BLACKMAILERS METHODS EXPOSED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 32, 28 January 1908, Page 4

BLACKMAILERS METHODS EXPOSED.

MiSi'S WHO I'Kfcl O.N POOK I'WVLu The extorting ol money under threats ol public exposure is a. tar uiore prevalent form ot crime than is generally supjwaed, remarked a detective uilicer witii whom me writer recently conversed. That there art not more convictions tor tiie oilence fet simply due to the fact that in more tnau nail the cases lire victim either submits to the iuiposluie or rcoeis half-heartedly, instead ol iuinieuiately appealing to the Jaw lor protection. The selasiinesa ot this is obvious, since it not only Waves the criiuimil Iree to practice 111* nefarious calling ou another, but gives him encouragement and confidence. As a consequence blackmailing is looked upon as a "soft iumg anioiig criminals. A powerful Drool of the low moral character ol tots claw of rogue is »i----lorded by the fact that he rarely has the courage to fasten upon a wealthy and inliueutial vicum unless be is perfectly sure 01 bis ground. Even then, as oitcu as not, he is an absolutely desperate man who eareo little what bappens to himseli, and, gambler-like, •takes liberty, and even life itself, on his venture, Hut the systematic blackmailer—the man who makes a profesoiou of it—goes to work very uiflerently. lie is content with smaller gains, and thereiore selects "Mibjecti" lees wealthy and more neipless. He trades on the coinmou beiiel, which eQ many people entertain, that an appeal of any kind to the law meani heavy expense, 'and, by skilfully accommodating his demands in each case, he takes care neyjer to drive his victim to euth a desperate remedy. in the majority of cases the foundation for the threats by which the money is extorted either does nut exist or i= 01 the moat trivial character. The City clerk is a very favoured tjpe of prey for these modern parasites, lor loss ei character means little short of ruin .o him. The following instance should prove a useful warning against the rash habit of making pronuocuous acquaintances. A cashier holding a responsible post in a big firm happened one evening to make the acquaintance of a well-dressed man at • place ol amusement. Th-.y met again and. became friendly, s u mc time utcr, while returning "together from a theatre, the clerk—who had uo doubt been druggeu—became apparently intoxicated, and was taken into custody. Me got oil with a suiail line, and miming more wao heard of the matter until he next saw his companion, who reguested the loan of a small sum of money.

ITus request was treuuentiy repeated, and as the amuuut increased the victim at length protested. The whilom - friend ' then threw oil the mask, and threatened tu divulge the police-court »tory tu the clerk's principals unless a certain siun was paid to him every week. -tor a time tie young man submitted, and ttten, on my advice, he told his employers huuseU, and so spiked the scoundrel s guns. Personal appearance is a trump'card witn these rogues, and they pay cveiy attention to it. Women are especially prone to judge by appearances, and so tile petty blackmailer who ha* anv pre tensions to good looks can always lind a pigeon to pluck among the lair sc*. Once the victim's commence has been gained and a lew personal particulars elicited, the plot is soon perfected, Tor instance, not long ago a domestic servant, fresh from'the country, wa*uaiuefully victimised by a scamp who professed to be courting her. tailing one evening to take her out, he cvutuved tu steal some silver spoon-'. and, telling her they were His, «*iuced her to pawn them in her own name, he

•living come plausiule excuse for this. On the property being iniisrd. the poor girl saw how she had been tricked. For some mouths she paid the hush-inoncv demanded, and then she confessed. The man »..- .misled, and at hie rooms a number of pawn-tickets were luuud, ill bearing ihe names ot females whom Inhad doubtless served in the same wav, together with stolen property which secured his retirement from society for a considerable period. Those untortunate individuals who have made one lalse step in life, and - > brought themselves within the cliurheof the law, naturaliv sillier heavi

the baud-, of these blackmailing : Directly iucli a one ha-, secured which will jive him a ireeh sl«

finaS himself called on to pay

money nr run the risk of losing bin -imation by the exposure of hid paat wisdeed. In niiit case- out of ten he will prefer tli.' former, and so these inhuman vultures fatten upon the fears of their victims.

Sometime-., honever, the biter i- bitten, anil I remember with pleasure a cane in which, .it the lir-t threat, the victim made a ci.mii breast of it to hiemplovrr. Tin- latter «.i- an Jmjrlidi gentleman of Lit.- old -chool: he interviewed the blackmailer hiineclf, and iniliptcil nu rid-,1 punishment in the form of a sound hor-cwhippinj:. liut such men are few and far between, and only too often tin- unfortunate employee >\ driven from hi, situation and thrown hack into the' criminal life from which hut for his persecutor, he might have emerged. Though I have only mentioned Hireclasses in 'the al»ve examples, it may be well to «tate that no per-on whom •lander might to lose his or her position ran be con-id.Tcd a* outi-ids-1:..-pale of ;hcir operation-, due of tie most despicable device. ..f tin--.- »cnt:.' takes the forni of d-mand- for mon-v from wiijjre or recently -bercav d ihil- - tin- piil.li .uimi of some n't or incident-■-."•ucrally f»b rieated—»l ifh will defame the reputaiion of the fr-'t one. Anxiety- to pf-eiio this, no ■lmibt. frequently makes sv'-i nbameful appeal- -»■■• ■■■--nil. but tieproper method of ilealir? v,i»'i then ito plafe tl'»m in the band- ~f :!u without -'clay/. If 'hi- plan «.re jo'lowed in .-very case, blackmailing voir 1 toon cease to he the scourge it i-s to «o Htpy^—Home pap"".