The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-12
A WELL SET TRAP
SHARED A BLACKMAILER
But the Old Financier Was Not to Be
Scared by a Black Hand Letter, and
His Partner Fixed Up Scheme That
Cieverly Caught the Culprit.

IT'S FartneF TlSeo Up oShehC iHa'
cleverly Caught the culprit.
The late Jay Gould arrived at his Of
Zee one morning in state Of mind
There he said to his favorite part.
ner. finging down a letter which bad
been addressed to Mrs. JAY Gould y
don't mind their writing their scurril-
Gus things to me, but when they begin
to send them to my wife it's got TO be
stopped What can you do
Tie partner first read the letter. The
writer promised that he had lost great
deal of money specializing in Could
stocks especially Missouri Pacific, and
required that he be advised how to get
back what be had lost and more be
sides. Unless Mr. Gould impaired to
him straight. bona fide money making
information he would destroy Mrs
Gould The manner in which he de
sired the Information to be impaired
was this: Every morning an advertise
mont should be inserted In the personal
column Of q certain New York news
paper advising him when to buy and
when to sell Missouri Pacific. The al,
veltisement should be written in code
which he bad devised. so that he alone
would receive and understand the tip
II think | can catch him" said Mr..
Gouid's partner. "Just leave it TO me-
Mr. Gould was for calling in lnspec-
tor Byrnes at once. but his partner
thought they had better wait until
they had laid mine for the offender
The partner. who had shrewd un
Outstanding OF human nature, proceed
ell In nm unexpected manner. II hap.
pened that Mr. Gould's firm was very
active in Missouri Pacific and con
trolled the stocks fluctuations. On
the next day an advertisement was
inserted. as the blackmailer had re-
qnested. informing him agreeably to
his code to buy Missouri Pacific and
to watch for further instructions. Mis-
souri, Pacific stock went up. A few
days later another advertisement was
inserted telling him to sell Missouri
Pacific. And Missouri Pacific declin-
ed Again he was told when to buy
1t and again when to sell it, and when
this had been repeated a number Of
times the partner was ready TO spring
tho trap. He. inserted an advertise
ment which took the blackmailer OFF
his guard 1t read somewhat like this:
Missouri Pacific. The person who
has been receiving information to his
own profit about the movements OF
this stock has not kept faith with US.
He has been imparting IL to others
For that reason 1t is discontinued
That was not true There was not
the slightest reason to believe that the
backmailer had impaired his informa
ton to others: there had been even
no conclusive evidence of his acting
on it for himself. as he would not be
likely TO speculate on so large Il scale
as to be recognized in the stock mar
ket. But even in few hundred shares
at time a man could make great
deal of money in short time If he
knew beforehand infallibly when the
price would rise and when ii would
fall Mr. Gould's partner counted
upon the mans natural impulse when
accused of having. by his own lack
of discretion. slain his goose. The i'm.
pulse would be to deny that he had
broken faith. The chances were that