Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-28
BlACkMA1L AS A FINE ART.
How an Adventures Ensnared Rich
But Foolish Men.

Gotham is today paying tribute to a vast
legion OF women who live upon the
folly, the egotism and the innate bru-
tality of men. Police Inspector Will
liams. who is beyond all question the
best authority upon the subject, esti-
mates their number at 10000. Ex-Supt.
Walling goes even higher, and puts the
figure 10000 beyond. The methods en-
ployed by these women display a be-
wildering novelty and ingenuity.
Some are practically blackmail, but
blackmail so delicate and artistic as not
to come within the law. OF those who
work this vein the most ingenious is a
siren about twenty-eight years of age,
medium sized, handsomely proper
toned. elegantly dressed, with
brilliant brunette face that would
command notice and admiration every
where. When lat work" she would
leave her home at $3.50 or 10 A. NJ. and
take some thoroughfare frequented by
the merchants. bankers and wealthy
men in general. For dudes, actors and
professional "masherso she had no
eye. But portly, well-clothed
man, whose mien and demeanor
suggested q prosperous paterfamilias,
received her smile and bow the moment
he looked at her in Interrogation.
Twice in three times the bait took and
the victim made her acquaintance.
From now on it was clear sailing. She
would use all her powers Of conversa-
tion to fascinate her new friend and was
seldom unsuccessful. Money was never
mentioned. In reply to the queries he
would naturally make she always gave
the same story. She was u widow, we'll
born, we'll educated, enjoying life and
pleasure, and having-thanks to her
dear dead husbands love and fore
thought--a limited income of 81 900 a
year, just enough to support her in COM
fort. The story reassured her admirer,
who in his heart had feared that his
new inamorata was anything but what
she said. With him She for the next
week lunched, attended matinees and
drove through the park and on the
boulevard. In the meantime she
wormed from him his home and Office
address, the names of his wife and
children and hundred details in
regard to his private life. When
this was accomplished her next move
was to send begging letter, in which
she stated that her remittances wereIde-
layed by litigation or cut off by reason
of some corporation skipping its divi-
dend, and wound up by very neat and
atfectionate request for "A loan Of a sum
of money, anywhere from 800 to $500,
according to the pecuniary responsible
ity of her prey. Once in three times
this would bring a financial return.
master stroke. With coarse pen and
the blackest of ink she would write a
fervent love letter upon heavy white
paper. inclose it in the thinest and most
transparent steamer envelope, mail it to
him at his own house. 1t always began,
my Own Darling or MY Dearest
and Sweetest Love-" and ended, Hop
| ing to lay your dear tired head again
| upon my breast, Your Little Love,
| May" There was not a single unkind
word in the letter. There was vast
| amount of passionate love and very
| distant reference to the number of dol
| lars wanted. A ncar-sighted man could
read the compromising epistle through
the envelope. Much more readily
could Jealous wife or an in
| luckless man received the mis-
| sive at the breakfast. He recognized
| the hand, read a dozen words through
the envelope, and then went into cold
| perspiraton. While in most cases the
| relationship between the man and wo
| man had been innocent, the letter bore
all the indlcia of guilt, and in divorce
court would have been proof presump
tive against the husband. Its effect wa
terrific and instantaneous. He lost hi
appetite for breakfast. and left immodi
ately for his Office or for the house o
his correspondent. Nine times in tel
the money was forthcoming, and il
many instances large sums were paid t,
compromise the matter and induce Sc
crecy. So far as known she began he
| ;,,f nf hnS -
teenth street, transferred it to johnson
street, Brooklyn, near Miners Brooklyl
Theater, and then went to oTwenty-sixtl
street, near Broadway. In all thre
places she had magnificent rooms, KEEP
a twO-horse coupe and wore clothes, dia
monds and jewelry worth So 900 at least
Her first departure from New York wa
induced by Inspector, then Captain
James Campbell, of the First Precinct
and her last in New York by Howe
Hummel, the great criminal lawyers
In all these cases the wouldbe victim
instead of being scared, waxed wrot
and made confession to the police or t
his counsel. The woman now reside
near Central Park, but does not seem a
prosperous as before.
"Make Housekeepcrs of Your Girls
is the subject Of an article in the OctC
ber Ladies Home Journal and practices
Housekeeper, now at the news stands
six cents.
BY the way, if you send ten cents /
silver or stamps you will get four nun
bers, including the Thanksgiving an
Christmas numbers, both OF which ar
to be extraordinary.
This magazine, which is nearing
million subscribers, shows what can b
done by numbers. 1t costs no more I
write for million than it does for
few. 1t costs but little apiece for pape
and printing and binding. The co
is in getting at it and stopping b.
tween.
We are always at it; never stoppin!
LADIES HOME JOURNAL, Philadelphia
A Story OF II reconstruction Days.
Chicago Tribune: Ben Butler, it
| coid lntnlv rausnd tho nraSident