"Two Men Are Arrested in Riverside Blackmail Plot," Border Cities Star. April 18, 1934. Page 5.
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John Martin Threatened
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Resident of Border For Many Years Picked Out as Victim
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Mails Involved
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London Postal Official To Direct Prosecution Of Pair Held
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Charged with blackmail, Alfred "Butch" Rogers, 37, of 4700 Riverside drive, Riverside, and 17-year-old Albert Kreewin, of 752 Langlois avenue, were locked up at Riverside jail today.
INSPECTOR OF MAILS
Riverside police were informed that Inspector of the Mails Thomas Murray, of London, or an assistant, would arrive in the Border Cities some time today to direct the prosecution.
The arrest of Rogers and Kreewin followed investigation by Riverside police and Windsor detectives of a plot aimed at John Martin, of 120 Ste. Rose avenue, Riverside, a resident of Riverside for many years.
Rogers and Kreewin are accused by police of trying to extort $1,500 from Martin. Police did not disclose the nature of the threats used in the blackmail plot, explaining that all this would come out at the hearing.
Chief Mahoney, of Riverside, said that the two accused would probably be arraigned today and remanded to appear for a preliminary hearing in East Windsor court on Friday.
EARLY MORNING ARREST
Kreewin was arrested at 4:30 am. He was picked up in a parking lot hut on Chatham street in Windsor. Chief Mahoney and Constable Leboeuf of Riverside were accompanied by a Windsor policeman in making the arrest. Kreewin, police said, is a delivery boy, unemployed.
Rogers is not a Canadian citizen, police said, having come to the Border from Detroit about six years ago. Until three years ago, it was said, he was located at Amherstburg. He is a dredge operator, police said, and has been employed, since coming to Canada, along the waterfront. Rogers was arrested at 9 p.m. last night, at his home, by Chief Mahoney and Sergt.
Renaud, of the Riverside police. Chief Mahoney declared today that he had been assisted considerably, in unraveling the blackmail plot, by Detectives Yokum and Royan, of the Windsor Police Department.
ALONG WATERFRONT
Asked to explain how the 17-year-old Windsor lad had come to be implicated in the alleged blackmail plot, Chief Mahoney explained that Kreewin, out of work, had been spending considerable time about the Riverside waterfront lately.
Chief Mahoney did not care to talk too much about the case, pending the arrival of the inspector from London. He indicated, however, that hand- writing had something to do with the solution of the blackmail plot arrived at by police. The threatening letter received by Martin was not signed, the chief pointed out.
Chief Mahoney said that he was also postponing any extensive questioning of the two prisoners until the arrival of the mail inspector. He made no effort to get any admissions from them, he said.
