New-York tribune., 1897-02-09
BLACK MAILING e.

Mr.. Almei f. jerks deserves thanks for brng-
ing 10 public exposure, and it is TO be hoped 10
lust punishment. the scamp who attempted 10
blackmail him. The fellow whom he so clevefiy
entrapped and turned over 20 the police is the
type of n class of low adventures who COM
bining certain sort of literary dexterity with
sleuthhound instincts deprayed tastes ana moral
perversty. make business Of collecting and
following up domestic. social commercial and
financial scandals as stock in trade upon which
TO carry on sometimes at wholesale but oftener
at retail the ncfariOus business of blacklnail-
ing The practice of levying backmail dates
back much earlier than the time Of the Scottish
chief Rob Roy under whom, and the custom OF
extorting money from landowners for immunity
from the depredatOns of cattle thieves, II took
its present name. II is doubtless as old as
original sin. But it takes new forms with sue
ceedng generations. In our day its most com
mon form is that adopted by the person who
pxDcrimcntcd 50 unsucccssfully on Mr.. jerks
of extorting money for the suppression of some
threatened publication of a ScandalOuS or other
wise offensive character. Ii is pursued on
larger scale, as is well known in the Lcgislat-
ure. where the blackmailer who is variOusy
known as lobbyist striker or member of the
BLACK Horse Cavalry" makes corporations his
victims by threats Of hostile legislation.
In the case of Mr. jerks the operator had al
ready initiated his programme and opened mis-
approaches by preliminary article in the news
paper whose columns he pretended TO control
an article ingeniously contrived TO convey the
suggestion of a more rank and offensive sequel
This SEQUEL was submitted to Mr.. jerks for
perusal with demand for a considerable sum
Of money for It's suppression. Most men have
natural shrinking from the sort Of notoriety
which publications OF that character bring,
whether they he true or false. 1t is upon this
unwillingness to be dragged before the public in
the columns of a newspaper that the profes-
sional backmailer trades, and too often makes
an indecent and precarous livelihood. In this
case the operator met his match. Mr.. jerks
was not weak enough to submit TO the extor-
ton, but on the contrary, was shrewd enough
10 outwt and capture his tormentor. 1t was a
clear case of tables turned and victim and vie
timizer changing places. 1t is greatly TO be
hoped that Justice will take its course with the
fellow who has been caught in the tolls he set
for his victim and suitable punishment meted
out to him.
But will this put a stop to the practice! Not
so long as there are newspapers which put a
porter>. writers and contributors of the slcuh-
hound class and which in the rage for publicity,
lubricity and mcndacity ill their pages with the
sickening details of scandals Of all sorts in high
life and low life. in the great houses and the
Sums or spread abroad in display type the
prurient gossip Of the concert halls and the
stage. II Is not 50 much the fault Of the weak
men and women who submit TO the eXtorlionS
of the blackmailcr as il is Of the newspaper pro-
prictors who reach out after and buy Of these
purveyorS of naStincss their filthy wares No
blackmailer ever threatens TO use the columns
Of a respectable newspaper in vilifcation Of his
chosen victim. 1t is the character Of the news
nappr itself which serves as cloak for villainy.
The arrest Of this fellow should serve good
purpose. not only in dctcrring others of his tribe
from similar offences. but in disclosing TO news
paper prOprietors who have some sense of de-
cency left the inevitable tendency OF the mania
for the sort Of publicity which paradcs indecency
and eyplOitS scurrility.