The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-25
BUREAU CLERK OF
WAR DEPARTMENT
ADMITS BLACKMAIL
Wrote Letters to Prominent So.
ciety People Demanding
Large Sums of Money.
ALLOWED TO GO HOME AND
CARE FOR HIS FAMILY
Department of Justice Had Been
Working on the Case for
Several Weeks Back.
(ey The Assoelated Press

I
WASHINGTON. Feb. 24-George E.
! Long, clerk in the bureau OF insuiat
affairs Of the war department since
1904, confessed today, according to the
police, to the authorship of blackhand
letters recently received by Henry
! White, former ambassador to France,
and by several women prominent in
Washington society. The letters de-
manded large sums of money and
threatened death if the sums were not
Forthcoming.
Long was taken into custody today
after department of justice agents
were said to have traced the letters to
him by popularity in the handwrit-
ing and by water mark used in war
department stationery.
He made his alleged confession after
more than two hours of questioning at
police headquarters by Inspector
Grant. but then was permitted to re-
turn to his home where his wife is Sc
riously i'll. Long is 40 years Of age
and has three children.
No charge was preferred against
him as Inspector Grant said: 1--WE
know we can get him when We want
him, and we thought it better to let
him go home to care for his wife who
is very i'll. and his three children"
Besides Arr White. according to tire
police, the threatening letters were re-
ceived by Mrs. Thomas f. Walsh,
widow OF the late copper king" of
Colorado, EIme. Hauge widow of the
former Norwegian minister, and Mrs.
Mary Scott Townsend.
According to the police. Long served
as valet to Major General Clarence r.
Edwards when he was chief of the
insular bureau, and had travelled
around the world with his employer
In his confession, Inspector Grant
stated that Long said:
Il don't know why I wrote the let
ters I may have gotten my idea from
reading of the Gatti case Ca recent
bIaclShand easel: but I was anxious
to see my children of the city pro-
vided for, and thought these rich
people might help"
He declared however, the inspector
added, that he never went to the places
where he had directed the money to be
delivered and would not have
touched it." One of the first things
Lond did after confessing, it was said,
was to telephone his wife and ask her
to notify General Edwards. who is now
stationed in Boston.
Although the case came to light only
yesterday, operatives Of the depart
ment of Justice under Chief william
under Inspector Grant have been
working on it for several weeks. De-
tectives had placed packages at each
place where the money demanded was
supposed to be deposited, but no one
ever appeared, and the first .Iead" the
police received was through Mr..
Whites butler, Stevens, whom the
police said, Long declared he knew
well.
Detectives searched Longs desk
yesterday. in the munition building
and writing paper and envelopes cor
to those used for some of
the letters were found.
Certain that they had located their
man, detectives went TO Longs home
today and took him into custody.
The police said tonight that none
of those who had received the letters
had shown disposition to press the
case against Long, and that unless
they did. no complaint would be lodged
against him.