Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-09-18
CONFESS|ONSA ARE
MADE BY TWO OF
GANG TO OFFICERS
Gigantic Blackmailing Syn
dictate Alleged to Have
Been Disclosed-Raid Is
Made on Apartments.

Chicago. Sept. ia confession has
been made by two members of the al
legged syndicate of blackmailers, eight
Of whom were arrested here yester-
day. that the operations of the swind-
lers had netted them S1,000.000 within
the last year, federal authorities an
nounced today. 1t is declared the con-
fessions disclosed that the alleged
band numbers at least so, third of
whom are said to be young, pretty and
crafty women. A dispute over the d.
vision of the spoils, 1t is said, led. to
the confessions. The arrests of over
score of members are expected
within week. Bail aggregating
100000 has been fixed for the eight
members of the alleged band under
arrest 1t is declared the bands op-
erations extended from coast to
coast. Men and women have been VIC
Tins. Persons of wealth were the OBJ
jects in every case. Five wealthy and
socially prominent members of Chi
Cages society are believed to have
been blackmailed out of $4,000. Their
names are withheld.
The men who confessed are Dick
Barrett and Edward ]. Thompson, ac-
cording to local representative of the
federal department of justice. Both
are at liberty. They will become wit
nesses for the government when the
eight members of the alleged syndi-
cate arrested in a fashionable hotel
Saturday night are brought to trial
Fear that they would serve long period
sentences caused Thompson and Bar
rett to confess.
The arrested members OF the alleg-
ed syndicate will be given a hearing
tomorrow. Three of them, Edward
Donahue. Mrs. Helen Evers and Henry
Russell will be required to give $500
bond. The bail Of the others was fixed
at $4,000 each.
IMPERSoNATIoN CHARGED.
Impersonation of department Of Jus
tice officials is another charge against
the men. They are said to have used
the charms of their women confeder-
ates to win attention from rich men
and then to have threatened their VIC
tins with prosecution under the Mann
act.
Those arrested gave the names Of
Henry Russell, Edward Donahue, Hell
en- Evers, Mrs. Frances Allen, Mrs. Ed
ward Donahue, James Christian, Frank
Croker and George Bland George
Irwin. alleged director of the group, is
still at large.
The principal charge against the
band is the alleged kidnapping of Mrs.
Regina II. Clifford of Philadelphia,
one of their alleged victims, who is
wanted as a government witness. She
was spirited away to Canada, it is
charged. at the time she was wanted
to testify against the band.
THE chief offenses charged against
the band occurred in Philadelphia, and
for that reason they will be taken there
for trial." said Clabaugh on Sunday.
Clabaugh said there were 10 known
victims of the gang and that the
amount obtained from these victims
will reach $25o,00o. Forty thousand
dollars was obtained from one victim
and $4,000 from another, Clabaugh
said.
NAMES NOT REVEALED.
Authorities refused to reveal the
names of the victims. Some, 1t is said,
were men prominent in political life
who were victimized while at the Re-
publican convention last June.
The raid had been carefully planned
for many weeks. An elaborate opium
outfit was found in one OF the apart
ments raided
Federal authorities said that one OF
the gang, Henry Russell, had posed as
a brother of Mayor William Hale
Thompson of Chicago. and had used
this alias in a plot.
"Bilr' Woodward. another alleged
director of the gang. is also being
sought Clabaugh said
The raid was made only after the
apartment building had been literally
sown with dictagraphs. These were
connected with an adjoining building
where the detectives hid.