BLACKMAILERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 149814, 30 May 1914, Page 16

BLACKMAILERS.

HOW VICTIMS ARE PBOCUBED

(By F.W.M., in London ''Daily Mail.")

"If," as a judge of the High Court had recent occasion to remark, "England with all her pretended virtues is the home of the blackmailer," then has London become the nursery, the very incubator of this class of crime, for during the last three years tho number of convictions has increased by exactly 50 per cent. Paradoxically, there is no such thing as "blackmail" in its original meaning known to English jurisprudence, but •'demanding money with menaces" "or by extortion" aro both indictable offences and are what the layman means when he speaks of "blackmail." The "'Century Dictionary" defines blackmail as "a tribute of money, corn, cattle or the like anciently paid in the North of England and in Scotland to men allied with robbers to secure protection from pillage." • ' Tho modprn definition is to be found in "Webster's International Dictionary." It is "'payment of money exacted by means of intimidation : also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure or censure, 1 ' and it is this offenco which has increased by leaps and bounds in London and elsewhere during recent years.

A charge of blackmail—to use the generic term —was at one time a comparatively rare entry in the Calendar at tho Old Bailey, but nowadays hardly a session passes without two or three persons being indicted for this offenco.

COMPARATIVE IMMUNITY. As already pointed out, tho number of convictions was enormously mcreascd or late, but no truo idea oi tne extent to wnich blackmail is practised in London can bo gacnered from publisued iigures for the simple reason tnat tne proportion of prosecutions to offences is less than one in ten. Blackmailers of both sexes ply their practices witn comparative immunity, tneir victims realising that to prosecute is to court the very publicity they are anxious to avoid. Thero are blackmailers in every class of society; in Beigravia and Whitechapel. London is overrun by those who seek to tnako capital out of the lapses and indiscretions of their friends and associates; tho boon companion of to-day is the blackmailer of to-morrow. These persons have neither conscience nor scruple; man, maid, and wife are fair game to them. The modern craving for excitement has delivered many victims into their hands. Innocent escapades are magnified, and tho victim of attack, rather than face tho threatened exposure of what at the time was deemed "good fun," pays, and pays, and goes on paying. VICTIMS WHO PAY. Tho chief victims of blackmailers can be classed as follows: —

J. Publio men (particularly prominent politicians) to whom a whisper of scandal means Joss of prestige if not ruin.

2. Men and women in a good station of lifo to whom an accusation, false or otherwise, would mean endless trouble and ridicuJe.

3. "Wealthy young mon who would rather pay than subject theniselves to tho inconvenience of prosecuting, even if thero were no grounds for the accusation mado against thru. 4. "Wives of Army and Navy officers on foreign service.

5. Young women in society "kicking over tho traces" as regards gaming and betting.

6. loung men holding positions of responsibility iv banks or tho Civil Service.

7. Pooplo living down "a past." These seven classes indicate generally the station of life of those who are the chief victims of blackmailers, but they by no means exhaust the list. Indeed,, it ife not too sweeping to say that in everyone s life are on* or txc-n Incidents not -necessarily punishable offences or even transgressions of the Mosaic laws, which will not stand the light of publicity without exciting a blush of shame °l ridicule. It is these incidents which the blackmailer seeks to discover, and no matter what they may be he generally succeeds iv turning his discovery to his own advantage..trading as much upon his victim's fear of ridicule as sense of shame.

7DECOYS, MALE AND FEMALE. Not very long ago the authorities became aware of the existence of a society —it was more than a gang, numbering as it did upwards of 200 persons of tooth sexes—which by remarkable organisation was, much on the lines already indicated, securing victims right and left. The police m breaking its power, but there are nor/ indications that the gang or a section of, it. is at work again. Its members frequent West End restaurants, theatres, and music-halls seeking thetr Prey. Young men. undergraduate? the sons of prominent people in society' are inveigled into their net by the gang; an acquaintance is patched up and it is not long befoie the blackmailers • get to work. The Criminal Law Amendment Act and tho divorce lavns are two allies tliev iinvoke, and the victim, although absolutely innocent of any offonce, is so shamed »y the allegations trumped up against him that he is only too ready ''to square"' the matter, frequently being driven into the hands of money-lenders all too often allies of tho gang, and from that day he has little rest from their importunities. In the list of victims given above the wives of officers on foreign service are mentioned. These generally fall victims to the handsome dashing man whose acquaintance they have made by the river or the sea. It is, with the aid of a confederate, quite easy for the blackmailer to improvise a compromising situation—a breakdown on a motor ride with the chauffeur as an accomplice or a missed train at the end of a day's excursion are two of the most common tricks which place an innocent but foolish woman in tbo hands of the snoiler. Gaming clubs lead to tbe vi»timi«»twm o f +b» -roans: girl p-nd tho bank clerk or Civil Servant. Highplay, inability to limrdato ensagemenls. a note of haM wbWi cannot be redeem cd. and then threatened exposnre to parents or employers are the means adopted THREE RULES FOR THE BLACKMAILED. These are a few of the methods adopted in the West End, but in the City, if anything, blackmail is even more rampant: larger stakes are played for and generally won. It is safe" to say that hardly a day passes but someone is victimised in tho "square mile.'' A promoter is about to place an issue on tho market: a word to his discredit would bo fatal to his schemes. He pave, and for ever sacrifices his freeAim from attack. A merchant in a large way of business traces to a creat extent upon the credit nis integrity as a business man has won him. A large VJeal is on, a story is fabricated as to his solvency. He too pays, knowing that If he prosecutes for slander the mud which the blackmailer will fling will stick.

The best advice to be given to those who move about town and occupy such a position in the world as to invite the attention of the blackmailing fraternity is never to cultivate chance acquaintances. If attacked by a blackmailer.

1. Ignore the suggestion and on no account put pen to paper. Give an interview only in the presence of a trusted friend. 2. Resolutely resist all demands. 3. Consult a solicitor or the police, and if required institute proceedings. Always remember that to demand money under the threat of exposure, even if the allegations supporting the demand are true or bear the semblance of truth. ; s a criminal offence punishable on conviction by penal servitude for lift?. And the greater the truth the greated the ottonce—teehnkally. at any rase.