The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-05-04

dio Corporation of America; Irving
Berlin, song writer; /, Louis Bam-
berger, Newark, N. j., merchant;
william Fox, motion picture mag
nate; Judge Irving Lehman, bro
ther of Governor Herbert H. Leh-
man, New York; Sylvester q. Poll,
New Haven theater chain, owner;
Louis L. Strauss, Carl N. Loeb and
Charles Shipman Payson, New
York stock brokers; Miss Annie
Burr Jennings, wealthy Fairfield
spinster, and Mrs Henry W.. Farm
ham, New Haven, widow Of the
| noted political economist.
Zmindak, held in $4,000 bond
for trial in U. s.. district court at
Hartford, began work on his index
more than a year ago, agents said.
Last December extortion letters
wer received ; simultaneously I'M
Fairfield, New Haven and New
York. I
nings, a daughter of one of the in
corporators Of Standard OIL Com
pany. - .,s.
."For the cash payment OF $12,-
0uV We WILL CGd0C OuE lSos0 W
you of bodily HARM it read.
TX x II you don't catch the mean
,, ing of this letter we viii send you
a second one and no more" =. -,
She was instructed to negotiate
through the advertising columns of
q local newspaper.
/ A second letter, was received
when these Instructions were not
carried out, II began: 80
Frankly speaking, for the SIM
pie stubborness on your part, it is
necessary to re-negotiate. The slip.
shodness Of your ad, the falling
through Of the. payment, etc, all
indicated to your haphazard de-
termination. If these negotiations
fail again let us warn you, leave
town and stay in secret seclusion.'
Had Another Warning > 90,
It contained another warning
that should a trap be set 1--WE sug-
gest that you take your life by your
own hands, rather than be riddled
with slugs from a Tommy"
An endeavof to negotiate with
the extortioner was made as direct-
cd but failed and third letter
was mailed, warning against fur
ther '.slip-shod, or stubborn" ne
gotiations and directed a package
containing the bills be sent. by Miss
Jennings chauffeur to q named hos
tel.
The outcome of the deal and
the consequences that may follow
are at your own disposal 1t warm
ed. 1. 81. .-rs =
Miss Jennings turned the notes
over to the department of justice
and went to New York to stay dur
ing the investigation. etf
Meanwhile Mrs Farnam, Loen,
Payson and Strauss had received
similar threats. all of which were
given the agents.
Arrested in Hotel Lobby
Young Zmindak was arrested
while lettering in a hotel lobby,
the place where mentioned In one
of the notes to Miss Jennings as
where the money should be de-
livered.
What did you mean to do if you
didn't get any replies to the
notes." he was asked during the
Questioning by U. S, Commissioner
Samuel Reich.
II didn't mean to Eidnap any,
one or go any further" he replied.
II don't know why I did it. /
just wanted some money"
Zmindak, carefully groomed,
readily admitted he was alone in
the plot.
He said he mailed the letters
from New York, Bridgeport and
New Haven, aboutta dozen in all.
The letters to Strauss demanded
$500 under threat of kidnapping
his children. From Mrs Farnam
$4,000 was demanded.
All Had False Addresses
All contained false sending adj
dresses and the one directed to
Loeb directed the package of
money be left at the Barnum Ho-
tel desk here where Mr. David M.
Cohen OF st Louis would cali for
It,"
The instructions were carried
out but the package went unclaim-
ed.
Zmindak. who earned $40
week working In a meat market,
was expected to be arraigned in
court May 10. Meanwhile u. S.
District Attorney George Cohen
said he might move for an increase
In the bond.
The youths father is a factory
employe. He has three brothers
and sisters.