New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12
4 STTDY N BL4Chn VAIL.

Tho long drawn case Of blackmail against the
children of the late Jay Gould IS ended Us
rc.ult has been the utter discontinue ana COR
,.iction of the wretchcd criminal who began IT,
on1 The complctost possible vindication "f the
Gould family That is triumph OF truth ana
iustlcp. and upon il the Gould fahlIE ana '"'
general public are TO he congratulated. hui
that is not the sole. nor indeed tie chief' con
sidorotion. We have hitherto expressed sense
of thc public service the Gould famllY' anu
esncciollv Miss Helen Gould. have performer
In dchting the case 50 persistently. The con
clusion of The ease crowns that service Win
complete fruitlon and marks the doors OF IT
ae henefactors of all who have memories TO
cherish or characters 10 protect
We may say that the Gouds are entitled 10
M esnocIal credit for defending the honor OF
thoir narcnts and the legitimacy of their own
birth Filial picty and sclf-rcSpcct left them no
alternative. Nevertheless it is to be feared that
in many cases. perhaps in the majority the
natural impulse of persons thus approach'd
would have been 10 avoid scandal TO "huSh
the matter up" and 10 make compromise Win
tho criminal by the payment Of huSh-money.
That is not a brave course. But not all people
ore brave in all respects II is not pleasant
case SO repulsive as this. to have his parents
names dragged through the mire TO nave HIS
avn LEGITIMACY challenged and TO suffer the
haunting dread that some clever forgery OF
unblushng perjury. or some bit OF legal teen
nicalty may cast upon his parents ana himself
some suspicion Of reproach that never can De
shaken off Not the knowledge OF the most
hawless rectitude can fully reconcile even an
aggressive man TO such an ordeal. II may he Il
fraity. but II is characteristic human frallty,
that would make him at least consider the
preferabty Of paying huSh-moncy ana avoid
ing II all But when it is not man but
modest refined and sensitive young woman
who is called upon TO face such an ordeal II
IS not easy 10 OverTate the moral hcroiSm she
exercises in facing 1t and enduring il 10 the
bitter end The sacrifice of some money which
She never would have missed would have pro-
tected her fathers memory and her own fair
fame But the protection Of the public and
the ylndication of Justice required n far greater
sacrifice and the endurance OF the most re-
voting burden q woman can bear, and from
that she did not shrink. She has borne the
burden. and she has triumphed She has vim
dicated the honor of her parents beyond the
rcmotest possibility Of malevolpnt suspicion.
and she has made every honest man and woman
n all the land far more secure against the
attack of one Of the most inSidlous and deteSt-
able Of crimes.
Nor is the least satisfactory feature OF the
case the assurance that Miss Gould neither
suggested nor approved the granting Of extreme
lenicnce 10 the criminal by indefinite suspension
of sentence The motives that led the jurors TO
recommend and the Judge 20 grant sO-called
mercy need not be questioned or criticised,
even though TO the general public no ground for
them be apparent The fact remains. recOg-
nlzed and indiSputable. that without the slight
est provocation or Justification, or the slightest
notion that she had the slightest ground for her
action. the criminal conceived and pcrSistenily
attempted to execute an abomnabe wrong.
For the sake Of sOrdd gain. If not through sheer
malgnity she stIOvc 10 impose the stigma or
shame upon members Of her own sex and upon
one member of il whose personal virtues and
public benefactions have entitled her 10 more
than ordinary affection and esteem. There Is
indeed reason 10 suppose that this last consid-
Grafton was foremost in moving the creature TO
make her attack upon the Goulds. Her crime