The herald., 1893-06-12
.BLACEMA|L|NG AS A FINE ART.
Its Practice Quite Prevalent
in Los Angeles.
Business Men Who Are Worked by
Smooth Operators.
Their Inside Methods, as Related by an
Experienced Detective-Women
Whom 1t Is Costly
to Know.

to Know.
'You may not believe it," said a de-
tective yesterday, "but there is more
slick Matchmaking going on in Los An
geles right along than in many cities
Of twice its size."
"Has any OF 1t come under your OBJ
servation?"
"Yes, could tell you good many
stories and give You names that would
surprise you."
ut is done principally by women,
suppose?"
"There are always women in the play
but they stand in with the men also, in
many instances, who are the real man
ayers Of the crooked work"
Zone pretty little woman operated in
the city several months last fall, con-
tinued the detective, "and got away
first and last with about $4,000 before
she was finally run out OF town. She
formed the acquaintance OF some of the
most prominent business men in the
city, to their cost. They were men of
families and an exposure was what they
dreaded. They were willing to pay
money to keep their relations with her
| quiet. She finally ran against one,
however, who had the nerve to tell her
to 60 ahead, and he went to work with
such success that the charming adven-
turess concluded that the city was be.
coming to warm Tor her."
"There is not detective in the town
who does not have crooked propositions
made to him by these people, and there
are men I know who are supposed to
move in respectable society who ought
to be behind the bars, and who would
very soon be there il their victims were
not afraid to make move"
Isn't there some way to reach
them?"
'They are smart, and as rule do not
appear in the transactions, except to di-
vide the epoils with the women who
work the game. You see, they do not
come any panel games, but bait their
nets in much more adroit manner.
The woman makes the acquaintance Of
business man or man OF means, whose
position of responsibility is recognized
in the community. After they have be-
come sufficiently intimate to warrant 81
disclosure, either the woman makes a
demand for money or some detective
who ia paid we'll for his work is given
opportunities to locate the parties in
compromising position. Complete evil
dence of the moral weakness of the vic
tim is collected by the detective
and when the chain is unbroken, ex-
posure etaree him in the face. Nine
times out of ten the scheme works, and
the money is paid, even though the man
knows that by such payment he puts
himself more completely in the power
of the birds OF prey who have fastened
upon him. While the plan seems to be
a simple one, it is worked out by these
people with great art. Sometimes the
: fret intimation that man has that the
ored is a hearafiess creature who wants
only to extort money from him, is when
he receives note giving in detail the
evidence that would destroy his domes-
tic peace and ruin him in the eyes OF the
community if it were known. II is not
difficult to persuade the tortured man
that an expenditure of cash will smooth
over the matter. He knows his own
guilt and the operators know it also."
1T seems to have become a profess
sion 2''
Exactly. I know one handsome
woman in Los Angeles, and have talked
with her about these very things. She
made no bones about her methods, be-
cause she knew that was familiar with
them.
Why should / feel sorry for a man
who makes fool of himself about me-
she said. He knows he is doing
wrong, and why shouldn't make him
pay for it. stand in the place of JUS
tice, and pass judgment on him. OF
L ha T
studied my business down to a fine
point
"That's the way they talk. and you
bet your bottom dollar they do it, only
they carefully conceal the eager desire
for financial aid from the victim"
There Is another class of work done
in Los Angeles that has larger proper
tions than anyone knows, 1t is the d.
vorce business. Many detectives do
profitable business in hunting UP evil
dence for husband or wife upon
which to base a complaint. Some of the
dirty work these people do is beyond de-
scription. There was one man some
time ago who was hired by husband to
corrupt his wife go that he could be d.
vorced from her, and the vile wretches
succeeded in their design. It is kind
OF bueiness, that Of working up divorce
evidence, that no respectable detective
will undertake. When went into bus
iness | made an ironclad rule that /
have never gone over, that | would take
no divorce business. A detective can't
do it with clean hands no matter how
good his intentions may be when he
starts in with it. II he takes one case
of that kind he is drawn into others, and
while some of them are meritorioue and
the work straight enough, still the ma
jority of them are not"