The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-06-28
read Give me money or will tell
something know about YOU"


something know about YOU"
The local Matchmaking epidemic was
disclosed In the discussion of bill
now pending before congress. This
bill, II 1t ever becomes law, which
is very likely, imposes a penalty on the
receiver of black hand or blackmail-
ing letter Of 500, unless he turns the
correspondence over to the postmaster
of the office from which the letter was
delivered to him. The purpose of the
bill is to discourage and put a stop to
blackmailing methods il possible
Strange as it may seem nearly all
the complaints made here have been
by men, who allege that women are
trying to blackmail them.
In Same Gard Club.
The first case which the official dis
closed was by well known man who
stated that he had received letter
from woman belonging to the same
card club Of which he and his wife are
members. In the letters the, woman
admitted that she was in need of mon
ey and would disclose to her husband
the nature Of the alleged relations be-
tween her and the receiver OF the let
ter unless recompensed.
A second case is that of a servant
girl who had been turning over her
weekly wages to her lover. The lover
finally Tilted her after receiving more
than a hundred dollars and made no
effort to return the money. The girl,
being very much wrought up over the
loss Of both lover and money, began to
send letters to the man with yelled
threats that she would disclose the ma
ture Of their relations, by probably
bringing breach Of promise suit
against him unless he returned her
money.
Another instance which was mem
toned was that of local woman's
husband who went west. His absence
evidently excited some of the neigh
bors, for the woman after her hus-
band had been absent about two
months received letter from another
woman in which she desired money.
She threatened in roundabout way OF
making public alleged relations of her
victim with another man. alleging her
husband had left her for that reason.
II the woman was to comply with
the request OF meeting between the
two, she was to tie a string around
one of the porch posts. Instead the
woman reported the matter to the
proper officials.
Not more than two or three weeks
ago a prominent Hagerstown resident
appeared at the officials Office and
showed him a letter in which he was
threatened with being taken out by
whitecappers and given 60 lashes un-
less he deposited large sum Of money
at specified place.
Man Scared to Death.
AS an instance OF the harm such
letters do this Official recited case of
the death of q northern Wayne county
man year or so ago who. those ac-
quainted with the purported facts say,
died from fright. This man was en-
gagged in the sale Of liquor Illegally
and neighbor becoming acquainted
with the fact blackmailed the man for
years. He bounded him 50 and extort-
ed SO much money from him that the
mans health broke and he died \
short time afterwards.
In speaking OF the violations Of the
postal laws this oficial stated that the
writer's were familiar with the laws
upon the subject The writer's IN
many instances go to the very brink.
and the threat to extort money has to
be gained by reading between the
lines