The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-01
EXPOSING A BLACKMAILER.
sTt TEMrgNTs or THE CiSE FROM MISS
AMOR IND HER FRIENDS.
Mr.. rnSei Thoroughly Investigated nv The
sun How Some Criticisms arc Procured
Annoyance. ~ Artists aud Musical un.t-u-
m.ut Manufacturers Brazcn Frauds.

The recent charges and counter charges
made through the columns Of The Sun. with
reference to an alleged case Of blackmailng in
which the names Of Miss Emma Abbott the cs-
,rmcd vocalist and Mr.. Louis Engel the editor
ri the Arcadidn. wore used having reached tho
,r,ma donna ut Toledo she Immediately sent
Tho following despatch to- THE sun:
20 TINT rnrroR OF THE srx-sr. II my
siatonrst will close u dsagrooablc and pcr
.nnnl dispute into which my name has been
cruelty dragged Ia no purpose. pleasc say for
NJ" that Mr. Louis Enlel last February per
,i.tcnily SOUGHT 10 nuke first my husband. then
myself and finally Mr.. Lake pay him ESQ to
prevent The Arcad'dn from abusing me in its
Jake h. was ,jrctcd from the house He re-
taa,ed by ss,nil,nns s w go IN the 1r,aaaam;
with this fresh and direct evidence tho inter-
est in the mattcr revived. and Sun reporter
WAS sent with the despatch to obtain
MIR. wrTur RTIfs STATEMENT.
Tho husband Of Miss Abbott was found at his
residence on firh avenue. lie read the dcs-
patch and said il WIS perfectly true.
Rcnorter-Did Mr. Louis Engc over apply to
you tor money to be- used in Keeping unfavor-
able opinions Of Miss Abboti's singing out Of
thc papers
Mr.. Nrthcrc'l-Ycs he did.
L portor-Whon WIS this?
Mr. Wchcrcll-During the month Of Fehru-
arv. think 1t was during the time Of Miss
ArNou's concerts ai Chickcring Hall
Rrporirr-You had known him before?
Mr. Wrthcrou-Wr had known him IA a mu-
stefan and conno.ss'ur. H. PROGRESSED TO hc per
tan1fv infinite with an the mus cal cerhri ties
.. Europe. H. came To- mo before this with
rr.uns tinn to buy thu irc6didH. and make an
Abbott ryan " Il, laughed nt the idea He
tanor ana prNtert the lady. II was a new phase
O. fhr business to me. and treated q loosely.
Whom hs came TOO me in Chi 'kering Han. it was
IN The apparent chara ter of a gp-b,tw,sn He
sad the Arcdddn was about To- attack NJ ss Alb
bot. and he could prevent IT, put him of in
the same ocular way-and AZ the close OF the
concert h" sought mo out and said he had fixed
thc matter for the present. The Arcad,dn had
agreed to withhold its article until the next
week. inserting paragraph merely. stating
that II had been crowded ont. but would Ger
uiuly appear in the next issue That. said he.
Will give Ms time 10 fix matters.
Before the issue OF tho next number Mr.. Engcl
had gone To Miss Abbott and alarmed her with
stories OF some kind of an attlrk that WAS to he
made on her. His exact words were that the
Ardhan was going for her lie also MT
relations OF an artist e. the press, and that She
mai,rrs flxed She toid hin very plainly that
he annoyed and panied her. and refused To
converse further on the subject. few days
alter this-t was saturday afternoon, the
matinee concert waa just over. and Miss Abbott
was IN hurry 10 get away to her dressmakcr's.
Tor she was To leave town the next day Mr..
lust rs she was leaving the hall. He asked her
d he could have few minutes conversation.
Size pleaded her haste He then asked her If
r.plici that il was impossibio. Tor shc was wac,
going OFT II town. Finally, as she was leaving
him. %" asked II she would be at home that
cvonlng. and she said yes. she thought she
,.NGoclock that evening Mr.. Encc called Mt
Nj Lakes house, where Miss Abbott was Living
n- guest. We had not got home yet and he
WIS shown into the reception room TO wait for
IL. II walked The nOpr ana betrayed so much
anxiety that when Mr.. Lake came in and cb-
served him he asked him IL the business was of
81 h., nature that he, Mr.. Lake. could transact
WAS told to Us 10y Mr. Lake when we came home
mi were at dinner. lie said he did not know
h. did n.i SEE how he could have acted other
wise, Mr.. Ense" said he. " has been here,
upon Miss Abbott for the Arcddidn-one was
laudatory and the other was intensely bitter.
lie had i in his power to Influence the pu6lica.
hon oi the favorable article for $50 and that II
the sjO was not paid the disparaging article
S,na alNTar' was s OF the ne IrfatesI imb9r
attended TO at once. instantly got up opened
IT, door. and ordered him out of the House.
