Evening star., 1932-02-18
$25-A-WEEK CLERK
SAYS HE PAID $500
TO EXTORTIONISTS
Continued From First Page.)

part of the money. Other receipts he
was forced to destroy at the command
of the alleged blackmailers he claimed.
Two men were taken in custody in
connection with the case after a brisk
fight yesterday at the rooming house
where Slusher lives. During the strug
gle, one Of them kicked Sergt. Thomas
Nally in the leg, inflicting such a severe
injury that hospital treatment was re-
quired- The other knocked Nally's gun
a against gl T a fence, where it It was s dis
charged.
Charges Expected Today.
The men were taken to the fourth
precinct station and booked for investi-
cation. Charges were to be preferred
today. The men gave their names as
John w. Mahoney and Harry Buster
Lewis. Both said they were q years
old and we're painters. Mahoney said
he had no address, but Lewis told po-
lice he lives in the first block of B
street southwest.
Lived Like q Hermit.
Still frightened, Slusher told how he
had lied hermit's existence in order
to pay the blackmailers
I've lived in one room and stayed
home every night" he said. For the
past three years I have bought only
one suit of clothes and have been to
the movies only once since those men
started bounding me for money.
I've been in constant misery. afraid
to go out of the store in the day time
and afraid to leave my room at night.
Several times the men have met me on
the street and grabbed my shoulder and
kl Il
walk past the store at Eleventh and
K streets and peer in-I suppose to
see if I was there.
II was afraid to report them to police
they threatened me and was scared
of them"
He paused, rejecting.
Afraid No Longer, He Says.
But I'm, not afraid now. Why I
actually believe I would like to take
punch at one of them. I'm glad they're
in jail"
Slusher said he met Lewis first. in
the store. He said he knew him as
Joe Burke" and Mahoney as Harry
Kelly" Receipts for the money he
paid them were signed with those
names.
The first money they got was OBJ
came into the store and asked to bor-
row few dollars" Slusher said. i
lent the money to him; later he came
back for more, and in the past few
months-since New Year-they have
been getting more and more I'm al
most broke now. All the money I had
saved to invest in first mortgages is
gone. have only $240 left"
Slusher said he came here from Win
chester, Va, six years ago. He said
he is an orphan, that his mother died
when he was seven and a half" and
his father when he was 10. He has one
sister, who lives at Shenandoah juno
ton, w. Va. An uncle, G. c. Miley
is vegetable buyer for the grocery COM
pany where he works, he said.
Helped by Landlord.
Arrest of the alleged extortionists
was brought about by George Royston,
dated Monday, February IS, written by
Mahoney, signed Harry Kelly" de-
manding $50 apiece" by Wednesday.
Royston turned the letter over to De-
tective Ogle at the fourth precinct sta
ton It follows:
Mr. Burke Oewis) and myself have
been thinking it over, and we want to
90 to the West Coast, so we have just
got to have $50 apiece from you with
out delay-by Wednesday, the 17th Of
this month.
And if we don't get it by then, we're
going to make things very unpleasant
for you. with the people you you live
(exact text and your folks back home;
also We are going to send you to jail
AS you know Mr. Burke knows all about
pI aon nly I>iv
will mean long term for you in Jail.
Don't think we are afraid of your
/ friends as we have enough help to come
down there and take, you out of the
house If we want. But If you send us
the money we will never bother you
again.
But if you don't, we mean business
$50 We will close and wait until then
(Signed) kelly and Burke"
A postscript added: Send it to Har-
ry Kelly, care of general delivery,
Washington, D. c."
Arrange for Meeting.
Ogle instructed the youth not to send
the money and asked the landlord to
tell either of the two men, In case they
telephoned, that he had gone into the
country and would be back about noon
Wednesday,"
About 1870 yesterday, ogle said, one
of them called up. Slusher answered
the phone and by prearrangement with
Ogle, made an appointment with the
men to come to the house in half an
hour. Five minutes later the pair came
One of the receipts which Slusher
turned over to Ogle read:
"Mr. James Slusher:
THE bearer has paid us in full and
is o. K. in every respect
(Signedl HARRY KELLY,
JOE BURKE"
The men had nothing ION" Slusher,
detectives said. using only threats to
obtain money from him.
Ogle and Nally arranged to be hidden
near SlH ter's room yesterday when the
tu,n me- were schedilled to call to col.