The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-05-13
Men Who Sought to Black
mail Pastor of st. George
Church Taken.
DEMANDED LARGE SUM
Father Nickel Promptly Turns
Letters Over to Federal Off
GERS and Arrests Follow.

Charged with an attempt to black
mail the Rev. A. ]. Nickel, pastor Of
st. George church in Kenosha, Mat
thew Turk, former Kenoshan and
Dewey Baggerty, said to be resident
of Toledo, Ohio, were arrested at To-
ledo late Tuesday afternoon by opera
tives of the Department of Justice.
They were taken before a federal court
commissioner and held to the federal
grand jury in bonds Of FIVE thousand
dollars. The hearing is to be taken
up at the next session of the grand
jury for the Toledo district
The men are alleged to have been
two Of the members of a trio which
had sought to extort FIVE thousand doll
lars from Father Nickel by threats.
The letters demanding the money were
turned over to Postmaster James Cor
man by the priest and in this way they
were brought to the attention of the
federal officials at Toledo. The at.
tempt to secure the money was bum
giesome one and the men based their
claim on a letter which was alleged to
have been found some time ago in a
trunk in st. George church. They have
not given to Father Nickel nor the
federal officials the alleged contents
Of the letter. It is declared that the
men did not in any way seek to reflect
on the moral character Of the leader
Of st. &eerge cong agatIon, but av
fargeo with feskmg one II
regular ons Of tbs chufchs
Started Scheme Weeks Ago.
Father Nickel when seen this morn
ing expressed satisfaction that the
men had been taken into custody by
the federal officials. 81 have no copies
of the two letters sent to me-" said
Father Nickel. "They contained yelled
threats and demands for money. The
only attention that paid to them was
to turn them over to the federal Of
fcials in order that they might have
a chance to investigate the case.
suppose that the federal officials will
give out the text of the letters and
certainly l have no objection to the
publication of them"
Matthew Turk, named in the war
rants issued in the federal court, is
former Kenoshan. He is said to be
cripple and he has lived away from
Kenosha for some time.
Asked $4,000 Be Sent to Toledo.
The first letter is the attempt to
collect blackmail from Father Nickel
was received from him little over
two weeks ago. 1t was signed in the
name of G. H. Graves and demanded
that the sum of $4,000 be sent to an
address in Toledo. In the letter it was
stated that Turk, who was at one time
a student at st. George school and had
acted as an assistant to the janitor
of the church and that yhile at work
in the church he had found letter
which had reflected on Father Nickel
and parishioners 1t was declared
that Turk was ready to turn this let
ter over to members of the clergy of
other denominations unless the money
demanded was paid. The letter indi-
Gated that Turk was not acting for
himself, but on The suggestion of other
parties who had come into possession
of the facts contained in the letter.
No attention was paid to the letter
by the Kenosha priest and later he
received second letter.
Could Pay on Installment Plan.
This letter offered to Father Nickel
a chance to pay the blackmail on the
installment plan. It demanded tbal
three thousand dollars be sent to thu
address at Toledo at once and stated
that time would be furnished so that
the priest could pay the remaining two
thousand dollars at his convenience.
In this letter the threats became more
insistent. They told the priest that II
he failed to respond it would be a
"sorrowful day for him" 1t declared
If you hear rap at your door, don't
answer it for you may meet some one
that you do not desire to see." The
second letter said that the letter found
in the trunk had been turned over to
third party but that he could secure
it. Father Nickel said that he had not
been greatly disturbed by the letter
and that he had not avoided any "raps''
at the door on account of the warning
contained in them. In one of the let
ters the writer limited that there
might have been violation Of some
federal statute as he suggested that
the letter might be turned over to
Uncle Sam"
Never Heard of the Letter.
81 haven't the remotest idea whas
the letter these fellows claim to have
might have been" declared Father
Nickel as he smiled over the story.
Certainly my conscience is clear and
I know Of nothing that I have done
which was against the regulations Of
the church. am perfectly willing t.