The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-14
Richard Bodkin, Blast Fur
mace Foreman at Garfield,
Receives Demand for
$4,000 in the Bank"
GREATLY I'm FEAR
OF BODILY INJURY
Sherifs Office Makes lnves-
tigation, but Fails to Find
Clew; Postoffice Inspec-
tor Takes Case.

Bring us that $4,000 you got in the
bank or we will kill you"
That was the message contained in a
letter received February 4 by Richard
Bodkin, foreman of the blast furnace of
the American Smelling & Refining com
pany Of Garfield The writers set the
following morning-February 5 at 8
| o'clock-as the time for the rendezvous,
but when two automobiles containing
deputy sheriffs appeared at the time set
they failed to find any suspicious char
| acters.
This story was told United States
District Attorney W. W. Ray yesterday
morning by Mr.. Bodkin, who requested
that the government take up the case
and apprehend the criminals. He de-
clared he lives in daily fear of his life
since he refused the demand of the
blackmailers and that the sheriff s office
has failed to trace the bandits to his
satisfaction.
Inspector Is Probing.
Mr., Bodkn was assured that the mat
ter would be taken up by the postoffice
inspector, L.. A. McGee, and the writers
taken into custody if they can be found
Mr., McGee was out of the city at the
time, but whom he returned late yester-
day afternoon he said that the letter
had been in his possession several days.
He says that neither he nor the county
officers have any clew to the writer.
When Mr. Bodkin received the letter
he Immediately turned it over to Deputy
Sheriff George Phillips Of Garfield. Mr..
Phillips tried to get Bodkin to 20 with
q "fake" roll of money to the rendez,
vous, but the latter refused, saying that
there was danger that he would be shot
if the bandits discovered that the money
was not real.
At the hour appointed, a. M, two
automobile loads of deputies, one headed
by Deputy Sheriff Phillips and the other
in charge Of Joseph Williams, special
deputy Of the smelling company, secured
the vicinity Of the smelter depot for
suspicious characters, In addition, about
dozen special officers in plain clothes
searched for the woud-be blackmailer
After several hours of waiting and
searching the task was given up.
Search Abandoned.
Since then no efforts have been made
by the deputies to hunt the blackmailer,
as IL is thought that he lost his courage.
The letter was mailed January 81 in
Chicago. The officers are Of the opin-
ion that the writer gave it to friend
who was leaving for the east or mailed
il to someone in Chicago who remailed
it. The writing was crude and hand.
writing experts who examined it declare
it was written by foreigner. The fact
that the writer knew that Bodkin had
money in tho bank seems to indicate
that it was someone who. knew some
thing Of Bodkin's personal affairs.
Discussing the matter yesterday after
noon. Sheriff Andrew Smith, Jr., said
that his deputies in Garfield had seemed
TO think there was nothing to the mat.
ter and that the investigation had been
dropped as far ns his Office is concerned,
Postoilice Inspector McGee says he wili
make every effort to trace the writer,
Bodlkin seems to fear not only that he
will be killed for failing to comply with
the first request, but that other efforts
xi1I he made to get his money