The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-28

Homes Of the business men
have been guarded by deputy
sheriffs and private detectives
most of the time since the let
ters were received. Purdy
moved his family to an Indi-
annapolis hotel for a time.
Each of the business men re-
ceived at their homes letters mailed
from Indianapolis, Nov. 10. The
letters were on stationery bearing a
black printed picture of a hawk.
The envelopes bore the same in
sigma.
Warned on Home Blast
Each of the letters warned the
recipients that unless they left the
sum demanded in their mail boxes
by the night of Dec. % your home
will be blown up"
The Hawk" added that "if any
attempt is made to notify the au-
thorities or interfre with the Hawk,
the owner of the home will be mur-
dered in cold blood"
In the letter to Koss, he also
threatened "Ill bring the worst Chi
cago gang to help me-"
The Hawk" demanded $500 from
Hawkins, $1,000 from Koss and
1880 from Purdy
indianapolis Pinkerton detectives,
in a manner they refused to dis.
close, got a description ot Hessong
as a suspect. They learned he might
have gone to Akron and communi-
Gated with Akron police.
Find Typewriter Clew
Akron officers arrested Hessong as
he was about to rent an automobile
at an Akron agency at 1915 this
morning.
Police took Hessong to headquar-
ters and searched his quarters in a
rooming house. There they found
a Corona typewriter, with type cor
responding to that with which the
Pinkerton detectives had decided
the threatening letters had been
written, and a quantity of the
'Hawk" stationery like that upon
which the Indianapolis letters had
been written.
HesSong finally admitted he was
the man sought and made detailed
statement, police said. He said that
he had gone back to the Neighbor-
hood of the Carmel homes the night
of Dec. % to collect the money from
the mail boxes, but saw a number of
men lurking in shadows, SO he fled.
This was the first inkling officers
had that HeSSong ever had gone
back to the neighborhood.
HeSSOng said he had taken sew
eral flying lessons, where he did not
disclose, and was thrilled with the
idea of sky writing. He had TO have
a plane and money with which to
locate customers.
Decides to Use BIackmaiI
He thought for a long time over
various schemes to raise the money.
Then he hit upon blackmail, accord
ing to Akron officers. He investi-
gated the best prospects among IN
dianapolis business men and de-
cided that Purdy, Koss and Haw-
kinS were the best suited for his
purposes, because they lived in the
country, the Akron officers said.
Sheriff Thomas Rasey of Nobles-
vile, whose deputies helped guard
the homes, said he would confer
with the Hamilton county prosecutor
and judge at once about filing of
formal charges upon which to re-
move Hessong there for trial.
Check City Students
Carmel authorities said they be-
lieved Hessong is a youth who was
graduated from Carmel high school
several years ago.
Heads of Indianapolis airports
said the name of Hessong had a
familiar ring, but none could re-
member a student of that name
having taken flying lessons in their
schools.
A youth named Wendell Hes
song worked for an Indianapolis
lumber company as a truck driver
until last July He was deeply in
terested in aviation and had taken
some flying lessons at Anderson, his
former employers said.
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