H. eot out Just about as quick rs II could be
cuase. 4 consider u" said Mr.. Lake. " a most
eeas'nrdly and cold-blooded attempt to levy
Rcuortcr-why did not Mr.. Lake mike this
statement IN reply to the invitation OF THE Sun
Mr. Wetherell-Because ~ ne said. he did not
wish 10 be mixed up IN a controversy with black
muiers. He told the reporters. who came {" see
him. that his share III the transaction was
IrlvAto one--he had only exercised the right Of
hgouil"man to put an obnoxlous intruder out
q bis house. and he could not see why the pub
T. prints should discuss the affairs OF his
household
Nj Nc,hcroll- WcH. after t6ts robnfro Mr.. En-
g.. ctrleout in his sheet and charged the dali
i press Win having been subsidized in Miss
hhnou FAVOR. and declaring that the hrcddidu
NJ we onIy journal that could not be bought.
Ihn charge that all the favorable notices Miss
Aliou rrrived were paid for was marked and
stnt al along her route. 1t met US everywhere.
MR.. LAKES STATEMENT.
oNih the above interview in his pocket.
Heu. q. Lake on the Fifth avenue. Mr.
ugr'l narration OF the CIRCUMSTANCES
was shown Ia him. and he said. after read
ihs H. ihnt It was plain statement of facts.
tli hc declined, with the natural rcpugnance
o. s.ti.eman. To- be- drawn into any contr9-
AMI ne had cjcrted him. If The man wanted
I,df -s he could have II. But as for talk ing
ulni the matter or making eXplunati ons that
W. "ut of th" question He would probably do
Ae same thing again If anybody else tried il on.
Mr., A. C. ROSES STATEMENT
Mr. A. c. Rose, the wcll-knOwn agent Of the
in'mNrn and ONO Railroad. said that Mr..
~. ralrl upon him IN relation 10 the debut
q p Antott knowing him to be one Of her
tNn"' friends ard admirers. remember
gut ~. snld Mr. Rose " what Enge said 10
~" II pNNutod Quito methat Miss Abbott hadde-
W voice and training which nobody but he
,"gd di"t. hut which. II pointed out every
h'V W1uli AZ on'o recognize. At the same
tiln hNr Voice had other pleasing qualities
WA 'li could safely be held up 10 admiration by
hsNui"i critic. II was in his power. therefore.
puuhn ~ tho first class. II he got $50 he would
ig'llo rutAc know whnt hcrtransccndent abili-
- Vs. I'D" II he did not get il he would have to
.NNN what her dreadful faults We're. | think !
ul"l I" "nu'nre him that defects that only
tt"N ana good critic like himself could discover
il'-.i s+i".y 10. risked with the public. but he
m ,ici tai an tine world would ring with them
,li'i ID" hut say the word, and that $50 could not
M'trr expended than in buying his silence.
"" Nlu want b. spoil this mans trade (said
TT Rose hy lr.ugng down his price, hut RS
H." r member H. think he finally offered to
"WiF mise on i2j. That is to say, he would
u"> v' me world into half Of her faults. FL
'.N Nn"r.d him tlO it he would consent to
,l'"s Guy hll her good qualities, but he couldn't
.' ihu price. OF course" concluded Mr..
T. UNDERSTOOD that this was the dirtiest
Nm n.ckmalllng job. but thought at the
nl' mat If could save Miss Abbott from an
W. ing article nj a small expense il was my
f"p I" u! it, was willing 10 60 so 10 prevent
N"lcllw in it,"
~ NJ MIR. cHIcKERING's STATEMENT.
~ h"rlng, the piano manufacturer on
H. N avenue, said 30 II Sun reporter; am
ti' person alluded 10 10y Mr. LOUIS Engel ia
' :, y - IHE SUN Of oct 90. My connection
nlN Nf tngel amounts to this: He suspended
~ lil"r, the ArCddinn. and went abroad for