The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-09-21
u. S. AGENTS TAKE
8 BLACkMA|LERS
FIVE MEN AND THREE WOMEN
ARRESTED IN CHICAGO.
SAID TO HAVE MULCTED $25O,OOO
Operations OF the Band of lnterna-
tional swindiers Lead Through
Many Cities. Victims Num-
Der a Hundred or More.

Chicago, Sept. 1S-The five men and
three women arrested by government
officials and city detectives in raid on
the Tyson apartments, East Forty
third street and Grand boulevard, as
. members of band that has mulcted
wealthy men and women out of $780,
600 or more, are to be tried in Phila-
delphia. They will be started there inn
mediately after they are arraigned be-
fore United States Commissioner Mark
A. FoOte in the Federal building Tues
day morning.
According to Hinton G. Clabaugh,
head of the bureau of investigation of
the department of Justice; Henry Rus
sell, one of the arrested men, had been
posing as brother of Mayor ThOmp-
son.
The bonds of the eight were fixed
late Saturday night, but they are still
held in the county Jail In default of
bail. Those held are:
Henry Russell, Edward DOnahue,
alias doc DOnahue," Helen Evers, said
to be the wife of George Irwin. alleged
director of the group ;sMrs. Frances AL
len, Mrs. Edward Donahue, wife of
DOnahue; James Christian, alias "W.
J. Cross" Frank Crocker, George
Bland.
Mr.. Clabaugh says those held, to-
gcther with others at liberty, have
fieeced at least fifteen prominent men
and women in Boston, Philadelphia,
Chicago and New York by blackmail
methods of a most modern type. He
who never complained, fearing the
nOtOriety.
'The women 'flirted with wealthy
men and then demanded money from
them on threats of exposure and the
men did likewise with wealthy women
and made similar demands" Mr.. Cla-
baugh asserted.
The operations of the band of alleged
interest international swindlers lead
through many cities. Its victims, ac-
cording to the federal officials num-
Der hundred or more. Here are
some of the methods by which this
amazing coterie is alleged to have
mulcted it's victims:
An influential business man of New
York, whose name is withheld by the
federal authorities, fell victim of the
charms of pretty chorus girl who
was a q member of the organization.
The business man lavished money on
her. Finally, at her suggestion, he
took trip with her to Boston. Armed
with fictitious federal warrant sew
eral of the band descended upon the
business man in Boston hotel. He
was placed under ARREST" for viola
ton of the Mann act
The arresting officer appeared to be
bona tide agents of the government.
A member of the gang volunteered TO
forget all about the affair for $4,000.
The victim paid. He never had the
slightest suspicion it was not a bona
fide arrest.
Don Collins was arrested in New
York as an accOmplice in this swindle
and was held in bonds of $4,000.
A wealthy New York jurist was in
duced by pretty girl member of the
band to take u motor jaunt through
Connecticut. When they returned to
New York the jurist found party of
government investigators" armed
with fake warrants awaiting him. The
jurist, whose name is also withheld,
admitted to the federal officers in New
York that he paid $4,000 in cash to
the men.
William Butler, said to be one of
the same organization, was arrested
lin Philadelphia posing as a federal
officer and attempting to mulct Mrs.
J. Bolton Winpenny, wealthy widow,
out of a big sum of money. Mrs.
Winpenny charged that Butler came
to her and showed her a United States
warrant for the arrest of her son on a
Mann act charge.
He offered to drop the charge on
the payment of $4,000. When she
protested she did not have that much
money, they offered to compromise
for $4,000. That aroused her suspi-
cion and she took the story up to the
Philadelphia district attorneys office.