BLACKMAIL CHARGES HEARD.

The New York Times
July 7, 1900

Mrs. Eisenhuth's Testimony Against Officers and Directors of Motor Vehicle Company Accused by Her Husband.

James Wilson, a Larchmont capitalist, with offices at 32 Broadway; Edward C. Talcott, who lives at the New York Athletic Club, a manufacturer of leather belts, with offices at 141 Broadway, and Daniel R. Hendricks, a broker, of 541 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, with offices at 40 Wall Street, were in the Centre Street Court yesterday afternoon before Magistrate Pool to answer charges of blackmail preferred by John W. Eisenhuth, President of the Eisenhuth Horse and Vehicle Company of 40 Wall Street.

A fourth defendant to the charges is Stewart H. Chisholm, a Director in the American Steel and Wire Company, but upon whom the police have been unable to serve the warrant, having been unable to find him.

The defendants are heavily interested in the Eisenhuth Company. The allege mistreatment on the part of President Eisenhuth. On or about April 25 last they had him arrested on the charge of receiving money under false pretenses. Magistrate Hogan, in the Yorkville court, held Eisenhuth for the May Grand Jury, which failed to indict him. His charges of blackmail followed upon his liberation.

He charges that Talcott and Wilson on March 27 demanded from him the sum of $10,000 and three-quarters of the capital stock of his company under a threat of exposing his record in San Francisco and other Western cities and putting him in the penitentiary. On April 25 the four defendants sent a letter to President Eisenhuth stating that they were a committee of the Board of Directors, and that they had been authorized to demand of him $10,000 and three-quarters of the capital stock. This letter is the basis for the blackmailing charges.

Magistrate Pool examined the letter and said he saw nothing criminal in it. Nevertheless, he ordered the examination to go forward.

The complainant was represented by Lawyer A. Alexander. The defense was represented by Mr. Miller of Miller, Decker & Miller of 130 Broadway.

Mrs. Ella Eisenhuth, the wife of the President of the company, was first called. She swore that while in her husband's office in the Park Row Building on March 27 Talcott, E. P. Sheldon, and Edwin Alcott entered, and in the presence of Mamie Reid, a niece, and herself Talcott demanded the sum of $10,000 under a threat to put her, her husband, and Mamie Reid in the penitentiary. She swore that on April 27 James Wilson and Talcott called at her home. She barred Talcott, but admitted Wilson, who, she swore, demanded the surrender forthwith of $10,000 in cash and three-quarters of the company's stock. He repeated the threat to put the three persons in jail. She refused his demand and ordered him out.

Lawyer Miller, for the defense, then began the cross-examination.

In reply to Magistrate Pool the witness testified that Stewart H. Chisholm had purchased from her husband 700 shares of stock for which he paid her $10,000. Mr. Chisholm, the witness swore, still owes her $20,000.

Asked what was done with the $10,000 received by her, Mrs. Eisenhuth testified that it was expended in advancing the interests of the company financially.

At the conclusion of her testimony, in the redirect examination, Mrs. Eisenhuth said it was true that while the company had a Treasurer it had no treasury. At this juncture an adjournment was taken to Tuesday next.