The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-04-03
LINK BLACKMAIL
WIT H MURDERS
Organized Gang Operates in
Eastern Crimes
By EDWARD THIEeRy

NEW YORK. April a,--OrEnn.
iEed blackmail. perhaps the
weapon Of single gang. u con
sAlerrd possible solution 20 a
series OF crimes having startling
condolences and eliminating In
the murder Of Dorothy King.
broadway model.
Millions 81 dollars arc secretly
eriorted. crime experts say. Ia
blaekmail plots that have
wealthy men and women as vic.
Tins. These conspirators are
known sometimes m ~crime soay.
enEers.r
Analysis % the possibilities of a
serisa Of notorious crimes having
been Ia the hands Of one organized
band OF blackmailcrs shows these
cases AZ links in the chain:
Mysterious staying Of William peB-
mond Taylor movie director. In Los
Angeles year ago last February
Killing Of a saiior by Walter g.
Ward. millionaire bakers son. near
White Plains. n. y. last May
unNolyod double murder OF Rev
Edward ". Hall and Mrs Eleanor
Mills at New brunswick. y. j., last
September.
ChiorotorminE Of Mrs Irens
schocllkopf. wealthy Buffalo woman.
and $4,000 jewel robbery in New
York New Years exc.
Murder by chloroform OF Dorothy
King and theft OF $4,000 worth Of
jewels In supposed plot 10 blackmaii
J. KearHlcy Mitchell sou-in-lRw OF Il.
T. stoleahury. millionaire Morgan
partner.
Blaclmaii persisted as an e1.
PLANTATION Of Tayior's murder.
Walter Ward. whose release has
been the subject OF an lnvesiiga.
ton by Gov. Smith. declared he
killed his victim TO save himself
from n gang Of three blackmail.
ers who had already obtained
$50. 900 and demanded $4,000
more. In the New Brunswick
case the Hall famIly's theory
was that Iicy. Hall and Mrs,
Mills met death nj the hands OF
band Of blaekmailers and rob.
bers.
The sehoellkopf robbery case, tho
only one that did no, end In murder.
ia linked with both the Hall.Mills
and the King cases Chloroform was
used to subdue both Mrs schoell-
kopf and Miss King; In the latter
case II came from New Brunswick,
scene OF tho HALL Mills murders. and
two men connected with tho Schocll-
kopf case arc said TO have stayed
later NJ the same New Brunswick ho-
tel which employed man who dis
appeared from the apartment house
where Miss King lived.
Another coincidence is that Nelson
Olcott In counsel for Mitchell. whose
letters TO Dorothy King are believed
to have been sought by blackmailers:
and his father. William NJ. X. olcott.
former district attorney, admits he
was consulted by the Hall family In
the New Brunswick double murder
and Is regarded as the brains" that
directed the attitude Of the Hall fam.
ily.
II have had a theory tina, tho same
gang Of blackmailors might have
been involved In other crimes previ.
Gus TO the King murder said As.
Hstnnt District Attorney Ferdinand
Pecora.
Pinkerton detectives say black.
mailing OF wealthy men and
women has become one Of the
greatest crime mcnaces. Most
OF the cases, they say. never
come TO light. aliho several
months ago complaint was made
TO the district attorneys office
that blnckmailers had been nc.
tive against many New York so.
ciety women.
Edward s. Schwab. for II years
postoffice Inspector, says: MANY
blackmail cases hinge on letters thru
tho mail. and postofflcc inspectors
have investigated some that run into
figures"
Chief Detective Edward Rnincs, at
tnchcd 10 tho district attorneys Of
flee. says only few backmail cases
n year get into the courts because
most wealthy victims are willing to
submit rather than face exposure,
even tho innocent. In 33 years OF po-
lico work, he finds blnckmail rates"
steadily increasing until lately $780,
900 has been mentioned as the sum
demanded In several cases, including
that involving Mitchell.
Police Commissioner Enrights OF,
flee is one OF the fow crime agencies
that favors the robbery theory rather
thun blncltmail In tho Dorothy King