Evening star., 1934-08-05
EXTORI|ONSCHEME.
BATTLES POLICE
Possibility of Hoax Seen in
Demand for $50, 900 From
Doheny and Four.
~ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES. August An ex-
tortion note signed The Trio" de-
handing $4,000 from i've prominent
and wealthy men on pain Of grave
danger" to themselves or their farni-
lies. was studied tonight by authori-
ties, half IN the belief 1t might be
an insincere bluff or an outright
hoax.
Experts compared the note with
numerous crank" letters in posses
sion Of police. They also sought to
trace the typewriter on which II was
written.
Whether the demand IL some ones
idea Of joke or q genuine extortion
attempt. every effort win be made TO
run down the perpetrators, said De-
tective Chief Joe Taylor.
Investigators said tonight they
thought they knew the identity OF
at least one Of the letter senders. but
make an arrest and expected no De-
velopments in the case before to-
morrow.
Doheny Among Quartet.
The demand and threats were ad-
dressed to Ora Monnette, vice presi-
dent of the Bank Of America; Z. L.
Doheny, multimillicnaire oil magnet;
Alexander Pantages. theatrical mag
net; Jack J. Doyle. wealthy sports
promoter and oil man, and William
r. Gettle, retired Beverly Hills multi
millionaire, recent victim OF an un-
successful $4,000 ransom kidnapping.
for which three men are now serving
life prison terms.
Addressed to all five, the note was
received only by Monnette, authori-
ties said. Doyle and Pantages re-
ceived only brief notes instructing
them to get in touch with Monnette.
Pantages said he tore up his note
and disregarded it. Doheny and Get
tie, so far as could be learned, re-
ceived nothing.
The purported plot" On which
authorities said they had been work.
ing since Thursday, was disclosed
last night.
The note received at Monnette's
Office Thursday did not suggest how
much each man should pay. 1t called
for a newspaper classified advertise
nent signifying the five men would
await instructions, promised In the
note, as to how the money would be
delivered.
Officers caused the following ad-
vertisement to be inserted: THE trio
letters received. Awaiting further In
structions. o. M.
The initials are those Of Monnette,
but he said he had placed the entire
matter in the hands Of authorities.
Carrying the names of the five men
In the salutation, the note read:
"A demand Is now being made that
you five men shall pay us the sum
$4,000 under threat of grave danger
to yourselfs or your families and We
really mean to get the above amount
or carry out our plan In fun.
Equipment rs Listed.
We are completely equipped with
high-poWered rifles with Silencer at
tachments and you can readily see
how easy it win be for US to act II
you do not carry out our instructions
in full.
"Yos win pay this amount as fol-
lows: $4,000 in $50 bills, $4,000 in
$40 bills, $4,000 In $40 bills.
.Ail the above to be in unmarked
money and in used bills.
I'VE win look for your reply in the
times under class 10 and then we will
give you full instructions as to getting
the cash to our hands.
Use your own Judgment about
notification to the police, but any in
reference on their part will only cost
you and yours more dearly.
"The Trio"