The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-09-21
RICH ARE EASY PREY
More Than so Persons Said to
Be Involved In Gam Which
Reaped Huge Profits on
B%IaCkmaiIing and Fake Race
SWindles - Eight Are Now
HeId--0therS Sought.

Chicago. Sept. 1s.-Confession has
peen made by two members Of the al
legged syndicate of blackmailers, eight
Of whom are under arrest here, that
operations Of the swindlers have net
ted them 81, 600, 900 within the last year,
federal officials announced today.
The confessions, it was declared, dis
closed that the alleged band numbers
at least 60, a third Of whom are said
to be women-young, pretty and crafty.
A dispute over the division Of spells,
1t was said, led to the confessions. Ar
rest OF q score or more members of the
syndicate are expected within a week.
The men who confessed are Dick
Barrett and Edward J. Thompson, ac-
coriing to Hinton G. Clabaugh, head
or the Chicago bureau Of the federal
department Of justice. Both are at lib
erty, he said. They will become wit
nesseS for the government, however,
when the eight members Of the alleged
syndicate, arrested in q raid on a fash
ional)ie apartment hotel Saturday night,
are brought to trial.
Fear that they would receive long
prison sentences caused Thompson and
Barrett 10 confess, Clabaugh said. He
declined. however, to say when they
gave him the information that led to
the raid.
Bonds Placed Hiah.
Bail. ~aggregating $780, 900. has been
fixed for the eight members of the al
legged band now under arrest. They
are to be given a hearing tomorrow.
Those under arrest and the bail they
will be required to give are:
Edward Donahue, alias DOC" Dona-
hue. SEA 900.
Mrs. Helen Evers, alias Mrs. George
w. Brown. S25, 600.
Henry Russell. alias H.. J. Russell,
$4,000.
Mrs. Edward Donahue, $4,000.
James Christian, alias James Rob-
erts. $1,000.
George Bland, alias Joseph Pearl.
$4,000.
Mrs. Frances Allen, alias Mrs.
rance Chapman, $4,000.
The operations of the band are de-
clared to have extended from coast to
coast. Men and women alike have been
victims. 4 Persons of wealth were the
objects in every case. Five wealthy
and socially prominent members Of
chicago society are declared to have
been blackmailed out Of $40, 900. Their
names were withheld.
Chicago. Sept. 1S.-Further arrests
We're expected today in connection with
the so called blackmail syndicate
which raids by United States depart
ment OF justice officials here Saturday
night exposed. a woman member of the
Syndicate was believed to, be in st.
Louis and the Los Angeles authorities
were asked to locate the sender Of a
telegram sent to Helen Evers, one Of
the women arrested here which read.
simon says thumbs up. Two men are
holding me. Watch the fire escape"
Operations Of the syndicate which
now appears to be Of international pro-
portions were not confined to the
plackmail Of wealthy mon and women
according to information developed to-
day, Among the effects in the office OF
doc" Edward Donahue. one of the men
caught IN the Saturday night raids, was
Btationery OF the United Turf Ex-
change" with Headquarters in New
York. AMI offices all over the world"
There were also cipher codes for de-
clphering messages received by wire,
telling what horses to bet On, how
much to bet, y races and positions
to play.
The women, according to the author
tiles are young and beautiful. The men
are well groomed and of a type calcu-
lated TO impress society women.
According to the fed Sral officials to-
day, here are some of the things done
by the syndicate:
They fleeced a multimillionaire Of
New York out of SAC, 900 by ~threaten-
ing him with arrest for alleged viola
tons OF the Mann act, two Of the mem
bers Of the syndicate im~personating Sc
cret service agents for that. purpose.
They frightened a wealthy Philadel-
phia m who had been too friend
~ with q stranger in a cafe, into CIV
Ing them $4,000. They took 10000
from each Of five C~hicagoans, two of
whom are women. They brought about
theic " arrest, 1t is alleged, by TAX.
ms $500 from Mrs. Rd6ina Clipper, of
Philadelphia, and afterwards kidnap-
ing her. She is now said to be in Can
ada. Visitors n delegates to the re-
cent republican national convention are
reported 10 have been victimized by
members Of the syndicate.
Cleaned Up Million.
1t was said today that the organiza-
ton had worked as a whole since the
first of the year, and it is believed to
have cleaned up in that time 81, 900, 600.
The government officials say that for
n known victim of the syndicate
there are probably 20 unknown.
ONLY three victims of the swindIes,
in the entire United States, Mr.. CIa-
badsh said, had declared themselves
willing to face publicity and testify
against the criminals. One of these. he
said is Mrs. Clifford, of Philadelphia:
another is Mrs. j. Bolton Winpenny, OF
Philadelphia, whose son is said to nave
been threatened with blackmail.
Authorities refused to reveal the
names of the victims. Some, it was
said, are men prominent in political life,
who were victimized at the republican
convention here last June.
During the raid, which had been
carefully planned for many weeks. ar
elaborate opium outfit was found IN
one OF the apartments raided.
The eight members Of the syndicate,
so called were still in custody. today.
-...s - ~
fore the United States commissioner
tom rrnu. II was sail the head of the