Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-04-12
Growing Peril, Linked
With 5 Famous UnsOlVed Crimes
By EDWARD THIERRY
NEA Service Staff Writer

NE w Ohh, April ORGANIZED
blackmail, perhaps the weapon of
single gang, is considered a possible
solution to series of crimes having
startling condolences and culmin-
ating in the murder of Dorothy King.
Broadway model.
Millions of dollars are secretly ex-
torted crime experts say, in black
mail plots that have wealthy men and
women as victims. These conspira-
tors are known sometimes as "'crime
scavengers."
Analysis Of the possibilities of
series of notorious crimes having
been in the hands of one organized
band of blackmailers shows these
cases as links in the chain:
Mysterious Staying of William Des-
mond Taylor, movie director, in Los
Angles a year ago last February.
Killing of sailor by Walter s.
Ward, millionaire bakers son, near
White Plains, N. Y, last May.
Unsolved double murder of Rev.
W. Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Mills at
New Brunswick, N. j., last Septem-
Der.
Chloroforming of Mrs. Irene
Schoellkopf, wealthy Buffalo woman,
and $4,000 jewel robbery in New
York New Years Eve.
Murder by chloroform of Dorothy
King and theft of $4,000 worth of
jewels in supposed plot to blackmail
j. Bearsley Mitchell, son-in-law of
E. t. Stotesbury, millionaire Morgan
partndr
Blackmail persisted as an explana-
ton of Taylor's murder, Walter
Ward, whose release has been the
subject of an investigation by Gov
ernor Smith, declared he killed his
victim to save himself from a gang of
three blackmailars who had already
obtained $4,000 and demanded $751;
900 more. In the New Brunswick
case the Hall family's theoryswas that
Rev. Hall and Mrs Mills met death
at the hands of band Of blackmail-
ers and robbers. .
The Schoellkopf robbery case, the
only one that did mot end. in murder,
is linked with both the Hall Mills and
the King cases. Chloroform was used
to subdue both Mrs. Schoellkopf and
Miss King; in the latter case it came
from New Brunswick, scene Of the
Hall-Mill murders; and two men con-
nected with the Schoeilkopf case, are
said7to have stayed late at the same
New Brunswick hotel which employ
ed man who disappeared fFon1 the
apartment house where Miss King
lived M esreae5 fqa.ass s.ea
Another c6inscidence is that Neil
son Alcott is counsel for Mitchell,
whose letter to Dorothy King are be-
lieved have been his father, William
M. K. Olcott, 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 fami-
ly.
q have had theory that the same
gang of blackmailers might have been
involved iii other crimes previous to
the King murder" sad Assistant Dis
triet Attorney Ferdinand Pecora.
Pinkerton detectives say blackmail-
ing of wealthy men and women has
become one of the greatest crime
menaces. Most of the cases, they
say, never come to light, although
several months ago complaint was
made to the district attorneys office
that blackmailers had been active
against many New York society wo-
men.
Edward Scwab, for II years
postoffice inspector, says, "Many
blackmail cases hinge on letters
through the mail, and postoffice in
spectors have Investigated some that
oun into amazing figures"
Chief detective Edward Raines, at
tached to the district attorneys Of
flee, says only a few 'blackmaiI cases
a gear get into the courts because
most wealthy victims are willing to
submit rather than to face exposure,
even though innocent. In SO years
of police work, he finds blackmaif
"rates" steadily increasing until
lately 100000 has been mentioned
as the sum demanded in several cases,
including that involving Mitchell,
cr-----.-- l.. z