Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-16
HER SCHEME DIDN'T WORK.

An FL Unite d states senator Deity ESCAPED
from Desperate Blackmsuer's WiIes.
New York Mall and E1prsss.
A handsome woman, stylishly sttired,
attracted the attention of an ex-United
States Senator who was talking with &
Mail and Express reporter in front Of the
Fifth Avenue hotel this morning.
! SIT has been number of years since
I've seen Ssllie," he remarked, IS she
passed down Twenty third street and out
OF sight.
"Ssllie who7"
"Ssllie Van Dam, the woman we Just
saw"
"That is not her name now, or at least
that is not the name she had when 1 saw
her at NiblO's Garden, lsst year"
every likely. But that was her name
when knew her ten years ago. 1 wss
representing my state in the Senste theu.
1 met her first in Washington. Sac
wanted place in the Treasury Depart
ment. She was prettier even than she Is
now, and WAS one of the most FASCINATING
women ever saw. got her the plsce.
About month later l met her sgsir.
This time it was IN this hotel. Ihsd come
down for conference with some poliH-
clans. did not get back to the hotel
until nearly midnight. I suppose l had
been in my room half an hour when
heard tap st my door. l opened it and
saw Sallie. To say that was sstonished
would not do justice to nv amszement.
"'Come TO my room with me at once,
sne said. She was greatly sgitsted and
trembled like leaf.
81 protested that It would not be
proper, and advised her to go to bed and
l would see her in the morning.
+" No. she persisted, come this very
minute. 1t is matter Of life and death
with me. My room IS only four doors
from yours. There ID man there ardI
want you to put m out. II | call an
officer the scandal will ruin me. lam an
unprotected womsn and you are the only
friend have in the world At this she
burst into tears.
"Whst could I do? What could any
man do? went with her. The moment
we reached her room, she locked the
door behind US, put the key in her bosom,
threw of her dressing gown and stood
before me clad only In her nlght-dress.
Now she said, give me $1,000 this
minute or will alarm the house. 1 will
say that you forced your way into nv
room. You are known in Washington as
my friend and l will say that you FOL-
lowed me here to this hotel. 1 have been
here two days and you only came this
evening"
SIT took only 8 moment for me to
realize that l had fallen into the hands OF
desperate blackmailer, but fortunately,
l kept my head. WAS g didate for
reelection, and q scandal would have
ruined my prospects. could not sfford
to defy her-just then.
4" Il have no money with me- 1 said.
"iWhere Is it?'
"Tn my room. I'll go and get it,
mo, you won't. You never would
come back"
81 promised by all that was holy that
would. pleaded with her, and begged
her to spare my reputation. 1 promised
anything she might ask. I appealed to
her gratitude. Finally she proposed to
go with me. That was Just what I
wanted, but was shreWd enough to hide
1t from her. So 1 at first refused to en-
terrain her suggestion. But she insisted,
and reattiring herself she went with me
TO my room. The moment we were in the
room walked TO the bell knob.
"What are you going to dor" she
asked.
81 am going to ring this bell, send
for the detective, and 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. II you are found here
you will be turned out Of the house as 9
thief, or worse. Now, you can tell what
ever story you please. No one will be-
lieve you. The evidence is all on M
side. And If ever you speak to me after
this or write letter to me upon this sub
ject, shall have you arrested as black
mailer. Now L am going to ring the
bell"
1.-THE Wom2n looked at me q moment.
Then she cursed me. A second later she
opened the door and was gone. Just as
her own door closed behind her, the bell
boy came.
"Bring me pitcher Of ice water"
said.
1.-THE next morning when 1 got down TO
reakfast learned that she had left the
house. She never resumed her place In
and have never seen her
since until to-day"
UnDraredsntod IN n-tr,Er.r a--.y.