The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-27
MRS. TOWNSEND
To BE WITNESS
AGAINST: LONG
Case of Threatener Of Society
Women Postponed Until
soxt Thursday.

Fearing that George E. Long,
employe of the bureau of insular
affairs of the War Department,
may attempt to make good his
threats to kill her and blow up her
home, Mrs. Mary Scott Townsend,
2121 Massachusetts avenue north
west, today declared she would ap-
pear against him when he is
brought to trial, Thursday morn
ing, before Judge John P. McMa-
hon in police court.
Hearing Postponed.
Long was scheduled to be given
a hearing before Judge Mcmahon
this morning. but Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Given, at the sug-
gestion of Inspector Clifford l..
Grant, chief of detectives, to whom
Long confessed he had written
death threat letters to Mrs. Town
send and other prominent Wash.
ingtonians, asked a postponement to
prepare the case against him.
Assistant District Attorney Given
this morning issued a, warrant
charging Long with making threats
to kill and ATTEMPTED extortion from
Mrs. Townsend. the other Washing
tonians, including Henry White.
2i39 II street: Mrs. Thomas F.
Walsh, 1920 Massachusetts, avenue;
Nine. Christian Hauge. 2349 Massa.
chusetts avenue. and Mrs. Nicholas
Longworth, daughter Of the late
Theodore Roosevelt.
Since the arrest Of Long many Of
his friends, many prominent In
Washington. have offered him their
aid. One Of them Is LarZ Anderson,
former ambassador to Belgium, who
is said to have communicated with
Gen. Clarence r. Edwards, COM
mandant of the Twenty-sixth Divis-
ion during the world war. who is in
Boston. Long before entering the
Government service was General
Edwards butler.
Thinks Long Insane.
Long. a tall. well-built man. with
slightly gray hair, was nervous when
he was brought into Police Court by
Detective Sergeant Patrick OBrlen,
of the central office, this morning.
He was represented by Attorney
James A. O'Shea. who he summoned
to his cell at the Tenth precinct
police station last night. Attorney
O'Shea Is arranging to get the
81. 900 hail. the amount asked by
Given. for the release Of Long pend
ing his trial.
In announcing through her at
torney, Wilton ]. Lambert, that
she would not prosecute Long, Mrs.
| Walsh declared she believed Longs
acts were those of one mentally I'M
balanced and that in such a case,
lam nF l.
tarium should be more appropri-
ate than penal punishment.
Mr.. Lambert also declared that
J in his opinion Longs act could not
be construed as ''blackmail." THE
crime of blackmail," he said, must
consist in accusing someone OF con-
duct which II true, would tend to
disgrace them and threaten to ex-
pose them II money were not paid.
Nothing Of the slightest degree OF
/ this kind existed in the matter"
Police Urge Prosecution.
It was stated this morning that
the police are to insist Long be
prosecuted. They have concluded
after a careful investigation Of his
recent movements and actions that
while Long may have suffered from
grievances against the rich, he knew
what he was doing when he wrote
the threatening letters.
! Attorney OShea declared he had
not decided whether he would call
! in alienists to examine Long.
Certainly II Long is believed to
/ be insane he will not be prosecuted
! for sending the threatening letters
to the women" Mr.. O'Shea said. ut
does not appear to me that a man
of nationality would write such let
tiers. He may have suffered from
| temporary insanity"
Friends Of Long are determined to
| fight any effort made by the police
to send him to Jail. They, in most
instances, believe him to have been
insane, at least temporarily, because
| of a nervous breakdown"
Silent on Motive.
Long has not given the police
any specific reason why he wrote
the death threat letters to Mrs.
Townsend and other Washingto'
mans. The Letter he wrote Mrs.
Townsend was mailed January 26,
she being ordered on pain of death
to leave $4,000 in 1000 bills near
a hedge Of the Georgetown Uni
| VerSity, near Thlrty-SeVentn street.
It was through Mrs. Townsend g
| inslstence that Long be prosecuted
! that he was rearrested Saturday
afternoon after he had been re-
leased the day before by Inspector
Grant.
When Mrs. Townsend learned that
Long had been released, she tele-
phoned to Inspector Grant and de.
clared her Indignation. Mrs. Town.
send said that even though the man
was believed to be harmless, she felt
he should be locked up 80 he would
I not be able to make good the threats
to kill her and blow up her palatial
/ home. Detective Sergt. Patrick
O'Brien was sent then to arrest the
Government clerk. who was at home
with his sick wife and his three chill
dren, the youngest of whom is six