The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-22
R%LACKMAILERS RUN AWAY.
,,IED TO BLEED $. ". BRIDGHlM
BY BRINGING LAWSUITS.

s,eted-Ono Suit Wns TOR alternating the
.w,rer and One FOR Divorce, In wsioh
90. Rr,dEham was Named ns Co-Reapondept.
n. details of a rather clumsy conspiracy to
,.ctmail Samuel W. Brigham, son.in-law Of
Srr,i.m C, Schormerhorn and q member OF
NV NJ the best clubs in the city, came out yes
,.rdsy. In the scheme. 1t 10 alleged, were Big
u.vloy. q confidence man and all-around crook,
-Ao.e real name is Woodward. but who for the
..o.s,on assumed tho name Of James Ward; .
~Om.n who posed as Big Hawloy's wife. taking
,h,nsme OF Eugenia Ward. and James l. Brown,
LAWYER with an Office at 260 West Twenty
.,,,a utreet. All three wero indicted by the
or.nd Jury on Thursday and bench warrants
-.rs given to detectives. The customary prema-
,rr, publication in one OF tho new journals Of
N. action Of the Grand Jury gave warning to
pr HaNrley and the woman In time for them to
- out of tho way. Brown has not been seen
,,no, Thursday afternoon. He was tho only one
otthe three that the police know the local habi.
,,tion Of. They went TO his Office and went to
N, house and camped outside Of his door all
uirht, but didn't get him.
The scheme to blackmal Mr.. BRIGHAM was
s.,cd on the hope that no would rather give up
,mbstantial sum of money than face q series Of
UNPLEASANT charges. The plotters had him
named hrst as correspondent in q divorce suit,
INn N ClohueA ~ bh eStto VI W -
mpposed husband for the alienation Of his wifo's
,~dections. They ran up against the wrong mar
when they picked out Mr.. Brigham as the VIC
din however. He turned the matter over TO his
lawyer. ex.Congressman Franklin Bartlett, with
Instructions to sail in and expose the black
mailers. The action of the Grand Jury on
Thursday was the result of three weeks of caro-
full adjective work. Tho full story Of tho con-
,piracy shows that the crooks spent q good deal
dtime and money to perfect 1t.
About April 12 Mr.. Brigham, who lived with
his wife at her fathers house. at 80 West
Tventy-third street, was served with papers in
ssuit for 800. ooo. brought against linn by one
James Ward for the alienation OF his wife's
Affections. The action was brought by Lawyer
james L. Brown. and Mr.. Brigham, In puEzling
over the matter. observed that the papers had
been sworn to and acknowledged before Horny
Merzbach. a lawyer and notary Of 270 West
Thirty-soventh street. Merzbach 10 also official
Interpreter in tho Eighth District Civil Court ct
twenty third street and Eighth avenue.
Mr.. Brigham thought at first that the thing
must DO o Joke. There was something 80 bust
ness-like about the papers, however. that he
took the document TO Mr.. Bartlett, who imme,
diately announced that It was all regular and
uine action. Mr.. Bridgham couldn't help his
lawyer much in the investigation. He declared
1 msSt he 9 Ssd IN ne tSe p sSen or and ao shat u he en eo p1lSptt
Imagine what they meant by suing him. Mr..
Bartlett had his own ideas on the subject.
tns him that N. Bridshan knew nothing About
III. or Mrs. Ward that the case was evidently
rot money from his client in settlement Of their
case. they were INDUCING In q vain hope. as Mr..
Brigham would not consent to allow himself TO
10 be fled to complaints OF this character, Mr..
Bartlett drew one denying all the allegations in
the complaint. For u time nothing further was
A short time afterward another action was
begun BY Lawyer Brown on behalf Of his client,
Ward. This action was for an absolute divorce,
and Mr.. Bridgham was named az correspondent.
The complaint YVES q long one and accused Mr.:
Of various times at her homo In West Twenty.
third street The signatures were sworn to b.
for, fore S% Iiv sSSel, tae 81 ip 1Si.p action .n Mr 81 ss sss harm
IN 1t that he had been cast for, and he speedily
added this 70 the material already in the hands
About his time Mr.. Bridgham had q caller.
I was . representative of tho Union News
neriy q World reporter. conducts the q bureau"
It's representative bad O bundleof. manuscript
with him: setting forth b., n detail two actions
tons Of the charges made against him by Ward.
Tho manuscript was carefully written out as
saeuf srid sisaS f nur & Eneli Bsr.Iss. h IA s spUfsa
toanybody about the matter. Mr.. Bridgham felt
sure that the man must n have got his informa.
wanted, Mr.. Bridgham's side OF the case before
s. a$s5: :.sT I'd T not ss's q ssxz t Sass; n: ss1a Ss;
would dare to print such nonsense about q man.
SH Tss are Hsp mslsS%s 70 se q sh 1t GniGS S Kew if Bureau
went away. 1t was from Murphy. by tho way,
that Information about the case was obtained
Hshed the Grand Jury's proceedings In time to
warn the conspirators.
jan. q lawyer. in the New York Lie insurance
&c crook. went 70 Hailigan:s oaise. eoosoppsni:sd
ssny brought y : F6liSdsiphIs jeTTsi;
Isvy eFn, A hsTi's .sat ans f sSc wq gaa% IN IL
an outside room Hswley vent into Halligan's
once %aSst and nd sal: ! be bad agoOd case in which there
woman to Haliigsn. as Mrs. Ward. AZ the
lawyer r~ememberg tho woman che was quito
years Of age. Of. light complexion. and well
dressed. iShe talked with an English accent
e aS1isSa3 hs aad c asseF ts ssin Mt Il f ssf0s Epa aas ne hat az.
AaTley had brought her 70 him In part payment
Mrs. Ward" explained to Halligan that she
her husband az bad secured sy defsu fI's sSs o Gersd
sas ssSs h1 Ssd s ) .o g IN z tie dss' b sna ' saat shns e so nSs
q got from him; The woman went swey prom:
the Windsor Hotel. philadelphia, and begged
HAlligan to hurry up her case. as she was
going abroad. Halligan made an examination
q tho court records. but could lind no trace Of
the divorce judgment the woman said her hus-
band had secured, 80 he dropped tho matter. He
heard nc more from the woman or about the
case until Friday. when Assistant District At
torney Lindsay summoned him TO appear before
the Grand Jury. In the Grand Jury room Hal
hgan identified Q. picture of Big Hawley, but
baid that he never know the man as James Ward.
Just what part of the scheme the Introduction
Of the woman known as MIRA, Ward" to Hal.
lgan was ia not explained. The District At
torney's office seems to attach Importance to It.
10 far as can be learned the action which Halli-
Ean did not bring was not begun by any other
lawyer.
Some time after the papers in the first suit had
Got a letter signed Eugenia Ward" In which
The writer SAID that her husband had secured O
divorce from her and that Mr.. Brigham knew
,hs reason why, The writer wound VI BY
10 address. Mrs. Brigham turned the letter
ever to her husband, who gaveit to Mr.. Bartlett.
About this time Lawyer Brown. called on Mr..
bartlett to talk the case over" Mr.. Bartlett
informed him that Mr.. Bridgham would mover
PAY cent in settlement, as there was not tho
tnghtest foundation for tho proceedings. Then
~. Brown went away. Mr.. Bartlett called In
estectiyes at this t~uncture and they soon had a
eaie fr the Grand Jury, There was only one