Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1898. Blackmailing.

Manawatu Herald, 17 May 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1898. Blackmailing.

Some excitement has been aroused in London owing to the publicity given to the fact that there exists an organised gang of blackmailers, com posed of twenty-five degraded men and women in that metropolis. The discovery of this gang may be new, but what is known as blackmailing is as old as the hills and will continue to exist as long as disreputable people live and as long as their victims are foolish enough to try and screen themselves from publicity by paying hash money. In a recent Home paper an account of this gang was published which showed it was so well organised for robbery that they had many furnished houses in London, and adapted themselves with costumes for many parts. One of their tricks is thus described : — One female in particular, who, with her violet, innocent eyes, golden hair, and timid ways, looks a pathetic picture in her obviously cheap mourning, has through her wilds succeeded in ruining many an otherwise respectacle man's life. Her usual plan is to attract the attention of some man— frequently a clergyman — to whom she imparts a terrible rale of misfortune and misery. Her husband has died, her little home is about to be sold up by unmerciful creditors, and in corroboration of her story she invites the victim to accompany her to her v house. Touched with sympathy for her, the good man goes with her to the pretty little villa at Brixfcoa, where everything bears the stamp of genteel poverty. Naturally he takes out his purse and presents her with a golden coin or two. The fascinating widow cannot find words to thank him. " My preserver," she ejaculates, and casts herself upon the good man's breast, sobs convulsively, and looks up, not in gratitude, a3 her victim imagines, but so that a confederate in the next room who is about to photograph the group through an artfully-contrived aperture in the wall may get a good snapshot. Gently her victim disengages himself and makes his exit, happy in the feeling that he has assisted a fellow creature in distress. Little doas he imagine that hi 3 footsteps are being shadowed by a miscreant whose business it is- to discover his name and address in order that a cruel system of blackmail may be inaugurated. Some days afterwards, when the gentleman is having breakfast with his wife and daughters, a letter addressed to him arrives which, on being open, reads : — Deab Sib, — A friend of mine has in bis possession the negative of a photograph of you, which you foolishly had taken while in a somewhat interesting pc3ition, print enclosed, which he is prepared to dispose of to you on receipt of £100. I should strongly recommend you to avail yourself of this offer, as there is no telling the injury it would do you should this photograph ba circulated. — I am, Ac, The print, of course, is of a disgusting character, and is " faked " by printing from two negatives, a process well known to photographers. Should he forward the required sum, rather than risk exposure, he receives the negative by return, and fondly imagines that the danger is over. This tale discloses the moral weakness of the clergyman which is just that touch of human nature these wretches make their plans and trade on. The unfortunate man rather than go to the expense and anxiety of fighting a case in which appearances were against him, thought the easiest plan was to pay a sum of money and be done with it. The clergyman was, as all these victims are, mistaken, as the success of having extorted money only em boldens the blackmailer to make further demands, and in a few weeks, therefore, he receives a polite note from another address, to the effect that the writer has a print from the same negative for which he requires £5, otherwise he must take a friend's offer and dispose of it to this gentleman. And so the game goes on. Blaokmail is the extortion of money or goods by threats of accusation or exposure, and is in force not only in London, but over the world and in the colonies, and is conducted by apparently well or fairly educated persons, which assists them in their raids against Society by disarming for a time a suspioion 'of their acts. We have no hesitation in saying that the presence of blackmailers in any part of the world is evidence of the weakness of its inhabitants, as people of this class must in the long run starve, or take to honest means of livelihood if those against whom they threaten charges would pay no attention to these claims but cooly refer | them to the public courts for their remedy, though it may happen that at times they may push their claims to a successful issue by processes so well-known to magistrates and judges. It goes as a matter of fact that the person who attempts to buy off a blackmailer ends his days in poverty, for these criminals being without shame of any sort, honesty is not leckoned of the least value, and ft

promise is viewed only as a means to an end and then to be broken. There are plenty of people ruined and made miserable by these diabolical miscreants^ just from the -want of nerve to stand the exposure of a tissue of lies* which it may not be practical at the time to disprove. It mould however be born in mind that truth will prevail, and a person thus dastardly attacked has but to have patience to see all things righted. The blackmailer is the lowest and worst of our criminal class and all should be on their guard against their insiduous attacks.