New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-19

Where II is known that 81 is paid as the result OF
extortion. 500. police detectives say, is paid
secretly From the very nature Of this evil It shuns
the light and only to the surface as the
result OF some moral upheavaL Where one victim
turns at last his prosecutor and gives fight in
the open' ninety-nne others either continue TO pay
tribute take 10 the abyss. The public is still
talking about recent case OF alleged blackma. in
which negress is charged with having wrung
nearly 10000 from an old man. but Il knows moth
ing OF many instances of extortlon which will
ever remain secret.
Though its purpose is relentlessIy the same black
mail exists in the most varied forms 1t may take
the shape OF the bullying policeman who keeps
driving the pushcart Dedler from corner TO
another until few greasy coins turn away his
wrath, or IT appears in the bedizened adventures
who Is leVying secret tribute come highly
respected merchant. Now and then it is dragged
before the ma glstrate in the person of thug who
has threatened the life Of unwary out OF
towner. caught in the meshes OF the badger game
or IT may walk up and down the SUMMER side Of
Hall-st. tTicked out in smart clothes purchased
with money wrested from some speculator to pre-
vent raid on his securities the exchange.
Although the case OF alleged biackrnaii exposed
the other day by the suit against negress involves
a sum CT money unparalleled in former instances.
II lacks the tragic features which have character
lied many cases. New-York has all but forgotten
how blackmailer was shot dead In Madison-ave
after he had bounded a family for months in the
endeavor 10 obtain $4,000 1t occurred I'm 1851 when
Louis Strasburger had large iewelry store at No.
Is Maiden Lane. For some time Mr.. Stra5burger
had been receiving threatening letters through the
maii. and on one occasion his little daughter vas
snatched up by a stranger and nearly kidnapped
At last the jeweller became desperate and he
asked the police TO lay trap for his prosecutors
IT was accordingly arranged that the governess as
the biackmailers had demanded. should walk
through East Sxty-eighth-st. in which Mr. Stras-
burger lived. toward F1fth-ave She should carry
between her fingers envelope containing the
money, and at pistol shot she should drop IL in
the street and run. The governess did as directed
but In addition detectives under OF the shad-
oWs OF neighboring houses watched her closely
AS she approached Madison-ave two skunk
across the street. and suddenly OF them fired
the pistol signal: the governess dropped the en-
velope, containing a few bits Of paper. and his pal
stopped 10 pick IL up. As he did so a detective
jumped his back. reached for his arms but
instead found himself looking down the barrel O.;
a pistol. In self-defence he pulled his own re-
volver and shot the blackmailer through the head
Not many years ago plot was revealed which
shows how many an innocent man holding Il high
position in the community from which ne nigh.
be hurled by the talk OF scandal. no matter
how false It may be will pay blaekmail for silence
The pastor of church In uptown part OF the
city was threatened by servant girl with suit