The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-24
POLICE ARE
B If F It D
CLUES
Typewriter and Burnt Match
End Used in Writing Warn
ings to Society Women.

"You hare plenty; I have moth
ing. If you pains your life, you
better leave tho money as di-
rected." 4
This is the text Of the letters re
ceived recently by several promi-
nent Washington society women
whose lives were threatened IL they
failed to deposit amountsof money,
ranging from $4,000 to $25, 900, in
secluded spots in the Capital for
the writer.
Radicals Suspected.
From the tone of the letters re-
ceived by the society women, detec-
tives are inclined to believe that the
writer is some sort of radical who
is opposed to the rich
This IL one of the angles being
probed by agents Of the Department
of Justice and Detective Sergeants
Patrick O'Brien and Livingstone, Of
the Central office. The fact that
the blackmailer wrote, You have
plenty; have nothing" inclines the
detectives to this theory.
At police headquarters this morn
ing 1t was stated that the letters,
which had been typed, were signed
X. X. K, the would-be blackmailer
apparently posing as a member OF
the Ku Klux Klan. Members of the
latter organization i'm Washington,
however, scout the theory that any
of its associates was responsible for
the writing of the threatening let
ters.
Match End Used.
The letters K. K. K. were written
on a typewriter on some of the
threatening letters, while on the
others the burnt end OF a match had
been used. Up TO noon today.
neither the Central Office detec-
tives nor the operatives working
from the office of william J. Burns.
chief Of the Bureau of Criminal In
vestigation of the Department of
Justice, had progressed very far in
their efforts to identify and arrest
the writer of the threatening letters.
1t is thought that the letters may
have been written by a crank, who
had no idea Of causing any injury to
the society women, but who believed
that they would willingly part with
some OF their riches II a flat threat
OF death was made In a letter.
Efforts to trap the letter writer
have failed. As b ruse, Inspector
Clifford L. Grant. chief of detec.
tives, sent Mrs. Nina c. Van Win.
kle. lieutenant OF the woman's bu-
reau OF the Police Department, to
drop from her automobile a tobacco
can at q spot designated in one of
the letters received by one of the
society women. The ruse failed.
detectives having been secreted
nearby ready to pounce on anyone
who was nearby and would attempt
TO PICK up the can, but none did so
Typewriter Used.
Police believe that the letters
were written by a man, not a WON.
an, as first thought. Neither pen
nor pencil was used In any of the
letters, all OF them having been
typed. 1t is thought that the would.
be blackmailer used this precaution
to prevent his possible identity
through his penmanship should he
be arrested as p suspect.
The society women who received
the threatening letters include:
Mrs. Henry White, eIS9 r
street northwest, wife Of the
former Ambassador TO France.
and member Of the American
Peace Commission at Versailles.
Mme. Christian Hauge, 2349
Massachusetts avenue, widow /of
the former Norwegian minister.
Mrs. Thomas +. Walsh, .020
Massachusetts, avenue, widow Of
former Senator Walsh, Of Colo
rado.
Mrs. Mary Scott Townsend. ,12I
Massachusetts, avenue, mother.in.
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