The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-10-20
The Possession of Private Let.
tiers One Favoritc Source
r. Of Income. s.
FEAR AND GREED ARE AIDS
Threatened Publication of Incidents in
Life Of Subject Frequently Puts
the BIackmailer in Possess "
sion Of Large Sums. .
From the Kansas City Star.

thief, doctor, lawyer, merchant chief,
butcher, baker, candlestick maker-all
OF you beware Of the blackmailer!
Recent developments in New York
would seem to show that well known
brokers n members of the 400" are
by no means overlooked by the black
mailer. But do you feel that personally
you are in no danger? That your posi-
tion among your fellows Is too secure
a blackmailer would be too shrewd to
try to drag you down from your
heights? That your station Is too low
ly-such a II would not deign to sloop
80 far? That you ave lone nothing in
secret which would murder your good
name were 1t to come to light? That,
therefore, no blackmniler would think
of marking you for a victim?
There was once a certain man whose
income Is not over fifteen hundred
doilar q year, whose name is not
known outside the small business circle
of which he forms Il part, who has
never made n particular hit In it, and
who, in brief is just such Il man as
To him a year or two ago there came
a stranger of genteel appearance.
Mr.. So-and-So," he said. in sub
stance, Il have called to see you about
a little personal matter to which, i feel
sure, you will appreciate my calling
SoOI / 10 llllS SOulu you
tell me whether the statements here
set forth are correct?" E
With this the caller handed to the
other what. to all intsilts and purposes,
was a prCofsheet OF an article that had
been prepared for publican in the cad
ing newspaper of the city. The busI-
ness man recognized the styles of type
in the headings and the body of the
article almost as soon as he realized
that, staring him in the face in cold
type, was a correct and detailed recital
of an incident in his life that he had
taken particular pains to hide. Pale of
face and trembling of hand he read the
article through, then he gaaped:
but 1t would ruin me among my
friends to have this appear"
The caller was overwhelmingly cool.
"As to the effect 1t would produce,
you are the better Judge" he said po-
litely. "All l am Interested in know
ing Is whether what we have ascer-
tanned is true?"
0 course he went on, as the other
hesitated to answer, "if you say that
the information contained in the article
Is not true. that Is the end OF it. Ii,
on the other hand, it Is true-well, if
you prefer not to have the public get
hold of the information, L daresay that
can be arranged quite easily. III fact,
we are not anxious to put o in this
light before your friends But we have
been at some expense preparing the
article. If you would care to defray
the expense"
1t turned out to be $50. with a sigh
of relief, the business man handle over
that sum and put his name to a receipt
which explicitly stated that the money
had been paid to defray in full ex-
penses to which the holder had been
put in the giver's behalf; and, bidding
his victim good-day, the blackmailer
" 0yNo ~ al +N ~ Al.~ - H.
on the list by sticking under his nose a
proof" of an escapade of his life.
For nearly three years his man
worked his game, weekly bleeding
several victims OF the inconspicious
type described. He would probably be
at the game today but for an attack Of
heart disease which caused him to
be gathered to his fathers. The black
mailer stood in" with a struggling
printer, who set up and printed the
articles in the style of the leading pa
per n when a victim saw a proof"
he at m recognized the style of type
and jumped to the conclusion hat I'M
less he stopped it. the article would ap-
pear forthwith.
Holding letters over a PERSONS head
Is u favorite and frequently successful
method of the b~lackmaller. A certain
titled woman of London engaged in an
indiscreet correspondence with a young
lASA fAoSuL "a DC vi .llllIC
he lost his patrimony in riotous living,
and was reduced to dire straits, when u
man of his acquaintance offered to give
him a lump sum of $1,000 In exchange
for the letters written to him by the
lady Of title. The bargain was struck,
the lady was made aware of it, and
one by n the letters We're fed to he,.
at $1,000 each until she had secured
f possession of all except eight. Then
her money ran out, and she threw her.
self upon the mercy of her husband,
who showed his forgiveness of her con-
duct Cor was 1t fear of a s%candal?) by
paying over a lump sum for the re-
mainder CT the letters. All told. the
letters cos the distracted writer and
her husband a little e $4,000.
Tho Property Blackmaiier.
OF course, you have destroyed all the
letters that could be used against you
did they fall into designing hands; or
perhaps you've never written any. Very
well, but how about YOU property?
Let US call the man who ant to
own a certain corner lot in u certain
section Of his city. John Jones. He
made numerous attempts to buy it, but
Zach succeeding time the owner asked
a higher price, and at no time would
listen to the figure narneA by the Jones.
Some two or three weeks after Jones
had made his last futile attempt to buy
the property, the rumor began to circu-
late In the neighborhood that the house
was haunted. Now, the residents Of
that part of the city were all lately
come from parts of the old country
where the belief in ghosts is deep-seat-
ed and haunted houses are numerous.
Many persons began to declare that
they had actually seen ghosts hittins
by the windows of the house. and by
night the neighborhood collected around
the house to see the ghosts. One night
the crowd became s ofiarge and excited
that the police had to be called out, and
in this. way the matter got n the
newspapers.
From the beginning of the talk about
ghostssthe owner of the property haG
bravely triedMMto laugh 1t away. But
when the papers took 1t up. he became
alarmed for the value OF his holding
and set about to sell8it. On every Side
he met with Observation-Disclosures one
wantVdsto take over q haunted house a
the figure he named. At this 5uncturs
John Jones once more appeared upol
4 the-scene.
a.Tn relieve you OF tile house at ths
figure / first mention" he said.
The bargain was struck, and 1t wa:
i marked that shortly after the deed hat
been transferred the talk Of ghost:
died down. and SO far as known ha.