The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-09
BLACKMAlLER, SAYS BYRNES.
NE MAS BEEN LOOKING Up THE
RECORD or BELLA NICoLAUs.

| SOnNlnceu Him OF AhtF
Knew She Was LyinE-A New Version Of
| Her story About George Gou'd'- Check.
| Mr. George J. Gould called on Superintendent
| Byrnes on his way down town yesterday morn
| ing and after his depa rture the Superintendent
| added a chapter TO the story OF Mrs leila
| Nicoaus the blond young woman with rec
| ord East and West. who is suing Mr. Gould for
| $4,000 on the ground that she was possessed
| Of a check Of his for that amount TO whose
order payable not specified and that Mr.. Gould
| took It away from her. Mr.. Gouds business
| with the Superintendent was, OF course. con-
nected with the suit
| The prelude OF tho Inspectors chapter in
| the story was in tho shape OF q somewhat
formal statement made to all the reporters. 1t
was as follows:
| Il have had n number OF conferences with
| Mr.. Gould about this woman. have known
| her seven months. She left her husband then,
| and since then has been professional black
| mailer. Before leaving Chicago she black
| mailed Mayor Of that city. We are nvest-
| eating her history. and in 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 manll-
| moss. and that they will appeal to the police
| for protection from such women as Mrs. leila
| Nicoaus."
| An hour later THE Sun reporter called on the
Superintendent lie was lying back 10 an
easy chair. pulling at cigar. Il know all
| about that woman" he said. The iniorma-
| tion that have is not ready at the present
| time for publication rs we are investigating
| criminal charges. But say this. that all tho
| information have Ia at the disposal Of MIR.
| Gould. and will be used in case tho suit against
| him ever comes to trial This woman will be
| shown to have a backer record than any wo-
| mn yh hroupht n suit AGAINST
| There is doubt that the case is one OF black
| mail and that Mr. Gould's relations with the
woman were only as he has represented them
| to be. l have seen Mr.. Gould sew
| era times-prior to the beginning Of this
| suit and in regard to it, but l took no step.
| was waiting for some move to be made by
| the woman herself. have also had several
| interviews with Mrs. George ]. Gould and
| that lady is even more determined than Mr..
| Gould to see that this woman receives the
| treatment due to IN adventures and black
| mailer. Mrs. Gould has absolute and perfect
| confidence in 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 punishment She does
this in tho interest OF the 2ullic and In tho
have elect IN checking similar attempts ut
Llacknail, ,,-,
| n thousand-rich men in New York city who
| have been asked to pay tri butte to blackmail-
| ers and aGventuresses. 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 50 here in
| New York that backmaing is n business.
| Adyenturesses are coming from all quarters,
known. and whether there Is or is not founds-
| ton for their charges. men submit rather than
time that somebody went to the front, and Mr..
| Gould. on The advice OF his wife, Is determlned
| to defend himself In this action. not only Tor
| the Snke of his family. but in the interest
Not a day passes but what hear Of at
| tempts at blackmail like the present one.
Sometimes the men themselves tell me. and
sometimes, it is through other sources. |
| always want the case settled without their
being known and that cannot be. Mr.. Gould
| will fight this woman and all the persons who
| are back Of her to the bitter end, no matter
what the CONSEQUENCES may be, He does not
| ever wrong has been done in this case will be
righted and II eriminal intent is shown some
~ know who sent the woman to Howe 4
| Hummel. This IS not the first time we have
otilc". and have talked with her / have
gwen her s some n good ADVICE, which II would
low. The woman makes a, remarkable
impression imp upon men, When | was taking
mpre ISL that she he was an innocent young
and That tPerhaPs gGnG sSS
eerous to homes. to the Community, dagerous
| to women, dangerous TO society, dangerous to
| everybody. She ought to be- put out Of tho
way somewhere. story told by her in the
presence OF Twelve JuIors. no matter how hon
| how false they believed her story TO be, would
| incline them to give her the benefit OF pre-
| ssid or proved against her. This is all due to
! her personal appearance and her manners.
she Il marvel OF deyiltry' and might deceive
| Il have the names Of large number OF per-
| sons that this woman has either attempted to
| blackmAil or has succeeded In black mailing.
They are the namos Of men who are very
business relations. have taken means 10 get
statements from persons who have been gc-
| TO her aud some who have not / do not say
| will drive her from this city. but do say that
her career as an adyentgress and a 1lack.
| Were left alone she would not end with Mr..
| Gould. She has the names Of men on her list
! come ii all yielded to the fear OF having their
names associateh with hers. she IS the
| a she is. The stories she tells about
men and her relations with them arc
| they bear the STAMP Of truth, Whom shetalked
| with mo and told me things in answer to my
| ing the truth although knew she was lying.
| am receiving information now from Official
! sources in other cities which will bear upon
| what disposition shall be made OF the woman
either before or after the settlement o. this
| partnirnt is to make It clear 10 men who arc
| assatlei by alyenturesses that its whole ma
| chinery Is atthelr disposal to punish the eIimi-
| mails. The woman black mailer Is one OF the
| worst criminals that We have to deal with"
When , ne deslaratlf9n q the Superintendent
IL doesn't alter our case in the least, su-
perintendent Byrnes has made similar state
| Inents about other people and he hasn't been
able 90 prove them. II they want to indlet our
| client let them go ahead and do It. Wewill
press thai ease to trial before We 90 on with
| the civil suit"
| Mr. Iummel then denied that the WIFE OF
| a" A. Ruhman and wife" who were put out OF
| tho 81. James Hotel on Thursday by Proprietor
| Doryal WAS Mrs Nicolaus
| Mr. Gould has given up TALKING about the
| ease now that Il is IN the lawyers hands; and
! no consequently refused yesterday to say yes
| OF no about a New version that was current OF
| tine wOman's possession Of check OF his. The
! petition she filed in court does not say that ia
| had given her the check. but that she was
! possessed OF II and that he took Il away Ii
| does not say either 70 whose order tie check
| was drawn. The new version OF the story the
| woman will toll is that the check was given
! hy Mr. Gould to another person: that the wo-
| man ubtained the check from this other person.
| who nuerwaIi told Mr.. Gould about N and
/ N -,