The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-06
THE WHY OF TT


The prosecution of Colonel Mann
and Judge Deuel., Of the Town Topics.
was the most vigorous and successful
Of anything of the kind known in this
ability Of the attorneys, Hon. E. NJ.
Shepard and Hon. James W. Osborne.
who added much to their reputation
by their brilliant conduct of the case,
But it was due more to the long pre-
paration made by the Golfers and the
expenditure Of an hundred thousand
dollars 10 obtain conclusive evidence
that would be conclusive. A special
from New York says:
Mr.. Collier said he expected / o re-
imburse the city through the district
attorneys Office fos all the money
spent for handwriting experts and
other witnesses. His paper began its
attacks on Coloaet Mann in 1901, he
said, followed the publication in Town
Topics of al, article rejecting on thu
private life and social carer of his
father, P. E. Collier. He said a.$o
that ever since that article appeared
he and his father had been waiting for
NAC OPPO1 AAi( "A1Na "aS LII 1SASH
last summer by the arrest of Charles
Able on a charge of attempting TO
blackmail Edwin c. Post, a broker"
Here you have the why of it-a fl
ial son with ample means, outraged
by the publication of false statements
rejecting upon the private life and So
cial career of his father. has for near
~ two years devoted himself to the
min of tho mon Uhn Sn1Uht m acStrn--
his fathers good name. He rented him
ar office on Broadway, he employed
the former managing editor of Town
Topics and the agent Of Fads and Fan
cies at salaries of 500 a week each
and began to collect the Necessary evi-
dence to show up the character Of the
b~lackmailers who published that dis
reputable sheet. 1t took plenty of
money, the ability of a detective. the
resistless energy and fury of a man
VINO had suffered a wrong, the grim
determination that is sleuth-like in its
grip. and the high purpose of a man
who combined private revenge with a
great public service. BY the time Mr..
Collier had in his possession the evil
dence to destroy the two prominent
retailers of scandal Judge Deuel. com
mitted the blunder of going into court
for vindication from the charges n
Golfers Weekly. 1t was like walking
in a trap that had been set for him.
The result is known to the public. And
now Colonel Mann is on trial to face
a charge of perjury in the trial. with
Mr.. Collier acting as prosecutor. He
said IN the witness stand: 81 would
not be surprised if this case cost $780,
mo Wo UN111an'f mind If If oN-t
twice that amount. When Mann is
put out of the way, Mr.. Collier vii!
then rid New York of an unfit judge"
In pursuing his private and family
wrongs, Mr.. Collier has also performed
a public service. He has taught a
valuable lesson-that blackmailers, no
matter how velvety their tracks-can
be uncovered. Another-and a sad
lesson is-that unfortunately in such
cases of systematic blackmail, a pri-
vate injury sustained by a man O.
wealth seems to be necessary to put
the machinery in motion to secure con-
viction. If our judicial system were
o. perfected, the public prosecutor
would hunt down such viOlators of law
esOurce would be as able to secure
the punishment of his traducer as a
millionaire. In the case, however, of
publications like Town Topics, only
the rich who could be bled were SLAM
dered, and, as a rule. they came
down with the money. The publish
ers didn't know the spirit of which
theColliers are made or they would
no have reflected upon the character
of the head of the family.-Raleigh
News and Observer.