The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-11

Alleged American Consul and wife Tn
der Arrest-sew YORK Hotel Man the
vietfm-The Woman Formerly In At
lanta Society
Washington POST

washington Post-)
New York, November William A.
E. Moore and his wife, Fayne, who
were last night arrested at the Gre
noble hotel. at Fifty-seventh and Sew
enth avenue on the charge OF extor-
ton and attempted blackmail, prefer
red by Martin Mahon, the proprietor
OF the New Amsterdam hotel, were ar
raigned in the Center Street police
court this morning by Detective Sergts.
Mcknight and Cuff, who made the ar
| set.
According to the story Of Captain
McClusky, chief of the Detective Bu-
reau, Mahon, the complainant. met
Mrs. Moore, then Miss Strahan, three
years ago at the New Amsterdam
hotel. She had just returned from
Paris. Mahon, according to Captain
McClusky, saw her frequently and kept
up the acquaintance until the Strahan
woman married Moore, early in the
| spring of 1897. After her marriage
Mahon lost track of her until a week
| ago, when she appeared at the New
| Amsterdam hotel.
The Moore woman took luncheon at
the hotel, and before leaving, accord
ing to Captain McClusky, borrowed a
handsome diamond horseshoe pin from
the proprietor, which she said she
would return to him at the GrenOble
hotel at s O'Clock on Friday night.
Mahon, according to Captain McClusky
wen to the hotel hat night, and after
some talk with her, accepted her in
| vitation to play a game of cards in her
room.
Captain McClusky said Mahon and
the Moore Oma chatted and played
cards in the Moore apartments until
| MahOn heard a noise as of a door OPP
ening. He arose from the chair and
| went to the door opening into the pri-
vate hall to see who was there. AS
he left his seat Mrs. Moore, according
to McClusky, asked him where he was
going, and Mahon replied: Il want to
see what that noise was"
ooh, that was nothing" the woman
| replied. Nevertheless, Mahon, locked
the door before returning to his chair,
and the woman, McClusky said, on the
plea of a~scertaining for herself the
cause of the noise, went to the door in
turn and unlocked it. She then seated
herself again, but in a few minutes
left the room, saying that it was very
warm. and returned clothed in a blue
wrapper. When they had talked for
a few minutes the Moore woman, &C
cording to McClusky, coughed, and
her husband burst into the room and
pointing a revolver at Mahon accused
him of improper conduct with his wife,
and demanded $50, 900.
GAVE UP ALL HIS CASH.
Later an agreemnt was made where
by Mahon was to pay $500 on Satur-
day and the remainder later. Mahon
then gave up $167, all he had in his
pockets. Mahon, after considering the
matter, later informed McClusky of
what had happened, and the arrests
followed.
Moore told the detectives after his
arrest that he was the United States
consul at Natal, South Africa, and
showed what purported to be a certi-
ficate Of appointment to substantiate
his story. Later in the morning a tel
egram from Washington was received
at police headquarters which said that
no such person as w. A. E. Moore was
known there. The records of the state
department showed, however, that on
May II, 1897, a man of the name of
w. A. E. Moore was appointed from
Ohio as consular agent at Durham
Natal, but never went to his post.
After hearing the evidence in the
case Magistrate Olmstead held Moore
in $4,000 bail on the charge of black
mail, and the Moore woman was held
in $1,000 bail on the charge of collu-
sion in an attempt at blackmail.
ONE OF ATLANTA'S BELLE.
Atlanta, Ca, November 7.NMrs.
Moore, whose debut in society here as
Miss Pet Strahan, is still remembered
by her admirers, and her mother, Mrs.
Strahan, live at 60 Alexander street,
in a coy little home filled with brio
a-brac and works of art. Mrs. Strahan
came to Atlanta about fifteen years ago
being introduced as the wife of Chief
Justice Strahan, of Oregon. Her pur-
pose was presumably to find a mild
climate for her two young daughters.
The girls went to select schools, and
were graduated with much distinction.
The elder daughter died very sud-
denly, while Miss Pet bloomed forth
as one of the most attractive women
of her day. Why the family never re-
turned to their Oregon home has never
been explained, but they continued to
reside here continuously. About three
years ago Mrs. Strahan and her daugh-
ter visited London, whence they made
a visit to Paris, and from that city
came the news of Miss Pets marriage
at an African multi-millionaire.
Later Mrs. Strahan returned to this
city, and resumed her residence at 63
Alexander street, while occasionally
news has been received OF the sue
cesses of her daughter. When the news