Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-05-03 | Page 15 | Daring Attempt to Blackmail Stopped

DARING ATTEMPT TO BLACKMAIL STOPPED Former Convict Threatens to Publish Love Letters Unless He Is Well Paid, Special Cable to Tho Tribune. MILAN, May 2. A daring attempt to blackmail Prince Uhnauuela Gonzagu by threatening to publish a batch of lovo letters written by his daughter, who died iu her teens about two years ago, is brought to light. Tho prince recently received a tele-phono tele-phono message from somo unknown person, per-son, who demanded sullicieut funds t o enable him to emigrate to the United States and start a rresh career. A threat was mado that unless the prince complied tho unknown would publish a quantity of compromising love letters from the pen of Princens Eli;su-both. Eli;su-both. An appointment was made, and punctual' a mysterious individual, smartly dressed, drovo up to the prince's palaco in a motor car. Apparently Ap-parently scenting danger, however, he muroly delivered into Priuco Gonzaga's hands a packet of twenty-eight letters, saying the prince could peruse them at his loisuro. Tho stranger then politely took leave and the police, who were hidden in an adjacent apartment, were unable to act, since no attempt at blackmail had been made. The same oveuiug,( however, the stranger rang up the prineo on the telephone, tele-phone, requesting a prompt decision and stating that tho Opistles handed to him were only the most innocent and loast. impoitaut of u vast collection which were actually in tho press. Simultaneously Simul-taneously private circulars wero sent around to aristocratic families in Milan, and oven distributed in the fashionable public resorts, announcing tho pending publication or tho amorous correspond-once, correspond-once, comprising over 100 letters, from a 'priiu'ely Milanese maiden to a poor Sicilian sweetheart.-" The police thereupon arrested the blackmailer, a man named Gaotano Freui from Paterno, Sicily, at whoso house were seized 150 original lotters in tho princess's handwriting. Tho whole stock of priuted copies was ready for issue. Tho "hero" of the romance is an ox-convict, who has done several terms of .penal servitude for forgery and embezzlement. em-bezzlement. Ilis hanjilHome physique and fascinating fascinat-ing ways"" had enchanted tho young princess, and their clandestine meetings nnd correspondence had been facilitated bv liberal "tips" to domestic servants. The princess's wasting illness aud her lover's detention iu prison happily frustrated frus-trated ii n elopement and a secret marriage mar-riage abroad, which Froni had plotted ns an inducement to the family to eomo to terms and uiako liberal provision for tho ill-sorted pair,