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EIGHT PAGEIRENE KITE, FOUR MEN ARE HELD ON EXTORTION CHARGWilliam McNeil; 64-Year-O Alton Postal Clerk, Says h Paid $300 After Incident iHotel.BORROWED MONEY AT BANK FOR PAYMENFederal Employe Due for Ri tirement Shortly Was Lei to Believe One of Men Wlt; Government Agent.Mrs. Irene Kite, Alton's womi slot machine smasher who gained na ional publicity In recent weeks aft-breaking up mechanical gambling d vices, was being held at the couni jail Tuesday on charges of conspirai to extort by threats. On the san warrant her husband Danle Kite, Ea Plumb and William Williams are he on similar charges. They were a rested on complaint of William M Neil. 64-year-old Alton postal clerk.Kite, Plumb and Williams are at held on charges of crime against tv lure with McNeil as the victim. ; another warrant, Norman Hall Is he on charges of extortion by threats.Under the law crime against natu: ia punishable by an indetermina term In the Illinois State Penitentiar The extortion charges are punishabby jatl terms and fines.Arrest of the five defendants begs as early as last Saturday night bi authorities did not issue warrants tu til Tuesday. Plumb made a confe sion as early as Sunday but author ties withheld the charges until thlt; obtained further Information befo ordering, the arrest of the others wl were charged by McNeil and implica cd by Plumb in his confession.State’s Attorney M. L. Geers refer ed to the case as “the unspeakafc crime against nature.” Kite and I wife were questioned Tuesday. Mi Kite, the iast to be interviewed w; taken back to JaiL Each defend*: must provide bond of $3000 on ealt; charge against him or her.McNeil told authorities that he b came acquainted with Plumb last N-vember in a casual meeting on tl street. He provided his new acquatn ance with food and helped pay h room rent at Lincoln Hotel where tJ alleged oUense occured, McNeil sa the two became very good friends.The statutory offense occurred c January 7, according to McNe While he and Plumb were in a cor promising position, McNeil charg that Kite and Williams, also knov as “Peoria Bill” and by the name ■ Brown1' opened the door and walk* into the room. After demandii 51000,00 hush money Williams Is a leged to have left the room. McNe says it was then suggested by KL that arrangements be made with W: liams not to reveal what had occur ed.Williams was called back to tl room and again $1000 was demande McNeil said he could not pay th much and compromise of $600 w reached. McNeil was to pay $300 once and the remaining $300 in JunMcNeil was forced to borrow tl money from a bank and his son-tn-la helped him arrange a loan. McNlt; says he paid the $300 in cash to Wi t liams, who refused to take a chec McNeil went to the bank and cash* a check and paid Williams the $a on the street in front of the ban Plumb in his confession said tl money was equally divided betwe* Williams, Kite and himself.Mrs. Kite was drawn into tl charges principally through her fi leged statement to McNeil that W liams, then known to McNeil Brown, “must be a federal agent some sort because he gets lost mail from Washington.” Kite Is al charged with having made almll(Continued on Page Two}
Newspaper Details
Edwardsville Intelligencer
Edwardsville, Illinois, US
Tue, Mar 08, 1938
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 17 Oct 2022
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