Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-02
ANNOYANCES OF RICH MEN


Blnckniailers and Threa'eners in Wall
SIreet-Puuishment Seldom Called For
by the Victims After the Offenders Are
Caught-Little Fear of Bodily Injury
Guards Not Needed Down Town-Forgers
and Their Methods.
New York Sun.
'sWho says that rich men find it neces-
sary to surround themselves with guards
to protect their lives and fortunes; that
Jay Gould and W. Fl. Vanderbilt when
they ride down town, have armed men with
them, and that the Stewart mansion is IN
der the protection of detectives day and
night?" Inspector By2nes asked, when
such an assertion was. repeated to him.
'sThere isn't bit of truth in it..
OF course it would be manifestly
improper for me to use
the names of any gentlemen who have had
occasion to avail themselves of the SER
vices OF the police, but you or anybody
mitted to know the extent TO which some
leading operators in Wall street are pes
tered, annoyed and even prosecuted by
Matchmaking schemes. That talk about
the employment of armed guards is sheer
nonsense. Jay Gould is a small man physi-
cally, but one of the most courageous men
I ever knew. When the violent threats of
J. Howard Welles were sent anonymously
to him, some of his friends urged him to
take the precaution of employing guards
but he would not hear of such things
and laughed them to soon for:
their fears. When-he gets threat
enlng or blaekmailing letters
he simply sends them to the police, and
troubles himself no more about them. AS
for Vanderbilt, the righteousness of that
affirmation must be apparent almost daily
to the thousands of citizens who see him
about town or driving out on the road
alone. And it is not true that the Stewart
mansion is watched by detectives. When
Stewart was alive it was his practice to
have Waterman on the sidewalk constant
ly at night, before each of his buildings,
pacing to and fro like sentry. He put
night Waterman on guard at his house be-
fore it was half completed, and the same
man has been continued right along in the
same service ever since, just as during
Stewards lifetime. That's all there is of
foundation for that story.
"Thers is no danger of any brigandage
being practiced, or even attempted, upon
our rich men, and they are not afraid of
it, Notwithstanding the letters they con-
stantly receive. What sort of letters?
Why, all sorts that could be thought of as
means of Matchmaking. Threats of per-
sonal violence, threats of financial injury
by spreading rumors to affect the value of
securities, threats of exposure of alleged
Irregularities or improprieties in the in
tended victims life, claims on the basis of
false affirmations of intimate relations,
professed knowledge of damaging facts
concerning business transactions, and /
could not begin to tell you what else of
cunning devices to work on the fears of
those to whom the letters are sent. In
stances have not been lacking in which
artful schemes have been planned and
executed to involve prominent brokers
and bankers in what would seem to be
compromising situations, as prslimina
ries to the blackmailing demands for hush
money. An incident occurs to my memo
ry at this moment of such transaction
recently in which man and q woman
worked together putting up job on one
of our most reputable firms in the street,
and the plan was SO well laid and adroitly
worked that it could not have failed of be-
ing successful had not the head of the firm
been possessed of a rare degree of manly
courage and determination that would not
tolerate any concessions to the blackmail-
ers. From the small number of such af-
fairs that are made matters of public
knowledge, people might naturally mag
inc that they are infrequent, but the fact is
that they are matters of daily
occurrence, and that it is only TIE disincli-
nation that gentlemen feel for pub
licity in connection with such scandalous
matters, their unwillingness to lose the
time necessary for prosecution, and often
their kindness of heart, that prompts them
to forgiveness, which keeps them from
bringing the rogues to punishment. In
most instances the persons who attempt
these Matchmaking schemes are either per-
sonal acquaintance of those they try to
victimize or have some friends who are
known to them, and when caught they
work these influences to win sympathy and
pity; beg, plead, protest, and promise that
they'll never do so any more,' and so get
OFF, especially If they are women. 1 have
dozen cases now in my mind where, after
we had tracked up and captured the send
ers of threatening and Matchmaking let
tiers, the recipients have said: 'Oh, it's no
use prosecuting him; poor devil, he'd not
nave done it if he hadn't been very hard
up, and 1 know this will be such a lesson
to him that he'll never try it again. and
they would refuse to prosecute"
sWhat has become of ]. Howard Welles,
who tried to blackmail Jay Gould?"
Il don't know. He got out on $4,000
bail, and what has become of him since
do not know. Gone to Europe, prob
ably"
''From what you say should infer that
a considerable part of the service of your
Wall street detective bureau is the pro-
lection of Wall street men from black
mailers?"
SIT is a not unimportant part of our
business, but only part. Our Office in
the stock exchange building is connected
by telephone with every bank and banking
house and prominent brokers' Office in the
Jouar 7,nrt of tho oifv We hova eiobt or