Arizona republican., 1916-09-19
DRAGNET 0UT { FUR ALLEGED .
 b[ACKMA|[ERS
[Republican A. p. Leased WirN


 CHICAGO. Sept. 1S-While federal authorities here prepared tonight for preliminary hearing tomorrow Of seven members of ar alleged black mail gang who used the Mann act as their chief weapon, detectives forti- fled with information obtained from two alleged members of the gang who confessed, made arrests in other cities and spread a dragnet for H. C. Wood ward. sought as director in chief of the syndicate.
 Hinton G. Clabaugh of the United States department of justice, declared tonight he had secured sufficient evil dence to convict the gang without exposing the names of some of their wealthy victims. It was understood that none of the names of victims would be barred at the hearing to- morrow. These victims whose flirta- tions with pretty women led them into traps from which they escaped | only on payment of large sums. will be shielded from publicity except IS last resort, it is said. | Clabaugh expects the seven will be ordered removed to Philadelphia for | trial without a stubborn reslstenee | before the commissioner. According to Clabaugh. two of the alleged gangsters, Dick Barrett and ! Edward J. Thompson, confessed to the l charges and revealed the manner in which blackmail had been levied in several instances Their story was re- plete with accounts of clever new race track swindles and other ruses by which beautiful women and debonair, handsome men had fleeced their | victim.
 The other men who have been ar rested and who remain in jail here pending establishment of bail in the aggregate sum of approximately Sl00,-
 600. would say nothing today of their
 alleged offenses, but the women were
 vociferous in their denials of the ac-
 cusations.
 Mrs. Helen Evers who. say federal l authorities. was the lure in the bogus
 Mann act cases, stamped her trim foot on the floor of her cell and said
 there is not a word of truth in the charges. She was particularly insis- tent about the falsity of the charge
 that an opium outfit had been found in her rooms.
 Why l never smoked opium In my life" she declared.
 Mrs. Frances Chapman said nothing } but Mrs. Evers indignantly insisted , that Mrs. Chapman's arrest was an : outrage"-that she was just visitor | at the fashionable apartment when the ? raid was made
 Mrs. Edward Donohue. older than the other women, surrounded herself.
 even in jail, with an air of outraged
 dignity
 "Ridiculous: too ridiculous even to deny." she asserted.
 Clabaugh learned tonight of the ar s rest in New York of Frank Crocker, . who is said to have confessed to a T part in the swindling of Mrs. Regina e Klipper of Philadelphia; and the ar r rest in the latter city of William But ;, Ter in connection with the alleged plot n against Mrs. Susan G. s. Winpenny- T George Irwin, who is said to be the e husband of Mrs Evers and Woodward
 are being sought throughout the coun- . try tonight. Federal officers say IT, . win was arrested last June on a s charge of blackmail and was held un- t der s5.000 bail which he forfeited. IL n is believed he now is in New York. s The alleged fleecing of Mrs. Kip n per. it was said, was brought about - through Crocker. After having won her confidence. say the authorities d Crocker managed to place her in po- O sition in which her reputation was en- i, dangered with Donohue and Irwin as l. witnesses. The latter two demanded
 "hush money" It was said Crockei
 accepted jewels, which later proved = valueless and he gave the police con-
 fession which caused Irwins arrest
 Crocker. however. is said to have re
 joined the band subsequently.
 The mystery surrounding the killing
 of William Turner, alias Wilson in a
 mountain resort in Jefferson county
 Colorado, last June, may be cleared uI
 1 through some members of the black
 mail syndicate. it was reported to-
 night. Turner was said to have beer
 slain following an argument over tho
 division of spells in a blackmai To scheme in which a Denver woman Wa! m said to have been the victim. ls Seeking C. E. Wilson le DENVER, Sept. 1S.-Samue1 w re Johnson, district attorney of Jefferson bel
 (Cnntinuad on Pa % Eiual