The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-09
ONLY A BLACKMAILER.
so SUPT. BYRNEs CHARACTERIzED
MRS. NIcoLAUs YEsTERDAY.
He Appisuds Mr.. George Goaid's Atti-
Put nm End to Matchmaking.
Special TO The News.

New YORK, Dec. 9.--Mr. George j.
Gould called on Superintendent Hyrncs
on his way down town yesterday morn
ing, and after his departure
the superintendent added a chapter
10 the story OF Mrs. Zclla
Nicolaus, the blonde young woman with
a record East and West, who is suing Mr.
Gould for $4,000, on the ground
that she was possessed OF check
OF his for that amount, to whose
order payable not specified, and that Mr..
Gould took 1t away from her. Mr.. Gould's
business with the superintendent was, OF
course, connected with the suit.
The prelude of the inspectors chapter
in the story was in tue shape OF somc-
what formal statement made to all the
reporters. Ii was as follows:
~ have had q number OF conferences with
MIR. Gould about this woman. ! have
known her seven months. She left her
husband then, and since then has
been professional blackmaler.
Before leaving Chicago she black
mailed a mayor OF that city. We are
investigating her history, and in a
short while will be able to show up
her record and stop her career.
We hope that other men, who, like
Mr.. Gould, are attacked, will show his
manlincss, and that they will appeal to
the police for protection from such wo-
men as Mrs. Zella Nicolaus."
An hour later the reporter called on
the superintendent. He was lying back
in an easy chair, putting at
cigar. 81 know all about that
woman" he said. "The informa-
tion that i have is not ready at the present
time for publication as we are investigat-
ing criminal charges. But /
say this, that all the infor-
nation have is at the disposal Of Mr..
Gould, and will be used in case the suit
against him ever comes 10 trial. This
woman will ne shown 10 have
a blacker record than any woman who
ever brought n suit against man.
"There is no doubt that the case is
one of blackmaiI, and that Mr.. Gould's
relations with the woman were only as
he has represented them To be.
have seen Mr.. Gould sev-
eral times-prior 20 the beginning of this
suit and in regard to it, but took no step.
was waiting for some move to be made by
the woman herself. have also had several
interviews with Mrs. George j. Gould and
that lady is even more determined than Mr..
Gould TO see that this woman receives he
treatment due an adventvress and a black
mailer. Mrs. Gould has absolute and
perfect confidence i'm her husband,
and knows well that this charge is
blackmail, and nothing else. She is
willing herself TO do anything she can
to secure this woman's punis hment. She
does this in the interest of the public and
in the hope that the punishment Of this
woman may have effect in checking sini-
lar attempts at blaesmail.
"Mr. Gould is one in hundred-.yes,
one in thousand-rich men in New York
city who have been asked TO pay
tribute to blackmailers aud advent
dresses, and most Of them have
given up their money rather than submit
to exposure or any publicity. Sometimes
large sums OF money. 1t has got to
be 30 here in New York
that blackmailing is business.
Adventuresses are coming from all quar-
ters, and are attacking men whose names
are well known, and whether there is or
is not foundation for their charges,
men submit rather than appear before
the public as defendants. 1t is
time that somebody went to the front,
and Mr.. Gould, on the advice az his wife,
is determined TO defend himself i'm this
action, not only for the sake OF bis own
family, but in the interest of the public.
''Not a day passes but what hear OF at
tempts at blackmail like the present one.
Sometimes the men themselves tell me and
sometimes ii is through other sources.
would do all i could TO stop il, but the
men always want the case settled
without their being known and that cam
not be. Mr.. Gould will fight this woman
and all the persons who are back Of
her 10 the bitter end, no matter
what the consequence may be. He does
not make threats and | don't make any,
but whatever wrong has been done in this
case will be righted. and ifcriminal intent
Is shown some one will be punished
MARRIED. IodnV