Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-09
From the ~ r. York Tribune.
a Green Old Gent BIed 60 the Tune OF
xIIOO0

~ WARNING TO ELDERLY SwAINs.-A few
months since, an old gentleman from Newark,
n. j., came to New York on business. One
evening, while passing along Broadway, he
was accosted by a woman. Though his head
was graeed with the SHOWS of many winters,
his heart was as infiammable as that of any
youth in the dog-days of life. The old gem
tleman made but faint resistance to the
charms of the siren, and finally consented to
accompany her home. The happy couple had
scarcely entered the house, when an infatuated
man rushed into the room, and frantically
exclaimed, IL have found you out! You are
betraying me, hut your paramour shall not
escape my just vengeance. / will make him
feel what it is to destroy the happiness of
loving husbandih The lady screamed, i'm
plored, wept. and finally, as last resort,
tainted. The elderly seducer protested on his
honor that the unfortunate lady was innocent.
For some time the husband sternly refused TO
listen, but at length through the entreaties of
friend who had accompanied him, he agreed
to accept thousand dollars, and say no more
about the matter. The old gentleman
being rich, was glad to escape thus easily.
He paid 500 down, all the money he had
with him. and promised that he would give
the rest at ten O'Clock the next morning,
making an appointment at the New York
Hotel for that purpose. In security for this
agreement he was easily induced to leave be-
hind his fine gold watch and chain. Next
morning, ut the appointed hour and place the
old man paid over to the injured husband and
his friend the additional 5000, and left for his
home, thinking the matter was wholly settled,
SO far as he was concerned. But he was wo-
fully mistaken, for soon afterward his two
masculine friends called upon him az his own
house, and by threats of exposure and legal pro-
ceedings unless he complied induced him TO
pay $4,000 more. This visit they solemnly
promised would be the last, but it was not
They called again and again, and by means of
the old threats cOntrived not to leave empty
handed. One day the friend, by whose kind
intercession the compromise had first been
made, called upon the old gentleman, and
told him that the loving husband whose peace,
he had destroyed, was dying, and for obvious
reasons it would be well to pay him visit
that he might not, in his paroXysm, divulge
the secrets which it would be well to keep
quiet. The old man followed to the house of
the dying man. He was ushered into dark
ened room, and there beheld the injured hus-
band, apparently in the last agOnies, crying
out, Let me clutch the destroyer of my hap
piness and wife's honor bring him before mel'
The old man, badly frightened. begged the few
sympathisers- who were present to keep the
dying man quiet. and freely left behind him
$4,000 more to pay the poor fellows funeral
expenses and doctors bills He had paid
5000 i'll all, and now, he thought the matter
must surely end. Bnt again he was mistaken.
One evening his domestic lares were inva-
ded by two seedy looking gentlemen, whose
whole appearance indicated specimens of the
genus literary, who live by writing sensation
stories and digging up scandal like ghouls
They introduced themselves, and presented
him with IA neatly written manuscript which
they requested him to peruse. To his horror
he found it to be highly cOlOred account of
his nocturnal adventure, names, &c. in full
The peace and good name of his family were
at stake. so he asked what sum would induce
them TO suppress it. After some consultation
they named $1,000, saying that their publish
er had already paid for it, but out of consd-
Grafton for his family they would withdraw it.
The money was handed over, the manuscript
burned, the writers took their departure, aud
the old man, with his purse now considerably
lightened, plucked up courage to prevent fur
ther extortion. With this view he notified
some New York detective police officers of
the whole affair, and begged their protection.
One of these officers (Henry Hope) after con-
siderable search succeeded in arresting one of
the swindlers. The prisoner was brought be-
fore Recorded Barnard, who committed him
temporarily an affidavit having been made
against him. The old gentleman who had
been victimized so badly, and in a manner so
old, would not, however, press the affair to a
further examination for fear of the publicity
which would ensue, but expresses himself sat
listed in thu knowledge that he would not be
further disturbed