The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-05
CONFESSES HE TRIED
CUNARD BLACKMAIL
Demanded $4,000 on Threats
to Destroy Ships and
Piers.
BEGINS WITH LUSITANIA
DOdges Many Traps-Caught
as He Mails Fourteenth
Letter.

Frederick A. Stillwaggon. who says ne
is an American citizen. born In Holland.
was arrested yesterday afternoon just
outside the Federal Building. charged
letters TO the Cunard Steamship Com
pany.
In all of these letters the writer de-
manded 100000. Before the Lusitanla
was sunk the letters threatened that the
liner would be blown UP unless the money
was paid as directed. In letters written
since the Lusitania disaster the writer
took unto himself the credit for that
tragedy and said he had done it to prove
that he was In earnest. lie said that
the steamship Pennsylvania and the
piers and docks of the steamship COM
pany here would next feel the strength
OF his hand
The writer stated In the letter that
he was German spy. dissatisfied with
the money ne was drawing from the
German Government. which was get
ting too cheap since the war" He
promised that IL paid $4,000 and put
/ on regular yearly salary he would
disclose the innermost workings OF the
German Spy system AS 1t affected the
United states. He mentioned particu-
/ larry the activities OF spies at the Beth
lehem Steel Works. the Boston Harbor
ana the Sayville wireless station.
After "A short examination at Police
! Headquarters, Stillwaggon, who had
been arrested a few seconds after the
last letter of the Matchmaking series had
been dropped into the chute in the Post
/ a a tad No.. L..
the letters and signed an affidavit to
this effect.
Whole story False. lie Says.
He denied that any one was working
with him. He said that he had never
been German spy and that he had no
foreknowledge OF the sinking OF the Lusi-
tania. He had gone into this scheme.
he said. because he needed the money"
having lost the savings OF years In the
fish business lie thought the Cunard
people might fall for 1t. because $50. 900
would mean SO little to them
Capt, Tunney. who directed the ac-
tivities OF n squad Of detectives for six
weeks before the letter writer was finally
rounded up, says that he does not believe
that Stillwaggon has any connections
with the German spy system. and that
there is nothing vnore 80 the situation
tnan appears on the surface.
The writer of the Matchmaking letters
was one of the most annoying offenders
the police have had TO deal with in many
months. Any hint OF big bomb out
/ rage is enough to set the detective hui
reau on edge, and the letters received
by the Cunard Line contained threats
OF bomb outrage on a large scale
For more than six weeks detectives
have been working on the case day and
night. The Cunard Line has pol!ced
its piers with private detectives. on
four occasions Capt Tunney had his
plant all arranged so that he felt posi-
tive he would capture his man before
the night was over. but on each occa-
sion Stillwaggon proved too wary to
walk into the trap.
The police were called in Immediately
after thu Cunard Line had received the
first letter OF the series on April T..
The letter was signed Your enemy for
the present II was about 1000 words
In length and was written In pen and
INK. II directed that the Cunard Line
Office boy should be sent with package
containing $4,000 in 100 500 bills and
90 $50 bills To North Henry and briggs
street. Williamsburg, at the entrance of
Winthrop Park
hoy on skates to Take Money.
the package, said the writer. The
Cunard office boy must give it to him
and he careful not 10 follow him. No
dummy packages must be sent under
pain OF the most dire results. The police
must not be informed. The Cunard mes
senger must wear white ribbon in his
coat lapel
A few days later another letter was
received. II was of the same tenor. All
the letters are very long. Capt Tunney
began TO station detectives. with samples
of the handwriting, at all the branch
offices where these letters had been
mailed
on May 10, after the Lustania had
been sunk, letter was received in
which the writer said:
81 gave you fair warning about the
Lusitania, hut you spoke to the police
and now you must pay the price in
tend TO keep II up unless you pay. You
can save the Transylvania IL you fol-
low my instructions" Then he directed
that the $40, 900 be delivered to him at
the entrance of Proctor's Theatre in
Fifty-eighth street.
The police dressed Detective George
BarnetZ's son, George. Jr., who IL Is
years old, in short trousers, fixed up a
package exactly the size of package
containing the bills demanded and sent
him to Proctor's. The boy STAYED al
ID ".
but no one asked him for the package in
his hands.
on two of the other three occasions
when young Barnett was sent with the
dummy package boys on roller skates
approached him and asked for the pack
age. Each time the boy skated away
with the package. but no man waited 10
get II. The detectives learned that each
of the boys was paid 10 cents to go for
the package. but the man who hired
them seemed too distrustful to wait.
Detectives Fennelly and Schumelski
were Mt the main post office yesterday
afternoon when a letter addressed TO
the Cunard Line was dropped down one
OF the Broadway chutes. The writing
! was that OF the blacl1mailer. Schumel-
ski opened the window and saw the man
who had dropped IT, Fennelly ran out
into Broadway and arrested him.
Stillwaggon said he Is 80 years old
and lives at Shell road, Winston, l.. l..
with his wife and seven children, OF
whom the eldest Is IS years and the
younger than 80 years.
ON June II last Joseph Burton. n
negro. was arrested for demanding $40
600 from tho Cunard company, under
. threat of blowing up "A liner He ar
ranged 10 have the money thrown off n
| West Shore railroad train. special
| train was made up for the purrose
When the negro signalled for the money
the train was stopped and Burton was
i caught