New-York tribune., 1897-08-24
4 DEFEATED SWINDLE.
come.

The absolute failure OF the attempt to swindie
the estate of Jay Gould through the claims OF
an alleged widow TO dover rights IN the prop
ertv which he left should not be made the eA-
cuse for dropping the case A scheme or 1raud
has been frustrated. but it has Lot yet peeh
punshed The Gould heirs may incline 10 DE
cood.natnrcd They can afford the expense oi
exnosnc the iniposture and may naturally
think that the annoyance Of being charged Win
illecitimacv is one Of the petty trials incident
70 their position. They may think. and perhaps
he justified in thinking that demasoSues Will
howl that people Of wealth are prosecuting the
moor and ignorant If they insist on prosecuting.
II might be more pleasant for all persons direct
" concerned in the case TO let it drop but the
public has an interest of an entirely different
nature. and officers charged with the enforce
mcnt of the criminal law will not do their duty
If they fail TO expose every person engaged in
This plot.
This scheme of fabricating widows for dead
men is not new one. Providence, H. l., had
sensational case of this kind a few years ago.
and the conspiracy Of gang of sharpers against
the estate of l.. 4. Robertson. Of this city, has
not yet been forgotten. Il was shown that the
person who claimed TO be Mr.. Robertson's widow
was a woman Of low character, who had never
even seen Mr. Robertson. but who was picked
up in q saloon by the conspratOrs and employed
for the service Something of the same method
appears 10 have been employed in the attack
on the Gouds. The claimant Is an ignorant
woman. who seems to have been only a tool IN
the hands Of others. How far she herself was
fooled. and how far she knew she was being
used in a swindllng game, is uncertain mat
point should he investigated. as should also the
qnestion how far the lawyers employed for the
prosecution Of the claim were proceeding IN good
faith We do not in the least inSlnuate that
reputable lawyers might not have been entirely
deceived But the circumstances were such
that suspicion that their aid was sought in
swindle would have been natural, and evidence
may properly be asked that such suspicious were
not. in fact. aroused. Jay Gould was himself
for many years before the public. and any such
claim as that Of Mrs Angel would hardly have
lain dormant until his death had IT not been an
easily detected fraud Moreover the claim was
close parallel 10 other frauds. Probably no
person of intelligence has from the first regard
ed the Angel suit as anything but An attempt
10 blackma and certainly the courts and the
public have right to demand Of lawyers that
they do not begin legal proceedings 10 enforce
claim of suspicious character without taking
reasonable precautions that the court and they
themselves are not imposed upon.
1t does seem as If any lawyer engaged in
preparation of the Angel suit and brought in
contact with the plaintiff herself and the per-
sons giving testimony which the defence easily
showed to be false ought 10 have discovered the
imposture. But, be that as 1t may, behind the
lawyers We're the consprators who planned the
scheme and the perjurers who made false affi-
davits. They should be prosecuted. The bust
ness OF blackmaling dead mems estates has
gone far enough. No mans good name or his
properly. whether he leaves millions or just
enough 10 provide for his family. Is safe from
attack If crime Of this kind is not punished. 1t
Is not enough TO drive off the robbers. They
should be followed and caught.