Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-09-17
Conclusive Evidence.
49, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


ably dressed, to nil appearances IL lady.
"Ill trouble sou FOR II hundred dol
lars" she said.
"a hundred dollars! My dear lady.
why should give you IL hundred dol
laB?"
'"ro save Yourself from the consc-
qucnoes Of having annoyed me"
II annoy YOU? / never saw you be-
fore"
You have been following me ever
since l entered the park. DO YOU see
that policeman over there by the obc-
lIsli? 1t Is an easy matter for me to
call him, have you arrested and taken
10 the station. There shall state that
YOU have been annoying mo In the
park. II you cannot get bail you Will
spend the night in Il cell. The informa-
ton Of your dcspicab aconduct will be
read tomorrow morning by every New
Yorker who takes II newspaper. Your
| wife. If YOU have one. will never be
quite sure whether You are guilty or
innocent Even If YOU are acquitted on
trial you Will ever aftcrward suffer an
unpleasant notcricty. Some viii be-
llcyc you innocent. but the majority
Will believe you guilty. VIII 1t not be
worth a hundred dollars 10 you to
avoid nll this?'
Murdoch WINS so stunned by this
| proposition. 80 convinced Of It's truth,
that for few minutes he made no re-
ply, staring at the woman In wonder
ut her enrontcry.
"lIow Will YOU prove your cascf"
| II don't need To prove It, lt's the
notoricty ] nm relying on. Even II
could prove II You would suffer no
punishment except small fine.
Proved or not. your name will In pub
lshcd as one charged with con-
tcmptihlc crime and you Will never
live down the smirch."
| "Do yot>. expect people you spring
your game on to carry so much about
| thcmf'
Not usually. Tho matter may lie
Kept from the public by the accused
| giving Il fictitious name. The money
may he paid Mt any time before the
trial. and | go to the police nnd con-
TESS myself us having been mistaken.
| Then they Will release you. But you
look like II man who would not 90
about without being well supplied
|
with money"
Murdoch saw by this TINT the wo-
man considered II bird In the hand
worth two In tho bush. He happened
TO have plenty to meet the present ne
| ccsslty.
I Suppose we compromise" he said.
| "I'll give you 500"
The woman gave him scrutlnizing
glance
"If the matter is settled here be-
tween us now" lie continued. ut will
be better for VS. both. You run no
risk. don't have 20 90 10 the police
station"
Every we'll I'll take 500"
Murdoch pulled out his pockctbook
and counted five OF the bills. The wo-
man held ont her hand.
''Thc policeman Is looking this way"
snid Murdoch. 1T may DO he knows
you us nm old offender and Is watching
You. II he secs me give you money
hell arrest YOU for prnctlclng your
game. and I'll have TO go with you to
testify against YOU. In that case
won't he much better of than If
refuse TO pay YOU anything Now,
suppose 20 and drop the money at
| the foot OF that tree yondcr and you
go and pick II up"
| The woman looked suspicious, but
after some thought, seeing no way by
which her victim could trick her she
consented. Murdoch, rolled the bills.
holding them In his fist. walked to the
root of the tree and dropped them.
| Then he sauntcrcd away. The woman
| advanced. keeping one eye on Muir
dock, the other on the bills. half hidden
In the grass. She had nothing to fear
unless he might have dropped some
thing OF no value In place of the bills.
but in that case there wns the police
man. and she had only to call him to
carry out her threat Selling the bills,
her face took on an avnricious look ns
she saw that they were really bnnk
bills. Tho only remaining question was
were there five of them And this Is
the most important feature of this
story. She counted them. and while
Ehc was counting them she heard
click.
Starting, she turned to look ut Muir
dock, expecting to see revolver lev
clcd ut her. She saw him looking up
from his kodak, which he had swung
In front of him and turned In her di
rcc:ion.
police" he cried at the top of his
voice.
The policeman heard and came to-
ward him.
ARREST that woman"
"What for?" asked fi1c con
"Shc has $50 on her person just given
her by me for backmail. Take her to
the station and watch her to see that
she doesn't get rid OF the bills"