Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-09
DRIVEN FROM ENGLAND.
The Remarkable Career of an Ameri
can Woman Blac kmailer.

| The Remarkable Career of an Amerf.
can Woman Blackmailer.
The London correspondent of the New
York Sun says:
The secret police have just concluded sue
cessfully one Of the most difficult and deli
cate pieces OF work ever placed in their
hands, by driving out Of this country the
most notorious blackmailer of the present
generation without the necessity for a pub
lie trial and its attendant scandals and
revelations. The need for secrecy was
great, for the extortioner's victims included
several young princes, including one who is
described as standing very near a throne, I"
and elderly men occupying prominent posi-
tons in the fashionable world. Therefore.
when the Sun reporter began to investigate
| the case. obstacles of the most formidable
character met him at every turn But suf-
ficient information has now been obtained
to allow the story of the conspiracy to be
told, although in somewhat incomplete
manner.
The leader Of the Infamous gang was an
American woman. Amelia Hairs. alias Nine
Chionie, an operstlc singer, now a little
more than forty years old, although she
looks much younge-. In 1881 Nine. Chionie
and her mother took a fine house in the
Champs Elysees. which soon became the
headquarters of the fastest set in Paris, and
the rendezvous of the cleverest Adventures
In the French capital. Large sums were
obtained in variety of questionable ways
but the necessary machinery was also very
expensive. and after a time Nine Chionie
closed her grand establishment and disap-
peared.
For several years she lived in London on
her wits. OF course and was clever enough
or lucky enough to keep out of the hands
OF the police. Early in 1885 she returned to
Paris and took a fine house. Among her
earliest victims was Gen. D'Andlau, the
chlef culprft In the notorious decorations
scandal. whose fall was undoubtedly due to
this American siren. Madame Chionie's
normally large income from Matchmaking
and immortality was for some time consid-
erably augmented by commissions on the
sale of decorations; but at length Paris be-
came too dangerous for her, and she fled to
London in February, 1887.
The ensuing two years were passed in sue
cessful Matchmaking. The victims included
member OF a former liberal government,
who was subsequently driven from public
life. In the autumn of 1889 Amelia Hairs
flor she now lived under her real name)
made the acquaintance of an aged, wealthy
baronet who, according to her varied ex-
periences and judgment Of men. should
have been an easy prey. But the old man
proved to be a ve-itable tartar. He yielded
literally enough to Establishments but when
these. in due course, were succeeded by
hit out hard.
Amelia Hairs had the superb audacity to
bring an action for breach Of promise of
marriage against the old gentleman. and to
carry 1t to trial. Sir Charles Russell, who
appeared for the defendant tore Amelia
Hairs reputation to tatters and laid bare
the whole vile conspiracy as far as his
client was concerned; but the Inuddle-head-
- f''--- fa'le@ ~ agree mon a verdict and
the trial came to naught. This was in
april, loS0.
The adventures fed from the country
without attempting to reopen the breach Of
promise action, because the tough old bar
onet had taken the preliminary steps to
have her arrested for perjury and conspir-
acy. No one supposed she would have the
courage or effrontery to return, but she did,
and early in 1891 she resumed her old busi
ness, under another name Ard with chang
ed methods.
She correspended with and received her
victims as a woman. but she did not reside
at any OF her places of designation. Her
fixed residence was in an questionable
quarter of the city. and she resided there as
man. She often went about dressed in
male attire and when, quite recently, she
was run to earth, she was actually living
as a man with a female accomplice who
passed her wife. By this strange STRAIT
eey she completely baffied the police for
eighteen months, during which time she
victimized wealthy men. Englishmen and
foreigners, to the extent of many thousands
Of pounds. She paid flying visits to the
continent, but kept her headquarters In
London.
1t was during one Of he- trips to Paris
that she met the prince standing very
near a throne" whose name 1 am under OBJ
legation not to make public. Shet had ca
joled and extorted from him 1900 sterling
before he ventured to kick. Then the
French and English secret police put their
heads together and decided that the career
Of Amelia Hairs must be brought to a close.
Evidence of criminal practices sufficient
to obtain for her. under the English law.
penal servitude for life was laboriously col
lected, and submitted to her when she was
finally found. Amelia had grown compar-
atively rich. and she shuddered at the
thought of hard prison life. The evidence
in the possession of the police thoroughly
frightened her and she capitulated.
The police were prepared to arrest and
prosecute her. but only as a last desperate
resource. Their chief concern was to avoid
publicity: and consequently to the adven-
turess were conceded the honors of war
She merely signed full confession and sur
rendered all documents in her possession in
con sideration of being allowed to leave the
country with her golden spoils intact.
Amelia Hairs Is still we'll equipped, men
tally and physically, for the role Of a sue
cessful adventures. Although on the shady
side of forty, she Is a good-looking woman,
and her manners remain extremely fasci-
mating She Is an excellent linguist and a
fine musician. She has sung at nearly every
court In Europe, and her voice is still of
good quality.
These charms and talents, 1t Is under
stood. have been transferred to the United
states. and 1t is probable that they will not
be allowed to rest in complete obscurity.