The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-11-11
SEEK LETTER WRITER IN VAIN
Letter Demanded That Gross Leave $50
Near Telegraph Pole on North Shore
Road With Death to Himself and
Family as Penalty for Refusal.

William Gross, well known farmer
of the town of Somers and a deputy
sheriff of the county, is sleeping with
his full brace Of revolvers under his
pillow just at present and he is~keep-
ing his home pretty well guarded dur
ing the daylight hours. All this is be-
ing done on account Of threatening
letter recently received by Gross which
is now in the hands of the sheriff.
In the letter a demand was made on
Gross that he place fifty dollars in
money under stone at the foot of
designated telephone pole along the
Lake Shore Road. The penalty of re-
fusal was a threat to take the life of
Gross and the members of his family
and burn his home and other posses
sions. Gross has been waiting some
ten days for things to happen. There
was no signature to the letter beyond
significant "skull and cross bones"
It was mailed in Kenosha and delivered
to Gross by rural carrier.
Gross was inclined to take the letter
as a joke. It reached him just lit
tie while after he had been instrument
tai in recovering bunch Of stolen
goods which had been taken from the
Wilson store at the north end of Mil
waukee avenue. After he turned it
over to the district attorney Gross be-
gan to get frightened. The attorney
ordered an investigation. A roll Of
money was placed under the stone in
question at the foot Of the post and
just after midnight the men who had
been set to watch the stone saw an
automobile come near the corner. Then
some one made break and coughed.
The man driving the automobile turn
c into side road and managed to
get away before the bungling deputy
who had coughed could get the num-
Der of the machine.
Since that time the police and the
sheriff have been making almost night
ly trips into Somers to make an eff
fort to get some new clew to the iden-
tity of the men who have sent the let
tiers to Gross. A half dozen automo-
bile owners have been called before
the district attorney and the sheriff for
examination in connection with the
Investigation Of the death threat, but
none Of them have been able to give
any real information.
It's puzzling case,' said District
Attorney Drury. "We were hopeful
that the facts in the case would not
be made public as we feel that Gross
has cause for alarm. The terms of the
letter were so emphatic as to make it
a real crime. It is true that we have
been making Investigations in Somers
| on several nights but we have found
nothing since the night that the auto
mobile got away from the watchers.
| If we could just find out who drove
! that automobile, and there were four
| people in it, we might be able to get
some warrants and bring out further
facts in the case. We have made an
examination of nearly every automo-
| bile of that make in Kenosha, but have
not been able to land single person.
Gross is keeping right on wearing a
star as deputy and he is prepared to
put up a real defense if any effort is
made to invade his home. He has been
assured the fullest possible protection
for himself and his family on the part
| of the sheriff.
Of course it is possible that the let
ter to Gross was an alleged joke put
up by some friends in Kenosha, but
the district attorney and the sheriff
are not inclined to take this view of
the matter. Chief of Police O'Hare
has also been decidedly active in the
case, but he admits that it has been
proven too deep for even the sleuths
of the police department.