Evening star., 1933-05-07

instructions as to placing the money.
When he had hastily finished shovel
ing all the coal, he walked out Of the
alley with the partly opened package In
his pocket and was nabbed less than q
block away by the agents. The colored
man was able to establish his COM
plete innocence, explaining he had
picked up the package merely out Of
curiosity and was carrying it away to
get some one to read the note for him,
as he was unable to read. He was re-
leased.
Since the note did not make 1t clear
the trap was set again at midnight OF
the 9th, with more agents on duty
Maj. and Mrs Collier carried the pack
age to the alley Just before midnight
depositing 1t where agents in the
parked truck could observe everything
This time combination OF circum-
stances arose to plague the Federal
officers and Illustrate the extortionist
II he really had intended to appear
First Of all. an apartment dweller in q
nearby building heard a suspicious
noise at his door and called police. In
a few moments the vicinity was alive
with police, who arrived in radio
cruisers and on foot. They swarmed
into the alley. at times almost stumbling
over the package, but saw neither II
Tries to Start Truck.
Things quieted down again about l:3C
o'clock in the morning. but about 1C
minutes later q colored man, obviously
under the influence Of liquor, staggered
down the alley, saw the truck and de-
cided to investigate. He got into the
drivers seat and tried to drive the
truck on-agents and all. He couldn't
get the motor started without q key
however, so he then tried to open the
locked rear doors Of the truck. The
agents inside decided to take the mar
into custody and he was booked at the
tenth precinct on an Investigation
charge He, too. was released after !,
was found he had nothing to do with
the extortion letter.
There was q wait Of . few days fol
a possible second note, which failed
to arrive. Then the agents proceeded
to question all employees. They also OBJ
tanned specimens Of handwriting from
70 past and present employees OF the
cafe-for the oflcers were convinced II
was an Inside job" AL the specimens
together with the original note. were
submitted to DR.. Wilmer Souder, notec
handwriting expert Of the Bureau Of
Standards who examined the Lind.
bergh kidnapping letters.
Admits Penning Letter.
Dr.. Souder, without hesitation, picked
out Masons handwriting as identical
with that in the extortion note. Mason
hitherto had not been suspected. He
was placed under surveillance and ar
investigation disclosed he had pur.
chased recently q tablet containing pa
per of the kind used in the letter. Ht
is said to have given conflicting &C.
counts Of his movements on the eve
ming the note was mailed.
After a thorough grilling at the hele
office headquarters Friday night, dur
ing which he was confronted with thest
and other facts, the agents announced
that he broke down and admitted hav
ing penned the letter. The justice
officials said the colored youth insisted
his only purpose was to cause Mrs
Collier misery and suffering"
Mason had little to say when ar
raigned under q warrant charging at
tempted extortion under the new Fed
eral kidnapping act. A technical plet
Of not guilty was entered for him b.
Commissioner Turnage. The prisone
appears to have had no previous Grim
inal record.
At the jail last night Mason declines
to see reporters.