St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-04
HER SCHEME DIDN'T WORK.
An EX-United States Senator
Deity Escapes From the Wiies
Of Desperate Blackmaiier.

States senator who was talking with a
Mail and Express reporter in front of
the Fifth Avenue hotel this morning.
sit has been quite number of years
since I've seen Sallie," he remarked, as
she passed down Twenty-third street
and out of sight.
''Sallie who?"
''Sallie Van Dam, the woman we just
saw"
''ThatiS not her name now, or at
least that is not the name she had when
| saw her at Niblo's Garden last year."
Every likely. But that was her name
when | knew her ten years ago. was
representing my state in the senate
then. | met her first in Washington.
She wanted place in the treasury de-
partment. She was prettier even than
she is now and was one of the most fas-
cinating women | ever saw. l got her
the place. About month later l met
her again. This time it was in this
hotel. l had come down for confer
ence with some politicians. did not
get back to the hotel until nearly mid
night. | suppose l had been in my
room half an hour when l heard a tap
at my door. | opened it and saw Sallie.
To say that | was aStOnished would not
do justice to my amaZement.
"'Come to my room with me at once
she said. She was greatly agltated, and
trembled like leaf.
Il protested that it would not be
proper. and advised her to 90 to bed
and would see her in the morning.
mo she persisted, come this very
minute. 1t is matter of life and death
with me. My room is only four doors
from yours. There is man there and
| want you to put him out. If call an
officer the scandal will ruin me. l am
an unprotected woman and you are the
only friend / have in the world AT
this she burst into tears.
"What could do? What could any
man do? went with her. The mo-
ment we reached her room, she locked
the door behind us, put the key in her
bosom, threw off her dressing gown and
stood before me clad only in her night
dress.
Now she said, give me 81 900 this
minute or will alarm the house. L
will say that you forced your way into
my room. You are known in Washing
ton as my friend and L will say that you
followed me here to this hotel. | have
been here two days and you only came
this evening"
s'It took only a moment for me to
realize that had fallen into the hands
OF a desperate blackmailer, but, for
tunately. L kept my head. | was can
didate for reelection, and scandal
would have ruined my prospects. L
could not afford to defy her-just then.
81 have no money with me, l said.
"sWhere is it?'
s'In my room. I'll go and get it,
emo, you won't. You never would
come back
Il promised by all that was holy that
| would pleaded with her and begged
her to spare my reputation. promised
anything she might ask. [ appealed to
her gratitude. Finally she promised to
go with me. That was just what
wanted, but L was shrewd enough to
hide it from her. So [ at first refused
to entertain her suggestion. But she
insisted, and reattiring herself she went
with me to my room. The moment we
knob.
".What are you going to do?' she
asked.
~ am going to ring this bell, send
for the detective aud have you put out
of this room. What business have you
in my room at this hour of the night?
| certainly did not force you to come in
here. If you are found here you will
be turned out of the house as thief,
or worse. Now, you can tell whatever
story you please. No one will believe
YOU. The evidence is all on my side.
And if you ever speak to me after this
or write letter to me OH this subject,
shall have you arrested as black
mailer. Now | am going to ring the
bell
.sThe woman looked at me second.
Then she cursed me. A second later
she opened the door and was gone. Just
as her own door closed the bell boy
came.
'''Bring me pitcher of ice water l
said.
"The next morning when got down
to breakfast learned that she had left
the house. She never resumed her place
in Washington, and have not seen her
since until to-day"