr.
Eccles that the hrigands who were al
tempting TO extort money from Mrs.
Eccles were the same oues who were
successful in securing $1,000 from Mrs.
Thomas ID. Dee and Mrs. X. +. Bristol
several months ago, after writing
black hand letters TO these women
$1,000 Is Demanded.
Every element in the latest outrage
of the banditti appears to be identical
with that of the Dee Bristol black
enipg letters were received. The let
ter TO Mrs. Eeclcs is said 70 have
threatened the dynamiting OF the Ec-
cles residence unless $1,000 was given
the blackmailers.
In each Of the three cases the
money was TO have been delivered, ac-
cording TO the instructions, by per-
son driving a white horse hitched TO
an open buggy. Acceptance OF the
terms of the blackmailers in each case
wgs to be signified by the insertion or
code advertisement in the classified
columns of local paper. In the note
to Mrs. Eccles the authors declared
they were the same persons who had
figured in the sational Dee Bristol
black hand episode.
Mr.. Eccles declares the note to his
mother did not specify the date on
that the Eccles brothers surmised that
it might be made last night, which ae'
counted for their securing white horse
and buggy-the same white horse and
the same bullet-scared buggy used in
the encounter with the bandits in The
Dee Bristol case-snd for their unus-
ual preparations for guarding the house.
Time Is Fixed.
Another report has il that the letter
to Mrs Eccles fixed last night as the
expiration of the bandits u]timstum
and indicated that the house would
be dyuamited before midnight should
the EcClcS JdulllN iai1 w piouuSC tnc
money. Mr.. Eccles. however, said he
and his brothers deduced that the ban
dts might plan to take advantage of
the absence of the family at the Spar
go.ColIins wedding to carry out their
tb reats and for that reason he and his
brothers remained at home.
The brothers waited throughout the
evening and up until midnight with
loaded revolvers and shotguus in their
hands D. c.. and Leroy Eccles were
stationed at windows overlooking the
reefs at the west and south sides of
he house. They were armed with shot
,uus loaded with buckshot, Other
members Of the family waited either
inside the house or in the automobile
,cld in readiness before the open doors
II the garage. The white horse hired
rom the Nelson & Fell barn and
,itched TO the open buggy was tied
III in the automobile driveway at the
'ast side of the house,
Covered"
When two reporters for The Tribune
walked past the Eccles home shortly
lfter midnight this morning and were
lccosted by James Pierce. who was
irving the white horse, and an auto
Dad of men. they were covered hy not
css than two shot guns aud three auto
natic revolvers, according to the story
CONTINUED on Page Two.)