Smyrna times., 1886-11-17

France
PEOPLE in the rural districts know little
Of the methods employed By many in the
large cities TO make their living BY their
wits The New York Tyi5l,lse thu. reflects
edftoriaIIy on a case in Boston that has at
tracted q great deal Of attention from the
mystery that has surrounded the claim Of
the blacSmailer as the ground Of his de-
mand:
"A very remarkable case Of alleged
blackmal is being tried at Boston A
wealthy manufacturer named Philip L.
Moen has, according TO his own statements,
paid no less than S250,OO0 a. hush-money
t0 one Levi Wilson, who has failed TO show
any valuable consideration for these
payments. Moen's story is one Of the
strang gest parts Of this strange case. He
says that Wilson, several years ago
threatened to expose some alleged criminal
act. committed whether BY M0en himself
or some one connected with him does not
clearly appear from his testimony that
he gave Wilson 500 to keep the secret !
thar Wilson next demanded 81 600 and
got il: that sum OF $50 900 vas then paid,
and that after S250000 had thus been
axt0rted a further demand for Sl0O 600 80
rev0lred him that be determined no longer
- submit % the drain What the matter
was which gave Wilson such a hold upon
M0en remains a secret, but that It was Of a
nature % constitute the strongest kind Of a
/ lien seems an inevitable conclusion from
| the facts. Moen was plainly afforded
ample opportunity 90 prosecute Wilson for
blackmailing. The latter letter demand
/ ing $1,000 was strong condemnatory
/ evidence The steady growth Of Wilson !
/ greed and audacity must nave convinced
! the victim that there was no safety IL sub
/ mission. Yet It took several years AID an
| expenditure Of a quarter Of a million IL
/ bring him u the point Of resistance.
/ -' It is 70 be noted that In the last trial o.
/ this case-for It has been in the courts SONS
/ time under various aspects-M0en permit
/ it TO be inferred why Wilson was aZains
! himself and not, as formerly stated agains
/ some member Of his family. MoeE
! declares that it was false accusation, anC
! ir does not follow that it was false becaus
/ he yielded To the threat The public ar
/ not justified In jumping at conclusions il
| such cases. N0g many years ago q New
| York clergy man, being falsely accused
| submitted TO blackmail until his resource
were exhausted rather than face the humil
iating connection with such q matter il
| anv shape His innocence was finally
demonstrated, but in the absence Of proc
no doubt the fact that he paid hush-mOne.
! would have been held by many a. cOnClu
| sive Of his guilt The truth is that black
mail IS much more common than is gener
allv supposed Only the police come int
! possession Of the facts in many cases, bu
they know not a few persons Of wealth an
/ standing who have from time TO time bee
the prey Of blacSmaIlars, and that the latte
frequently succeed by shreWdly 9layin
Q 80 f,f e. ,-,H p
/ seem more dreadful in proportion % th
/ prominence and reputation Of the victim.
Moen appears TO have manifesto
| almost an abnorma! help.essLess through
out, It must be admitted It Is not credibl
that q successful man Of business did NJ
! know from the first the avenues Of escap
afforded him BY the law, nor could he hay
failed 20 perceive that the more he yielde
the heavier the demands apon him we.
certain % be. But be went on and 0I
paying whenever he was asked for, ult
he had been thus plundered 70 the extel
ot a quater 0t q million; and then at Ia
he screwed his courage % the stickin
place and gave battle Another -triSI1
feature q the case Is the audacIty Of Wi
con. Having no legal status whatever.
nevertheless goes into court calmly an
. defes the obvious charge Of 0lackmaiL.
reasonable inference from his conduct
, ! that ne does not appreleDd any deLaI- -e
! exposure; that In fact he sJilt believes tt
] | winning cards 70 be in his hand Viii
therefore Il may be said that nothing 10 tl
known facts Is incompatible with the enti
innocense Of the b!ackmailed party i5
| equally clear that the extent Gfthe demanD
& so long yielded %. and the conCinu.
2 confidence Of the man who holds the secre
may be made the basis Of quite anothg
q though Of course purely conjecturaI, theor
= In fact the success Of any biackmailil
D operation depends less upon the subs.ant
, atty Of the charge employed than upon q
estimate the accused puts upon his sOci
= position and general reputation. T
= prevalence Of considerable sensitiveness
= on these points joined with inability
grasp consequences clearly, creates t
field which is worked, too often successful
By this class Of parasites