Evening star., 1901-07-10

OF gang Of men who are attempting to
blackmail them in a bold and clever man
ner Steps are being taken by the drug
gists to bring them. to justice, and If the
swindlers attempt operations again 1t is
likely that it will fail to work. Harlem.
Lower Manhattan and East New York
druggists are the victims. The plan of
operation of the gang is to send one of
their men to drug store to have pre-
scription Of some simple drugs prepared.
The prescription Is paid for and the medi-
cine taken away. IN a few hours the man
returns to the drug store, apparently in a
great rage and denounces the druggist,
declaring the prescription clerk had made
mistake and put poisonous drug in the
prescription, the medicine making his wife
desperately i'll. and declaring that he would
sue the druggist for heavy damages and
expose his blunder of placing poison in or
binary prescriptions. These threats are
made for the purpose Of frightening the
druggist and causing him to fear that his
business will be injured If a suit is brought
against him, or II the patient should die
and the case become public. After making
a great deal Of racket and pretending to be
very indignant at the mistake on the part
of the druggist the swindler coos his tenn
per sufficiently to suggest to the druggist
that the case might be settled out of court
and out of the papers If a certain amount
of money is paid in hand. This amount is
said to vary from $50 to 500, and If the
druggist is in doubt to whether he really
made the mistake charged the swindler ex-
poets that the medicine man will pay up
rather than take the chances of resisting
the demand. The swinder, of course,
brings back the medicine he bought. after
having placed foreign drug, in the bottle
himself and making it easy for him to
prove that a poisonous drug was really in
the bottle, and that an analysis would bear
out his contention
No Gambling at Long Branch.
1t has been the custom for a long
time for many New York people to go to
Long Branch to stay over Sunday, and in
cidentaly, try to win out their expenses.
Now there is absolutely nothing doing"
in the gambling line there. The four swell
gambling houses where enterprising men
once essayed battles with the tiger are
closed. The professional gamblers and the
hundreds Of attendants employed around
the gambling houses sit around In the dol
drums alternately swearing at the threat
of the prosecuting officials Of Monmouth
county and studying the railway time tables
in the hope of finding a place where the
games of the green cloth are not inter-
dicted.
The Present Lord Fairfax.
Albert Fairfax, clerk in the banking
house of Faring. Magoun & Co., in this
city. though American-born and a citizen,
Is. by right, Lord Fairfax. He has COM
missioned Clarence Cary of the law firm of
Cary & Whittridge of this city to present
his claim to the right to sit in the house
of lords of Great Britain. Mr.. Cary is in
London. prepared to file documents which
WILL undoubtedly, prove the legality of the
young mans title His claim is not con-
tested or doubted, but the house Of lords
has never had official notice of Albert Fair
fax's succession to the title which his late
father, citizen Of MARYLAND. never used.
Lord Fairfax, or Mr.. Fairfax. as he is
known to his associates. has, however, no
present intention of moving to England. or
of appearing at the bar Of the exclusive
house of lords to demand his seattle right
to which. by the way is undisputed.
The GaipsbOrOugh Painting.
The gift Of the famous Gaiasborough por-
trait of the Duchess Of Devonshire. which
J. Pierpont Morgan has Just made to the
New York Public Library. attracts atten-
ton to the excellent collection of paintings