The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-07-20
AHLE'S CAREER IS
Being INVESTIGATED
District Attorney Is Convinced
New York Society People
Are BIackmailed.
BUT FEW DARE TELL
''Desire TO Avoid Exposure Of Their Own
Social and Moral Shortcomings
Prompted Their Dealings
with Him.

New York. July i9.-FollowIng the
holding Of Charles II. Able on a charge
OF attempting 10 extort $500 from Ed
win NJ. Post. member OF the stock ex-
change. az the price for keeping out or
Town Topics n Ecurrilous article about
his personal affairs. Assistant District
Attorney Krotel sought To get into
communication with the wealthy So
cicty men and women who. according
tn Able. had subscribed for Americas
Smart Set" His idea was To ascertain
~ any os them had been threatened
should they decline 90 pay $500. tho
usual price for the subscription.
only three did he find. however. but
NJ viii continue his Efforts. although
he fears most OF those he would inter
view are out OF the city ut this time.
Cine whom nc found was Il. II. Thomas.
banker ard horse owner. whose wife
had PAID $500 20 Able. a detective
armed with "A subpoena was sent for
Or. Thomas. lie responded without
delay. ard frankly told Mr.. Krotcl what
h. knew az Able and his methods. He
admitted that no threats had been ut
tered 90 himself or Mrs. Thomas, nor
was there any suggestion that should
either o. them fail to become "A sub
scriber. there would be my unpleasant
result In the way OF publicity.
Tho first I saw OF Able" said Mr..
\
when he called on me Ia my Office.
When he told me he desired me to sub
scribe for = book on society To be is
sued soon, I told him that 1 didn't
care anything about society. and that
my wife attended 90 those matters.
told him that II he wanted TO see her
he might.
when I reached homc that night
Mrs Thomas told me that Able had
been To see her, and had told her had
sent him 10 her. lie told about the
work. which was TO be issued by the
Society Editors association. and added
Il WAS my desire 10 present To her n
copy OF the work. rs a gift. He talked
Tor long time and the interview was
ended by my wife subscribing for the
book and banding TO Able her own
check Tor $500.
Made a Second Wait.
"Somc time after that Able came 10
Sc me again. lie told me the Society
Editors association was getting out "A
rev edition Cf the book. which was so
elegant that / could not afford 10 be
without q copy. As II 90 induce me 10
subscribe he showed me two subscrlp-
ton cards. one bearing the name OF
Clarence H. Mackcy and the other that
81 John jacob Astor. each having paid
$500 to him. But I had no use for the
ihiug gnd told him So and he left, tell
ing me he wanted the money as the
editors were tired and wanted To hire
q yacht for The GUNNER. have heard
nothing from him since. But az no
time IN his conversation with me or
with Mrs. Thomas did he hint that the
failure 20 subscribe woul,. he attended
with any unpleasant consequences"
Mr.. Thomas, who was at one time
in partnership with Mr.. Post. said that
had Ahle beeFslnslstent or threatening
hc would have had no hesitation In
kicking him out OF Office nor would
IL refrain from telling OF such conduct.
lac commended the action taken by Mr..
Post. Many others did likewise. espcc-
ihiy the brokers' fellows OF the stock
exchange who crowded around him
yesterday morning and congratulated
him.
District Attorney Jerome received
many Letters and telephone messages
commencing him for the arrest OF Able.
and he said he understood Able APP
preached several public officials In the
cndcavor 10 have them hand over $500
FOR book TO be published some time.
Was Caught in a Trap.
The arrest OF Able was the result OF
n Trap baiied FOR him by Assistant
District Attorney krotel. In whose
charge the matter was placed by Dis-
trict Attorney Jerome after MIR. Post
had made his complaint. AS if to dis
pei the idea that he tried To extort
money from Mr.. Post. Able after his
arrest, showed Mr.. Erotcl large
bundle OF receipts showing that men
and women OF wealth had subscribed
fOr the work.
While the money was ostenslbly paid
rs subscription FOR n work entitled
Americas Smart Set" 20 be published
by the Society Editors association OF
Cos Fifth avenue. Mr.. Post declares IL
was demanded from him as the price
of preventing a sCurrilous article about
lis personal affairs being printed In
Town Topics.