Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-15
HUNT LETTER WRITER'S
WHO MADE THREATS TO
HARM POLITICAL CHIEFS
John Monaghan, Who Escaped
Injury When He Was At
tackled in Hotel, Long
in Suspense
POSTAL INSPECTORS BUSY

Postal inspectors, working under the
direction of Chief Postal Inspector James
r. Cortelyou, today aided Acting Captain
| OF Detectives James Tate to begin track
/ ing down several persons, who, for weeks,
| have been sending threatening letters to
/ prominent Phladelphians.
/ Public Service Commissioner John
Monaghan, who narrowly escaped being
shot yesterday by Luigi hi BerardinO, an
Italian lawyer, was one of the persons
who received threatening letters.
Mr.. Monaghan was accompanied every
where he went today by four armed
guards. 1t was feared there might be an
other attack on him similar to tho one
yesterday, when he was attacked i'm a
restaurant by the Italian who threatened
him with revolver and was later cap
tured and sent to the Philadelphia Hos
| The attack is thought to have been the
result Of several threatening letters Mr..
Monaghan had received.
The letters received by Mr.. Monaghan
will be read today by the postal authori-
ties
Inspector Cortelyou said today that a
Federal charge will be lodged against hi
Berardino if it is found that the postal
laws were violated.
Mr. Monaghan Is not the only office
holder who has received threatening let
ters.' said Inspector Cortelyou today be.
fore his departure for Trenton where he
went to prosecute yeggmen who were
rested several weeks ago while attempting
to rob the postofflce at Pennsgrove.
"Only a week ago n complaint was
lodged in our office by prominent Phila-
dolphian who is an officeholder," he said.
81 can't mention his maine just now.
There is possibility that the different
threatening letters received by Mr. Mon
Afghan We're sent by other persons besides
Di Berardino"
I,,1f -f..to 90 T,,I
lie Service Commissioner today at her
home, 3lO7 Ridge avenue. told how her
brother had been under a nervous strain
for months as result of the threatening
missivcs which he had received almost
weekly.
81 consider myself happy woman to-
day because my husband is alive" said
Miss Monaghan.
AT first my brother didn't tell me any
thing about the threatening letters be-
cause he didn't want me TO worry. Only
recently he told me that he was receiving
letters in which threats were being made
against his life. lie told me not to worry,
We felt certain that the letters were being
sent by some person who, no doubt was
mentally deranged."
Every day after my brother left the
house 10 go to his office in the Lincoln
Building or to attend to his duties at Har-
rlsburg | would be in great suspense be-
cause | feared that sooner or later the
writer of the letters would meet him and
probably harm him. / am glad that this
man put in his appearance yesterday be-
cause the suspense now is over / can't
understand why this man Dl Berar-
dino should want to harm my brother"
Public Service Commissioner Monaghan
today was receiving many congratulations
by telephone and telegraph from friends
over his escape. Some of tine congratu-
lations came from several parts of Penn
sylyania, from his associates on the Pub
lie Service Commission, and also from
friends in Schuylkill County, where he
was horn.
hi Berardno is still in the Philadelphia
Hospital where he was sent yesterday
for an examination into his sanity. He
was visited last night by relatives but to
them he made no statement.