Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-25
BLACK HANO[R
/ ] USES TELEPHONE
DAVENPORT Man THREATENED
nv eLAckMAiLsR SEW.
- ERAL TIMES.
ORDERED TO DELIVER,
$1,000 OR SUFFER DEATH,
Complies With Demand to Be in Ger
tain Place at Certain limo But Takes
Alona Armed Cuards--Blaekmailo
Fails to Appear Believed to Be One
Of Gang Operating in Davenport.

Davenport, Jan. 25.-It was an ugly
husky voice that summoned Nicholas
i. Coin. president OF the Davenport Ice
Cream company and proprietor of the
Davenport Loan and Investment Com
,any to the telephone, several days
go.
II am the guy that spotted you and
>our wife In Eettendorf the other
night. Now, on Wednesday night, Jan.
-, you bring $1,000, tied up in y pack,
age, to the same place that you passed
me. If you fail you had better kiss
yourself goodbye" said the ugly voice
on the other end of the wire.
Mr.. Coin informed the stranger that
he could not be frightened by such n
demands whereupon the would-bc
blackmailcr threatened him with all
sorts of dire calamitfcs if he failed to
show up with the money.
Mr.. Coin was on hand at the APP
pointed time but he was not alone. He
had three friends on watch at a con-
veRient distance. All were heavily
armed and ready for any emergency.
But no one appeared.
Noticed the Man.
Mr.. Coin resides in, a coy home on
The hill above Bettendorf. near the Mt.
Carmelite convent. On the evening re-
ferred to in the telephone converse
ton. Mr.. Coin and his wife were on
their way home from Davenport Xhey
mad Just left the main thoroughfare of
Bettendorf. where they got off the car,
and proceeded up the street i'm the di
Nf I,1,, ,t,py ut
tracted their attention by sta lding in
their pathway and looking at them in
tently. That man has a bad look and
is up to something commented Mr..
Coin to his wife as they passed on.
For the next several days a strange
voice kept calling up the Coin resi-
dence. Either Mrs. Coin or her sis
ter who Is visiting with her. being the
only ones at home at the time would
answer the phone. II want Mr.. Coin.
where is he? Where is his place Of
business" the man on the other end
would inquire. Only an evasive" ans
wer was given.
Finally Locates Intended Victim.
Several days ago Mr.. Coin CHANGED
to be in the office of the Davenport
Loan and Investment Company, of
which he is proprietor. The telephone
rang. who is this?" said the voice.
Mr.. Coin gave his name. Just the man
am looking for came the reply.
Then the demand was made that Mr..
Coin appear with the $1,000 at the APP
pointed time and date under penalty
of death If he failed
1t was some evenings later that Mr..
Coin and other members of the family
were awakened by the rays of flash
light being thrown into the windows Of
their home. Mr.. Coin arose., secured
his trusty thirty Fighter and went
out on the porch in search the cul-
prit with the ffashlight. but he had dis
appeared in the darkness. It was the
evident purpose of the stranger to
further brighten the family thru this
nefarious method.
Conneeted With Bettendorf Case.
MIR. Coin called up officials Of the.
Bettendorf company and related the
incidents to them. He gave descrip-
ton of the stranger who had accosted
him and his wife while on their way
home. 1t is the opinion Of the Betren-
dorf people that it is the same fellow
who made two unsuccessful attempts
to extort $4,000 from ]. w. -Betten-
dorf president of the company.
In the case of Mr.. Coin. however. the
stranger gave him different financial
rating from that he had placed on Mr..
Bettendcrf and reduced the amount
from $4,000 to $1,000. He also dropped
the suitcase idea as a proper means
of conveying the money and demanded
that this time it be placed in a pack
age.
Looking for William.
With good description of the sus-
pected blackmailer, Mr. Coin has hopes
that he will be captured. It is the gem
eral belief now, and was also in the
case Of the Bettendorf episode, that the
offender is a local party. He is sup
posed to be making his hang out in
Bettendorf. He may be working his
game individually or may have accom-
plices in this most detestable Of all
schemes to extort money from inno-
cent parties. Mr.. Coin declares he was
we'll dressed and fairly prosperous
looking.
Mr.. Coin is known as great lover
of his home and family. 1.-THE affair
does not frighten me and N.Y. one
great regret is the uneasiness it has
caused my wife and children" declared
Mr. Coin today.