The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-24
HOMES OF SOCIETY
WOMEN GUARDED;
EXPECT ARRESTS
Secret Service Men in
Search for Writer of
Threats.

Enshrouded by secrecy. Depart
mept of Justice operatives, Secret
Service officials and the local po-
lice are exerting every effort to ap-
prehend the author of, letters threat
ening the lives of several wealthy
Washington society women unless
they comply with demands for large
sums of money.
Secret Service en- and members
Of the local police department have
been detailed to guard some OF the
homes which have been marked by
the letter writer. while other MEM
bers of the local police depart
ment have had under surveillance
the places where the ransoms were
to be placed.
Expects Arrests @Sosn.-
Although refusing to divulge the
contents OF the letters or to give
any details regarding them. Will
lam J. Burns, director of the Bu-
reau of Investigation, Department
Of Justice. last night admitted that
threatening letters" had been re-
ceived by prominent women, and
that he had a force of men work.
ing on the case. II
Burns also stated that he be-
Iieved the mystery surrounding the
letters would be clarified in the near
future, and that arrests were Eek
pected soon"
The letters. all Of which are be-
lieved to have been written by the
same person, demanded the plac-
Ing of sums of money ranging from
$4,000 to $4,000 in Isolated sec
tions of the city, and threatened
the lives of the women to whom
they were addressed as well as the
destruction of their homes il The
demand was ignored.
Arc Prominent In society.
The women who reported the ye-
ceipt of threats tAthe authorlti"s
are:
Mrs. Henry White. s213s r street
northwest. wife of the former Am
bassador to France. and mar Der
of the American peace comml<>.c" "
at Versailles.
Mrs Mary Scott Townsend. eIe!
Massachusetts avenue northwest
mother-in-law Of Senatsr Gerry, OF
Rhode Island.
Mrs. Thomas F, walsh, 2o20 Mas
sachusetts avenue northwest. widow
OF. former Senator Walsh. Of Colo,
rado.
Nine. Christian Hauge. .2s4s Mas.
sachusetts avenue northwest. widow
of the former Norwegian Minister
Among other prominent womcr
said to have received threats rs
Mrs. Stephen Elkins. 1926 X street
northwest, widow of former Sena
| tor Eikins, and mother of Senator
Davis Elkins. of West Virginia.
Servants Are Nervous.
officials high in the investigation
service of the Department of Jus
eice and the local police department
refused to. discuss the matter,
However, none of them would abb
solutely deny the fact that the let
ters had been received.
Every effort to prevent publicity II
the case has been made by the of.
ficials who have been called to in
vestigate the matter and the women
who have received the letters. Al
several of the marked homes the
| women whose names have been
| threatening letters were noncom-
initial. while in several they denied
any. knowledge of them.
| The servants in each of the
| homes however, were cautious when
responding to door calls and In ad.
mitting callers. They indicated
slight nervousness while speaking
| to unexpected visitors. III.
The lStters, apparently WRITER
Thy the same person are varying az
to their demands for fansom and as
to the places where the money
should be placed. -. -
The letter written to Mrs Towns.
end received only q few days ago
INSTRUCTED her to place $4,000 In
| a nempty tobacco can and. to drof
II from her automobile at a desig-
mated spot on Tunlaw road in q
secluded spct near the outskirts OF
the Capital. The writer threatened
! to destroy her home and to kill hei
II she failed to comply or commu-
nicated with the authorities.
The most carefully guarded of tn,
threatened homes is that of Mrs
Henry White. 213s r street north.
l