The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-08
A BOLD SCHEME FAILS.
The Surprising Audacity of a Pair of
WouId-Be BIack-Mailers.
They Face Their Intended Victim in the
Presence of the Police-FrustratiOn
of Their Plan.

One night several weeks ago, the good people
residing in the neighborhood of the Palmer
block. on Maryland street, were alarmed by the
shrieks of woman, followed by the report of a
pistol and the cries of man. crowd quickly
gathered, and it was ascertained that Cassius
Black, an occupant of the block, had been shot
in the head, by some person unknown,
and he steadfastly refused to say anything about
it, His wife was the only person present
in the room, SO far as could be learned; and it
was known that the pair were always in troub
lie, it was the general belief that the man had
been shot by the woman, as the result of one of
their frequent quarres. Diligent effort was
made by the police to unrave the mystery, but
their efforts proved unavailng. The physician
who was called TO attend Black positively re-
fused to disclose any of the facts coming to his
knowledge, claiming that he bound to Sc
cresy by professional obligations. The matter
was then dropped, Blacks injuries proving less
serious than had been at first supposed, and the
matter gradually passed out of mind. Mrs Black
went to live with her father, outside the City
limits. and after her husbands recovery he ap
pears to have visited her there frequently.
On Saturday evening, Black appeared at the
Central police and walking boldly into the
presence OF superintendent Robbins Captains
Campbell and Lange, and one two other
officers, complained that his wife had been per
stand 1t no longer, and called upon the police
for protection. 'She is outside now," said he:
''she even followed me down here You remem-
Der about my being shot, don't youH Well,
have kept the circumstances of the a secret
un Ill the present, and have concealed the name
15 the Tno b9 shot me as long as am g01g
toned the name of prominent CITIZEN whose
lame has often figured in the public prints III
various connections. He continued his story,
and said that the citizen referred to had been
more or less intimate with his wife
had begun to suspect of late, and that
on the night OF the shooting he had found HIM
in the room with Mrs. Black on returning home.
He had called for an explanation, when the citi-
zen arose, and locked the door, at the same time
producing a revolver which he handed the wO-
man, with instructions to shoot him (Black) if
he did not Immediately give her what money he
had and promise to leave the city Immediately.
Then, according to Blacks story, he attempted
to break down the door, whereupon his wife in
terfered, and her companion took the weapon
from her hand, shot him and ran, leaving him
alone with his wife, as the crowd found him
few minutes later.
Meantime Mrs. Black had been brought into
the room, and when questioned by the police
fully zorro b0rated the others story. They ex-
pressed willingness to face the citizen accused
of firing the shot, and he was sent for. On en-
tering the room he was made acquainted with
the story told by the Blacks, and Immediately
pronounced it a lie out of whole cloth, and told
with the evident purpose OF extortng money
from him to keep it out of the papers or from
public notice He denied emphatically ever hav-
ing Black in his life, but admitted having
slight acquaintance with the woman.
Superinte ndent Robbins took the pair into
private room at the conclusion of the Interview,
and after telling them that he regarded the
whole scheme as a remarkably bold effort at
black-mai, allowed Black TO depart on prom
Use to leave the city without delay
While the superintendent was interviewing
Black, Captain Campbell took the woman
through a course of questioning. and finally
gained from her an admission that the story had
Heen invented by her husband for the
gentleman implicated, and that he had fixed
upon 81 900 the amount to be eXacted She
stated that she had agreed to the plan in the
hope of finally Kidding herself of Black, with
their marriage. "He promised to give me part
of the money, and with the most of it go to Col
oradO, never TO return she explained" "and
consented TO help him out with it,"
'But how did you ever have the audac1ty to
come to the police with such a story, when you
knew 1t was invented for such a purpose, and
that black-mail is very serious otfenseP' was
asked.
that way" said Mrs. Black. 1--WE wanted TO
make him think were in dead earnest, and
thought we could do 1t in that way"
Having gained these admissions from the
woman, the officers in favor of arresting
them on charge of black-mail, bat the gentle
man declined TO prosecute on the ground that he
had not been injured, either in pocket oharac
ter, by what had been done, and that
that could not fail to be unpleasant and
annoying, and both parties were allowed to de-
part. The scheme is certainly one of the boldest
OF It's KIND ever attempted IN this city, and the
holiness OF the pair is matter OF marvel. Black
has figured unpleasantly many times in various
courts, generally for wife beating, and similar
offenses His wife has several times filed suits
for divorce, her last complaint having been
Withdrawn only few days ago, Black inducing
her TO do so on promise of future good be-
haViOr,